How can one change the start file and link in PHP when using 1&1 hosting?

To change the start file and link in PHP when using 1&1 hosting, you can modify the .htaccess file to specify the start file and link. You can set the DirectoryIndex directive in the .htaccess file to specify the start file, and use mod_rewrite rules to create custom links.

# .htaccess file
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteBase /
    RewriteRule ^custom-link$ start-file.php [L]
</IfModule>

DirectoryIndex start-file.php