HTTPS support with Lets Encrypt Print

What is HTTPS ?

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). It is used for secure communication over a computer network, and is widely used on the Internet. In HTTPS, the communication protocol is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or, formerly, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). The protocol is therefore also referred to as HTTP over TLS or HTTP over SSL.

The security of HTTPS is that of the underlying TLS, which typically uses long-term public and private keys to generate a short-term session key, which is then used to encrypt the data flow between the client and the server. X.509 certificates are used to authenticate the server (and sometimes the client as well). As a consequence, certificate authorities and public key certificates are necessary to verify the relation between the certificate and its owner, as well as to generate, sign, and administer the validity of certificates.

What is Let's Encrypt?

Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority (CA). They provide the digital certificates needed in order to enable HTTPS (SSL/TLS) for websites, for free, in the most user-friendly way possible.

To enable HTTPS on your website, you need to get a certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA). Let’s Encrypt is a CA. In order to get a certificate for your website’s domain from Let’s Encrypt, you have to demonstrate control over the domain. With Let’s Encrypt, you do this using software that uses the ACME protocol which typically runs on your web host.

How to setup HTTPS for your panel?

We've automated the process as much as possible.

First you need to get a domain, from a Domain Registration Provider of your choice. The domain must be connected to the IP of your server.

To configure this feature on your panel go to "Streaming Servers" -> "Manage Servers" and enter the Edit page of the main server.
Here you have to setup a couple of things on this page

1. Add the domain you have in the "Server Domain" field.
2. Scroll down to the "HTTPS Settings" section. There you will see the main HTTPS configuration fields.
   First Yes/No radio button for Enabling/Disabling the feature.
   Field for the "HTTPS Port" (normally the servers use port 443). Enter a valid server port.
   Field for email, it's advised to enter a valid and active email address, because it will be used by Let's Encrypt to send certificate renewal notifications.
3. And finally you have to set at least one of the "HTTP Port" or "Panel Port" fields to port 80 ("Panel Port" for main servers, and "HTTP Port" for load balancers). This is needed, because Let's Encrypt uses this port to check and generate the SSL certificates. If none of these ports is set to 80, a warning message will appear in the "HTTPS Settings" section.

After saving the changes for the server, its needed to execute the Reconfigure action on the server. This will take the new HTTPS settings and apply them on the server, also it will setup, configure and execute the ACME client, that is included with the portal. 

If you have active Distributor in "Streaming Servers" -> "Manage Servers" you will have to update the domain field https://<domain-name>