Accessing DirectAdmin, Proxying DA Through Apache/Nginx/LiteSpeed, Troubleshooting Login Issues, and Testing DA Connectivity

1. Accessing the DirectAdmin Panel

By default, DirectAdmin listens on port 2222. You can access it using either the server IP or hostname:

http://12.34.56.78:2222/
http://hostname.yourdomain.com:2222/

If port 2222 is blocked by a firewall or proxy, you can run DirectAdmin through Apache, LiteSpeed, or Nginx using reverse proxy.

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2. Running DirectAdmin Through Apache (Port 80)

Some networks block port 2222. To bypass this, you can proxy DirectAdmin through Apache using a subdomain such as cp.example.com.

2.1 Steps

1. Create the domain cp.example.com under a normal DirectAdmin user.
2. Enable SSL for the domain (Let’s Encrypt recommended).
3. Go to: Admin Level → Custom HTTPD Configuration → cp.example.com
4. Insert the following into the |CUSTOM| section:

|*if SSL_TEMPLATE="1"|
|?HAVE_PHP1_FCGI=0|
|?HAVE_PHP2_FCGI=0|
|?HAVE_PHP1_FPM=0|
|?HAVE_PHP2_FPM=0|
|?CLI=0|
|?HAVE_PHP1_CLI=0|
|?HAVE_PHP2_CLI=0|
|?SUPHP=0|
|?HAVE_PHP1_SUPHP=0|
|?HAVE_PHP2_SUPHP=0|
       ProxyRequests off
       SSLProxyEngine on

       ProxyPass /phpmyadmin !
       ProxyPass /phpMyAdmin !
       ProxyPass /webmail !
       ProxyPass /roundcube !

       ProxyPass / "https://server.example.com:2222/"
       ProxyPassReverse / "https://server.example.com:2222/"
|*else|
       RewriteEngine On
       RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/.well-known
       RewriteRule (.*) Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. [R=301,L]
|*endif|

2.2 Enable Proper Client IP Logging

cd /usr/local/directadmin
./directadmin set x_forwarded_from_ip "12.34.56.78"
service directadmin restart

This ensures DirectAdmin logs the real client IP instead of the proxy IP.

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3. Running DirectAdmin Through LiteSpeed

LiteSpeed requires a different configuration because it handles proxying differently.

3.1 Insert the following into the |CUSTOM| section:

|*if SSL_TEMPLATE="1"|
|?HAVE_PHP1_FCGI=0|
|?HAVE_PHP2_FCGI=0|
|?HAVE_PHP1_FPM=0|
|?HAVE_PHP2_FPM=0|
|?CLI=0|
|?HAVE_PHP1_CLI=0|
|?HAVE_PHP2_CLI=0|
|?SUPHP=0|
|?HAVE_PHP1_SUPHP=0|
|?HAVE_PHP2_SUPHP=0|
      RewriteEngine On
      RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://cp.|DOMAIN|:2222/$1 [P,L]
|*else|
      RewriteEngine On
      RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
      RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/.well-known
      RewriteRule (.*) Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. [R=301,L]
|*endif|

3.2 LiteSpeed Proxy Restrictions

If you see this error:

Proxy target is not defined on external application list

You must add the proxy target manually in:

LiteSpeed Admin → Configuration → Server → External App → Add

Then perform a graceful reload.

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4. Running DirectAdmin Through Nginx

Edit:

/etc/nginx/nginx-includes.conf

Add:

server {
   listen "12.34.56.78:80";
   server_name "cp.example.com";

   include /etc/nginx/webapps.conf;

   location / {
       proxy_pass       "http://server.example.com:2222/";
       proxy_set_header Host $host;
       proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
       proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
       proxy_redirect "http://cp.example.com:2222/" "http://cp.example.com/";
   }
}

Restart Nginx:

service nginx restart

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5. Troubleshooting Login Issues

If login fails, run DirectAdmin in debug mode (level 2000). Example error:

Referer port (443) does not match DA's (2222)

Fix by disabling referer port checks:

See: DirectAdmin Feature 2194

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6. Actively Testing DirectAdmin Connectivity

You can test whether DirectAdmin is responding and whether login credentials work by using a login key and curl.

6.1 Create a Login Key

In DirectAdmin:

• Key Name: curltest
• Commands Allowed: CMD_API_LOGIN_TEST
• Allowed IPs: 127.0.0.1

6.2 Create Test Script

File:

/home/username/da_test.sh

Content:

#!/bin/sh
DEBUG=0

USER="username"
PASSWORD="loginkey"

CONFIG=curl_config.txt
echo -n '' > ${CONFIG}
echo "user = \"${USER}:${PASSWORD}\"" >> ${CONFIG}

RUN="curl --config ${CONFIG} --silent --show-error http://127.0.0.1:2222/CMD_API_LOGIN_TEST"

RESULT=`eval $RUN 2>&1`
RET=$?
COUNT=`echo "$RESULT" | grep -c 'error=0'`

if [ "${COUNT}" -gt 0 ]; then
    exit 0;
else
    exit ${RET}
fi

Make executable:

chmod 700 /home/username/da_test.sh

6.3 Run Test

/home/username/da_test.sh; echo $?

If output is 0, DirectAdmin is working correctly.

6.4 Automate with Cron

Create a cronjob:

/home/username/da_test.sh

Enable email notifications to receive alerts if DirectAdmin stops responding.