For my site, I have a page using php to insert a record into a table in my database. The problem I have come across is that it works absolutely fine when testing on my apache localhost, but when I try it live into my mysql database on my 1and1 server it will not insert the record.

I am using dreamweaver and the connection settings are fine, as there are other areas on the site that insert/update/delete records fine using the behaviours from dreamweaver. In this page though, I am hand coding the php as the data to be inserted is not from a form so I am using the simple code:

mysql_query("INSERT INTO products (product_name, product_description, product_thumb, prodcat_id, product_price, product_special)
VALUES ('football', 'a red football', 'ball.jpg', '2', '10.99', 'Y')");

Like I say, I have correctly defined the database connection but it seems very odd that it will work on my apache localhost/mysql setup but not the live server/database. I have even tried different pieces of code for inserting the record, even copying the suggested php code from phpmyadmin on the live database but to no avail.

What is the error reported by the server when you try to run your query ?
Is there a syntax error, or any informations ?

Are you running the query directly, or through an server side language (php, asp, jsp...)?

Edit:
ok, I just saw mysql_query(), this mean you are running it through php. You should have put it there, it would had more coverage.
Anyway, try to alter your line to add an error handler:

PHP Code:

$res=mysql_query("INSERT INTO products (product_name, product_description, product_thumb, prodcat_id, product_price, product_special) 
   VALUES ('football', 'a red football', 'ball.jpg', '2', '10.99', 'Y')");
 if(!$res){
  echo mysql_error();
  die();
} 


This will display the error message returned by the db and stop the script.

If you post back the error message, we should have no problem solving the problem.

Btw, a simpler way to return errors is:

$query = mysql_query ( "SELECT * FROM..." ) or die ( mysql_error ( ) );

One thing that I do when I have an error is to run the query manually through phpmyadmin.

However, any error that gets output by bhgchris' suggestion, would most likely be the same error output my phpmyadmin.

Also, I know you said your connection string is correct, but two things.
1. phpmyadmin appends your user account name to your database name.

2. In phpmyadmin, did you add your user to the database and give it appropriate permissions?