Hey there. I am completely new to AW stats, however I know that it's a traffic monitoring tool, and the company that I host with automatically set it up for me. I have no idea how to use, or access this tool, and could really use some help for a true newbie to this tool.
Awstats generally updates automatically this depends upon the setting your host provides you with - you can use "Update Now" feature if available (you can even change this feature urself). I really dunno how to offer more help as awstats is self-explanatory.
josh, i was new to awstat too when i first used cpanel, but like max said: it's pretty straight forward, so just simply log in and surf around for yourself.
Honestly, I don't even know what cpanel is, my best guess is that it's my window's control panel, but I doubt that's the case. I have an account with godaddy, I have it redirected at the DNS servers for my file server, and can upload any file I want. I have no idea how to access, or even READ awstats.
I can say its a free traffic tool that has diferences with other tools. The tool is based on the server and not online like extreme tracker. I use it and found it useful...but have used others and diferences of stats were incredible 30 or 40%! I will start to use Google Analytics and Extreme tracker.
Okay. It's a free tool on the server. Now how do I access it? I have access to everything in my personal directory, and the pubhtml directory via ftp. Is cpanel a tool I use to connect the server in order to access awstats? A browser like Firefox or IE to go to a specific page and then type in my user name and password? An FTP client? telnet? How do I get at it? Assume I'm a 70+ year old grandmother that has never used the internet for anything but checking e-mail and using the weather channel (no, I'm not referring to a stereotype as this describes my grandmother).
When I said I needed some basic pointers. I probably should have emphasized the word basic a bit more. *Sigh* I feel so stupid.
Cpanel is a program is allows webmasters to administer the back end of their hosting account, there are different programs like this out there. Awstats can be accessed through the admin part of cpanel. You would need to contact your web host to see what hosting panel they provide and to see if they have setup awstats on the server. I hope this helps.