Boost your website’s performance and security by installing LiteSpeed Web Server on cPanel and Plesk. Our LiteSpeed Support team is ready to assist you. 

Install LiteSpeed Web Server on cPanel and Plesk

LiteSpeed Web Server offers fast, secure performance with LSCache and support for HTTP/2, QUIC, and HTTP/3. It integrates easily with Apache, cPanel, and Plesk, boosting website speed and security. This guide covers how to install and configure LiteSpeed on cPanel and Plesk.

Introduction to LiteSpeed Web Server

LiteSpeed Web Server offers fast, reliable, and secure performance for websites of all sizes. Its event-driven architecture efficiently handles high traffic with minimal memory usage. Integrated LSCache speeds up both static and dynamic content, while support for HTTP/2, QUIC, and HTTP/3 ensures fast data transfer.

Security features include built-in DDoS protection, server-level reCAPTCHA, and ModSecurity for web application defense. LiteSpeed also simplifies migration from Apache with full .htaccess support and works seamlessly with cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin for easy management.

Next, learn how to install and configure LiteSpeed on cPanel and Plesk to enhance your website’s speed and security.

Installing LiteSpeed Web Server for cPanel

1. Purchasing a LiteSpeed License

• License Purchase: Go to the LiteSpeed website to purchase a license or obtain a trial. You’ll receive a license key to use during installation.

2. Connecting to the Server via SSH

• Access the Server:
  • Use an SSH client (like PuTTY or a terminal) to connect to your server as the root user.
  • Example SSH command:

ssh root@your-server-ip

3. Downloading and Installing the LiteSpeed Plugin

• Download the Installer Script:
  • Once connected, download the LiteSpeed installation script via SSH:

wget https://www.litespeedtech.com/packages/cpanel/lsws.whm.latest.tar.gz

• Extract the Package:

tar -zxvf lsws.whm.latest.tar.gz

• Run the Installer:

• Start the installation process:

cd lsws.whm.latest

./install.sh

• License Key: During installation, you’ll be prompted to enter your LiteSpeed license key or use a trial version.

4. Configuring LiteSpeed Settings in WHM

• Login to WHM:
  

  After installation, log into WHM (WebHost Manager) with your root credentials.

• LiteSpeed Plugin Setup:
  

  Navigate to the LiteSpeed Web Server plugin under the “Plugins” section in WHM.

  • From here, you can:
    • Set Admin Credentials for the LiteSpeed WebAdmin console.
    • Enable PHP SuExec for better security.
    • Choose whether to use a port offset (if running LiteSpeed on a different port for testing).

5. Activating LiteSpeed as the Primary Web Server

• Switch to LiteSpeed:
  

  Once configured, navigate to the LiteSpeed plugin in WHM, and click on “Switch to LiteSpeed.”

  • If you used a port offset, test LiteSpeed on its designated port first, then switch.
• Verify:
  

  After switching, check the functionality of your websites to ensure they are operating correctly under LiteSpeed. You can verify PHP settings and page performance.

Installing LiteSpeed Web Server for Plesk

Here’s a streamlined guide for installing LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) on a Plesk server, including purchasing a license, downloading the plugin, enabling it, and switching LSWS to the main server ports.

1. Purchasing a LiteSpeed License

• Purchase or Trial License:
  • Go to the LiteSpeed Technologies website to purchase an enterprise license, or sign up for a trial license.
  • You will receive a license key that you will need during the installation.

2. Downloading the LiteSpeed Plugin

• Download the Latest Plugin:
  • Visit the LiteSpeed Plesk Plugin page to download the latest version of the LiteSpeed plugin for Plesk.
  • Save the .tar.gz extension file to your local machine or server.

3. Enabling Plugin Installation in Plesk

• Edit Plesk Configuration File:
  • SSH into your Plesk server as root and edit the panel.ini file (or create it if it doesn’t exist). The file is usually located in /usr/local/psa/admin/conf/panel.ini.
  • Add the following lines to enable extension uploads:

nano /usr/local/psa/admin/conf/panel.ini

[ext-catalog]

extensionUpload = true

• Save and close the file.

4. Installing and Activating the Plugin

• Upload the LiteSpeed Plugin:

• • • Log into your Plesk control panel.
    • Navigate to Extensions My Extensions.
    • Click Upload Extension and upload the downloaded .tar.gz LiteSpeed plugin file.
  • Install LiteSpeed:
    • Once the plugin is uploaded, click on it to open the installation page.
    • Click Install LiteSpeed Web Server.
    • License Key: Enter your LiteSpeed license key or use the trial license option.
    • Optional Port Offset: If you wish to test LiteSpeed alongside Apache, choose a port offset (e.g., 1000) for LiteSpeed to listen on a separate port (e.g., 1080 for HTTP, 1443 for HTTPS).
    • Set up an Admin Username and Password for the LiteSpeed Web Admin Console.
    • Configure optional settings such as firewall port openings for HTTP3/QUIC, server cache roots, and more.
    • Click Install to proceed.

• Restart LiteSpeed:

• • Once installed, click Restart LiteSpeed to start the server.

5. Switching LSWS to Main Server Ports

• • Access the LiteSpeed Web Admin Console:
    • Navigate to https://your-server-ip:7080 (or 7080 + port offset if configured) to access the LiteSpeed Web Admin Console.
    • Log in with the administrator credentials you set during installation.
  • Switch to Main Ports:
    • If you want LiteSpeed to replace Apache as the primary web server, you can switch LSWS to the main ports (80 for HTTP and 443 for HTTPS).
    • In the LiteSpeed Admin Console, go to Configuration > Listeners.
    • Edit the HTTP and HTTPS listeners to listen on ports 80 and 443, respectively, or simply use the “Switch to LiteSpeed” button in Plesk (if available).

• Restart Web Server:

• • After switching, restart LiteSpeed to apply the new configuration.

LiteSpeed Web Server Configuration

LiteSpeed Web Server offers powerful features for boosting website performance and security. Proper configuration can drastically improve speed and protect your server from attacks. Here’s a quick guide on essential settings to optimize LiteSpeed:

1. Performance Settings

• Max Connections: Increase the number of concurrent connections to handle more traffic.
• Memory Allocation: Adjust memory usage to prevent server overload.
• Threading Model: Enable multi-threading to process more requests efficiently.

2. Cache Settings with LSCache

• Enable LSCache: Cache dynamic content to speed up page loads.
• Cache Expiry: Set appropriate cache durations to balance freshness and performance.
• Purge on Update: Automatically clear cache when content changes.

3. GZIP Compression

• Enable GZIP: Compress text files (HTML, CSS, JS) to reduce bandwidth and speed up load times.
• Adjust Compression: Set the compression level based on server resources.

4. HTTP/2 Support

• Enable HTTP/2: Improve load times with multiplexing and header compression.

5. Security Settings

• SSL Certificates: Encrypt traffic for secure communication.
• DDoS Protection: Protect against traffic floods by limiting request rates.
• IP Blocking: Block malicious IPs to prevent unauthorized access.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, installing LiteSpeed Web Server boosts website speed and security with features like LSCache and DDoS protection. Follow this guide to easily install LiteSpeed on cPanel or Plesk and optimize your website for better performance and reliability.