By HostSearch Staff Writer
Putting your ideas, dreams, family home page or business online is pretty exciting. You`re opening up a dimension of your life to the entire world. It`s pretty typical that when someone creates their first, or any, website they know a lot about what they want the site to look like, the content they will have and who their target audience is.
However, not many people, if any, have spent a lot of time considering what they want their web host to be like, and so it should be. Here are 10 critical things you should know about finding a web host that will save you time and headaches down the road so you can spend your time enjoying the finer things in life rather than worrying about web hosting.
1) Cost Issues
Free hosting: There are 3 things to consider when looking at free hosting. The first is can you accept not having your own domain name, i.e. if the website is http://WebHostName.com/YourSiteName instead of http://YourSiteName is that going to bother you? Second, can you accept the web host advertising on your web page? Third, there are a lot of free web hosts out there that will promise you your own domain name and no advertising but when you read the fine print what they are offering is a free trial offer. Free really is free but make sure you find out the terms free hosting service is being offered on.
Shared/Dedicated hosting: Here are a few important cost factors you should check on before you sign with a host. Find out if your host offers a money back guarantee and what their refund policies are, whether there is a requirement to sign up for a minimum period and if your package is scalable. That is, if your site grows will you be able to expand the amount of bandwidth, disk drive space, and email accounts that you are using at a reasonable price. If you are locked in to a year contract with a host and you start running over your transfer limit you can really get killed on over-run charges. Watch out for unlimited bandwidth or space offers. The bandwidth offers usually come with an escalating price scale and the space offers usually don`t include file types like .jpg and .gif files and other large media file types. Sure, it`s unlimited, as long as you`re only storing text!
2) Reputation
Read up on your host before you choose one. Read the Reviews on HostSearch.com and see what other customers are saying about them.
Double check and see what the folks on a good web hosting forum like DiscussHosting.com have to say about them.
Then triple check and run a search for their name on Google and check in the groups listings. If you check on another web hosting directory or look only at the awards they`ve won on their web site be careful because many times web hosts will pay for this as a form of advertising.
3) Customer Service
It`s a good idea to find out about a web host`s customer service before you sign with them. Make sure they offer 24-7 phone support if you need it. Test their email support as well before you sign up to see what kind of response time they give you compared with what their advertising says. This is a good way to test a web host`s integrity as well. If they promise email response within 1 hour and you wait 3 days to hear back from them you can bet their 100% uptime guarantee isn`t any good either.
If your web site is truly critical you may want to find out where the data center is just in case you can`t contact anyone by phone or email. If it`s in your city you can drive over there and get some answers if you need to but if your web host is off-shoring in Sri Lanka it`s not quite so easy. "Bill, grab your bags, we`re sending you to Columbo to reboot the server. And don`t worry about the Tamil Tigers, they just signed a cease-fire with the government."
4) Registering a domain name
A host should offer the ability to register domain names for you. Ideally your web host will be an ICANN certified domain registrar or be able to tell you which domain registrar they use. Make sure your name, not the host company`s name, is listed as the administrative contact with InterNIC for your domain name. This way you can transfer your domain name to another host more easily. If your host doesn`t provide you with the services they promise and you withhold payment they can hold on to your domain name when you try to transfer it. If the company goes out of business you may also run into problems trying to move your domain name if you aren`t the one registered with InterNIC.
5) Why is my site so SLOW?!?
Find out if your host allows adult hosting if you go with a shared server solution and make sure you aren`t sharing a server with one of these sites. If you are on a server with an adult site it will hog your bandwidth. Also ask how many sites you will be sharing the server with.
6) Security
Ask the web host about your security if you plan to be involved in ecommerce. Their security should be multi-layered to protect you from today`s hackers. With DNS poisoning, cross-site scripting, URL hijacking, spam, phishing, and DDoS attacks to worry about they should be able to tell you what they will do to protect you from the network side although it`s not the web host`s job to make sure the code on your site is secure.
7) Long term contract
Many web hosts offer a much reduced monthly rate if you sign a long-term contract with them. You are better off signing a short term contract and upgrading before you make a long term commitment. If you sign a long-term deal and come to find out the host is frequently down you will need to buy out the remainder of the contract before they`ll let you switch to another host. It`s better to take a test-drive and buy the long term deal only once you`re satisfied with your host`s service.
8) Server access
Make sure to check out what kind of server access you`ll have and how you will be controlling your site. If you have a web-driven control panel it may not allow you to do everything you need if you are running a complex site or conversely if you just want a simple site with low/no hassle then virtual access to the server and an FTP account may require more technical research than you care to do to get your site going.
9) Figuring out how much Bandwidth you will need
Before you sign on with a new host run some numbers on what bandwidth and other services are going to cost you. The key here is planning ahead and making sure your agreement with your hosting provider is flexible enough to allow you to expand in terms of space, email and especially bandwidth.
As a rough index to figuring out how much bandwidth you`ll need use 10 gigs of monthly bandwidth per 500 daily users you expect.
Check out how much bandwidth or speed will cost and think about how much it will cost if your site really takes off. Flat monthly rates are better than usage rates. If you suddenly get an influx of users because of a new product, advertising campaign, or sudden coincidental flood of Google searchers and your usage exceeds your bandwidth usage agreement you may be in for a nasty shock when you get your hosting bill. You may not think you will ever exceed the limit but you may be surprised at what can cause a spike in traffic on your site, for example, HostSearch.com did an interview with GoDaddy.com and we got a huge influx of hits from Google users searching for the GoDaddy girl, Nikki Capelli, after she appeared in GoDaddy`s Super Bowl ad.
10) How well is your web host connected?
How fast your host`s servers are and how fast your site will be depends in part on the connection your web host has with the Internet. Many web hosting companies buy their connections from large backbone providers like UUNET. At the very least, they should have T3 lines.
You should ask them how they are connected if speed will be a factor for you. They will tell you something like, "We are using T-1/OC-3 lines." i.e., Web hosting companies typically connect to the Internet through "T" (Transmission), "OC" (Optical Carrier), and/or "DS" (Digital Signal) lines. Many smaller web hosts still use T1`s to connect your site to the world at a rate of 1.544 megabits per second. The biggest and fastest hosts use redundant, multiple OC3 (155.52 Mbps) lines to offer their clients the bandwidth they need for multiple user sessions on their site(s).
The best web hosts today use redundant lines to ensure that customers` sites remain up and active, even if their primary Internet connections are temporarily unavailable. It`s a good idea to check which hosts offer backup connections fast enough to maintain your site`s performance in case of a primary line failure.
Of course, as with everything, you pay more for premium service. If you are looking for the cheapest possible solution you may want to make sure your web host DOESN`T have 24-7 phone support, OC3 lines, or the latest hardware in their data-center.
By following these tips you should end up with a reputable, quality, web host and a hassle-free hosting experience. Good luck.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Choosing the Right Web Host for Your Site
By Jeff Petry
The time has come. You`ve reached the point where you feel the only thing for it is to have your own website on your own Web Host. You want control and you want it to be yours. You`re just not sure the best way to go about making this major decision: How to find the right Web Host for my needs?
Well, you`ve come to the right place. HostSearch takes special pride in not only providing its users with all the latest information on hundreds of Web Hosts, but also educating visitors through its articles on how to go about making the best, most informed decision possible. The key to this is to know your needs and requirements, and then find one Web Host from the crowd out there that is going to be a good partner to you in your online endeavors.
The good news is that if you go through this process carefully and wisely, you can find a good host that will give you value for money, be reliable and efficient, and assist you with your questions and problems along the way. The Web Hosting industry is incredibly competitive today, and they know that users are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so they have no choice but to provide their clients with better and better service, or else risk losing them to any one of the waiting pack of others.
The best way to proceed, then, is to make a list of what you require. This will most likely include the following: platform, speed, accessibility, reliability, support and service, and of course, price. I`m going to discuss some of most important features below for you, and explain briefly why they should be major factors in making your decision.
Type of Website
What type of website do you have? This is the most basic question and will determine which general direction you should go when choosing a Web Host. Is it a personal site or a business site? Do you just want to put a couple fun pages online for friends and family, or are you hoping to make a business out of it? Try to predict what may happen to your site in the future. How much will it grow, and how much more in the way of features may I need later that I do not need now?
Individual Requirements
There is no "one size fits all" package in Web Hosting. You must decide what you really need and compare Web Hosts to find out which one can give you the best deal on these. For example, do you really need the latest version of Perl, PHP Support, a large number of POP accounts, access to a secure server or to MySQL?
The value of quality support may be worth more to you, or whether or not your host will provide you with a free shopping cart. It is important to get your requirements clear so that when you compare hosts you are comparing apples with apples, like with like.
Free or Paid
If it is personal and just for fun, there are many Free Hosting options available for you, with a few small catches. (See our article on Getting Something for Nothing.) You will most likely have to display some banner advertising on your page in exchange for this service.
If your site is business-related, then you should by all means find a good commercial, Web Host. You should also have your own domain name and IP number, which a good Web Host will assist you with. (We have a number of articles on HostSearch describing this process in further detail.) Free accounts are not for anyone even half serious about doing business on the Web, believe me. Not when you can get a perfectly acceptable commercial host for as little as $10 / month. You get the idea.
If your site is indeed intended for serious business, you need to ask yourself and note down a few more important points, such as: Will I need e-commerce services and capability? Should I find a Web Host that offers a Shopping Cart and can help me setup a Merchant Account? Do I need the ability to run CGI scripts? How much space will I need and how much am I willing to pay to get the best service necessary to fulfill these requirements?
Price
The cost of Web Hosting ranges anywhere from totally free to thousands of dollars a month for a dedicated server. However, the vast majority of people fall into the category of needing an account that will run in the ballpark of $10 to $50 per month, depending on the features you need and the options available on the particular package you choose.
Many perfectly fine packages for small businesses now run between $15 - $25 per month. Some people say that there are three types of Web Hosts: free hosts, cheap hosts and good hosts - and there is more than a grain of truth in this. However, that said, there is very good value to be had for basic services and shopping around will pay off for you.
Whatever the cost, check if there is a money back guarantee and what their refund policies are; whether there is a requirement to sign up for a minimum period; and if your package is scalable, meaning that upgrades will not be a problem or burden for you when the time comes.
Platform: Unix or NT?
This is not really a question of which platform is better or worse, despite what purists or geeks may say. The choice depends on what kind of website you have and what you need to be served. If you`re putting up a basic site with standard HTML, without any server side scripting or database support, this isn`t really an issue. Either one will do.
Whether you need to be hosted on a Unix or NT server depends largely on what you plan to do with your site. For most people just starting out, a Unix server is fine; but if you plan to use databases or ASP on your site, then you should go with NT hosting.
Space & Traffic
Space and traffic are often the basis for many Web Hosts rates, whether or not this has any basis in reality. I say this because the majority of sites require only a few megabytes (MBs) of space and the amount of traffic they will receive is rarely an issue. But there you go - hosts need some way to leverage prices and some users are impressed with the big numbers.
If you have a basic site that is not several hundred pages in size, and is not going to be visited by thousands of people a day, I would not even worry about these elements. However, do be aware of the Web Hosts` fees and penalties for exceeding basic allocations, just in case, especially if you happen to be using a lot of Flash or Multimedia files on your site.
Email
This is an often underrated feature of Web Hosting Packages, since emails are essentially the lifeblood of an online business. Be sure that your package contains enough emails and aliases for your business, preferably an unlimited number of both. This is one way hosts make their money, that is, by charging a few dollars for each additional account once you realize you need more than say, 5 accounts. Needless to say, this can add up quickly, especially for larger companies.
Be careful from the start and choose a package that meets your needs. This will probably be the reason I end up moving Web Hosts next time, which is very frustrating given my overall satisfaction with the rest of their services. A good case in point for you, another hard lesson learned by me.
FrontPage Extensions
If you are using Microsoft FrontPage, switch to Macromedia Dreamweaver. If you don`t have time to switch right now, be sure the Web Host you choose offers FrontPage extensions for you to use.
Customer Support
One of the most frequent, and justified, complaints that many people have with their Web Host is lack of customer and technical support.
Many Web Hosts offer both email and phone support while others are available only via email. In most cases, email support is fine, but you should be wary if a potential Web Host has no telephone number available in case of an emergency, or in the event you need to speak with someone directly.
Response times to support questions vary widely from Host to Host. Some may take only a few minutes to get back to you while others take days or longer. It is important to find out what type of support any potential Web Host offers. Ask around. References are always a good way to judge a host`s performance. And send a test email asking them unresolved questions you may still have. (See our article on Emailing a Prospective Host.)
If at all possible, only choose a host that provides prompt and knowledgeable customer service. A competent host should offer 24/7 toll-free technical support provided by experienced, professionally trained technicians.
Further Factors & Considerations
Most web host companies offer their clients statistics packages of varying stripes. Some of these are acceptable, while others are pretty worthless, depending on your needs. Wusage, for example, falls into the latter category as far as meaningful stats are concerned.
Uptime is important. Many companies will say they`re up 99.9% of the time when the reality may be quite different. If it is a few points less than this, your site may be down more than you expect or know. Look into this as much as possible and again, check with as many references as possible to find out their experiences.
If you plan to take any kind of orders over the Internet, find out if your prospective Web Host offers SSL (Secure Socket Layer). If the server isn`t secure, most people will not buy anything from you!
Buy What You NEED, Upgrade Later
Despite your desire to have many special features, bells and whistles, it is far wiser to select a Web hosting solution that more directly corresponds with your immediate business needs. Only purchase hosting services that your site requires to provide your specific content. There is no point in signing up for an all-inclusive account with a hosting company if you won`t be using most of their services.
However, do make sure that your hosting solution is scalable, and that you will be able to easily upgrade as your site grows in complexity. Check this out with prospective hosts before signing up.
A Little Research Goes a Long Way
Set aside a good block of time to invest in choosing the right Web Host for your site. It will be time well-spent. Read a few of our other articles on choosing Web Hosts, especially our Top Ten Tips. Check out different forums and newsgroups, Hosting Directories and review sites. Contact a few references. Look at the blacklists.
In the end, choosing the right Web Host really depends on your individual needs. Subsequently, what may constitute the perfect Web Host for one person may not meet the needs of another. It is up to you to decide, through a combination of logic, research skills, and a dash of intuition. With a bit of luck thrown in for good measure, you may even find a lifelong match - believe it or not, it can and does happen!
The time has come. You`ve reached the point where you feel the only thing for it is to have your own website on your own Web Host. You want control and you want it to be yours. You`re just not sure the best way to go about making this major decision: How to find the right Web Host for my needs?
Well, you`ve come to the right place. HostSearch takes special pride in not only providing its users with all the latest information on hundreds of Web Hosts, but also educating visitors through its articles on how to go about making the best, most informed decision possible. The key to this is to know your needs and requirements, and then find one Web Host from the crowd out there that is going to be a good partner to you in your online endeavors.
The good news is that if you go through this process carefully and wisely, you can find a good host that will give you value for money, be reliable and efficient, and assist you with your questions and problems along the way. The Web Hosting industry is incredibly competitive today, and they know that users are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so they have no choice but to provide their clients with better and better service, or else risk losing them to any one of the waiting pack of others.
The best way to proceed, then, is to make a list of what you require. This will most likely include the following: platform, speed, accessibility, reliability, support and service, and of course, price. I`m going to discuss some of most important features below for you, and explain briefly why they should be major factors in making your decision.
Type of Website
What type of website do you have? This is the most basic question and will determine which general direction you should go when choosing a Web Host. Is it a personal site or a business site? Do you just want to put a couple fun pages online for friends and family, or are you hoping to make a business out of it? Try to predict what may happen to your site in the future. How much will it grow, and how much more in the way of features may I need later that I do not need now?
Individual Requirements
There is no "one size fits all" package in Web Hosting. You must decide what you really need and compare Web Hosts to find out which one can give you the best deal on these. For example, do you really need the latest version of Perl, PHP Support, a large number of POP accounts, access to a secure server or to MySQL?
The value of quality support may be worth more to you, or whether or not your host will provide you with a free shopping cart. It is important to get your requirements clear so that when you compare hosts you are comparing apples with apples, like with like.
Free or Paid
If it is personal and just for fun, there are many Free Hosting options available for you, with a few small catches. (See our article on Getting Something for Nothing.) You will most likely have to display some banner advertising on your page in exchange for this service.
If your site is business-related, then you should by all means find a good commercial, Web Host. You should also have your own domain name and IP number, which a good Web Host will assist you with. (We have a number of articles on HostSearch describing this process in further detail.) Free accounts are not for anyone even half serious about doing business on the Web, believe me. Not when you can get a perfectly acceptable commercial host for as little as $10 / month. You get the idea.
If your site is indeed intended for serious business, you need to ask yourself and note down a few more important points, such as: Will I need e-commerce services and capability? Should I find a Web Host that offers a Shopping Cart and can help me setup a Merchant Account? Do I need the ability to run CGI scripts? How much space will I need and how much am I willing to pay to get the best service necessary to fulfill these requirements?
Price
The cost of Web Hosting ranges anywhere from totally free to thousands of dollars a month for a dedicated server. However, the vast majority of people fall into the category of needing an account that will run in the ballpark of $10 to $50 per month, depending on the features you need and the options available on the particular package you choose.
Many perfectly fine packages for small businesses now run between $15 - $25 per month. Some people say that there are three types of Web Hosts: free hosts, cheap hosts and good hosts - and there is more than a grain of truth in this. However, that said, there is very good value to be had for basic services and shopping around will pay off for you.
Whatever the cost, check if there is a money back guarantee and what their refund policies are; whether there is a requirement to sign up for a minimum period; and if your package is scalable, meaning that upgrades will not be a problem or burden for you when the time comes.
Platform: Unix or NT?
This is not really a question of which platform is better or worse, despite what purists or geeks may say. The choice depends on what kind of website you have and what you need to be served. If you`re putting up a basic site with standard HTML, without any server side scripting or database support, this isn`t really an issue. Either one will do.
Whether you need to be hosted on a Unix or NT server depends largely on what you plan to do with your site. For most people just starting out, a Unix server is fine; but if you plan to use databases or ASP on your site, then you should go with NT hosting.
Space & Traffic
Space and traffic are often the basis for many Web Hosts rates, whether or not this has any basis in reality. I say this because the majority of sites require only a few megabytes (MBs) of space and the amount of traffic they will receive is rarely an issue. But there you go - hosts need some way to leverage prices and some users are impressed with the big numbers.
If you have a basic site that is not several hundred pages in size, and is not going to be visited by thousands of people a day, I would not even worry about these elements. However, do be aware of the Web Hosts` fees and penalties for exceeding basic allocations, just in case, especially if you happen to be using a lot of Flash or Multimedia files on your site.
This is an often underrated feature of Web Hosting Packages, since emails are essentially the lifeblood of an online business. Be sure that your package contains enough emails and aliases for your business, preferably an unlimited number of both. This is one way hosts make their money, that is, by charging a few dollars for each additional account once you realize you need more than say, 5 accounts. Needless to say, this can add up quickly, especially for larger companies.
Be careful from the start and choose a package that meets your needs. This will probably be the reason I end up moving Web Hosts next time, which is very frustrating given my overall satisfaction with the rest of their services. A good case in point for you, another hard lesson learned by me.
FrontPage Extensions
If you are using Microsoft FrontPage, switch to Macromedia Dreamweaver. If you don`t have time to switch right now, be sure the Web Host you choose offers FrontPage extensions for you to use.
Customer Support
One of the most frequent, and justified, complaints that many people have with their Web Host is lack of customer and technical support.
Many Web Hosts offer both email and phone support while others are available only via email. In most cases, email support is fine, but you should be wary if a potential Web Host has no telephone number available in case of an emergency, or in the event you need to speak with someone directly.
Response times to support questions vary widely from Host to Host. Some may take only a few minutes to get back to you while others take days or longer. It is important to find out what type of support any potential Web Host offers. Ask around. References are always a good way to judge a host`s performance. And send a test email asking them unresolved questions you may still have. (See our article on Emailing a Prospective Host.)
If at all possible, only choose a host that provides prompt and knowledgeable customer service. A competent host should offer 24/7 toll-free technical support provided by experienced, professionally trained technicians.
Further Factors & Considerations
Most web host companies offer their clients statistics packages of varying stripes. Some of these are acceptable, while others are pretty worthless, depending on your needs. Wusage, for example, falls into the latter category as far as meaningful stats are concerned.
Uptime is important. Many companies will say they`re up 99.9% of the time when the reality may be quite different. If it is a few points less than this, your site may be down more than you expect or know. Look into this as much as possible and again, check with as many references as possible to find out their experiences.
If you plan to take any kind of orders over the Internet, find out if your prospective Web Host offers SSL (Secure Socket Layer). If the server isn`t secure, most people will not buy anything from you!
Buy What You NEED, Upgrade Later
Despite your desire to have many special features, bells and whistles, it is far wiser to select a Web hosting solution that more directly corresponds with your immediate business needs. Only purchase hosting services that your site requires to provide your specific content. There is no point in signing up for an all-inclusive account with a hosting company if you won`t be using most of their services.
However, do make sure that your hosting solution is scalable, and that you will be able to easily upgrade as your site grows in complexity. Check this out with prospective hosts before signing up.
A Little Research Goes a Long Way
Set aside a good block of time to invest in choosing the right Web Host for your site. It will be time well-spent. Read a few of our other articles on choosing Web Hosts, especially our Top Ten Tips. Check out different forums and newsgroups, Hosting Directories and review sites. Contact a few references. Look at the blacklists.
In the end, choosing the right Web Host really depends on your individual needs. Subsequently, what may constitute the perfect Web Host for one person may not meet the needs of another. It is up to you to decide, through a combination of logic, research skills, and a dash of intuition. With a bit of luck thrown in for good measure, you may even find a lifelong match - believe it or not, it can and does happen!
Choosing the Type of Host Best for Your Needs
By HostSearch Staff Writer
With all the features and options available in the web hosting industry today, it comes as little surprise that many web hosting beginners feel a bit overwhelmed. I personally was a hosting beginner not too long ago, and can clearly recall thinking that I would never be able to gain the knowledge necessary to create and launch my site, however, after spending a bit of spare time reading up on the industry, I came to the conclusion that it really wasn`t web hosting wasn`t nearly as difficult as it appeared to be. After all, if some snotty little 8-year old kid can make a nice-looking, fully functional personal homepage, how hard can it be? For the hosting beginner, mastering the technical terms of the web hosting industry is nowhere near as important as understanding what kind of host is the right kind for your particular web site.
Generally speaking, web sites can be divided into one of three large categories: Personal/Small Business Homepages, E-Commerce Web Sites, and Information Providers. The type of host you choose depends a great deal on what category your site falls into. The next section is dedicated to discussing each of these three major categories, and which type of host is best suited to each category.
Personal Homepage/Small Business Website
A personal homepage or small business website is generally the smallest and most basic type of web site, and does not require a lot of disk space or bandwidth. As a result, you have one of two plausible options when choosing the type of web host for your site, Virtual Hosting or Free Hosting.
E-Commerce Website
If you plan to offer goods for sale on your website, your site will be far more complex, and also need to be able to handle more traffic and data transfer. For E-Commerce sites, there are three viable solutions: Co-location, Dedicated Server, and Virtual Hosting.
Information Provider
Information Providers are generally the largest types of sites on the web, and must be designed to handle a lot of traffic. That being the case, Information Providers usually must take a more serious, and more costly approach to web hosting. If you are going to be creating a larger site that will be used as a source of information to users around the world, consider either investing in your own server equipment, choosing a Co-location Server, or a Dedicated Server.
Virtual Hosting
Virtual Hosting is a type of hosting where you "rent" space in a large server, and share that server with other web sites. The advantages of Virtual Hosting are that it is extremely cost efficient, and offers a variety of functions and options to suit nearly any site. The disadvantages of Virtual Hosting, however, are that you are at the complete mercy of the server. If you happen to pick a bad server, your site could be down for long periods of time, costing you lots of potential visitors that will not come back a second time.
Free Hosting
Free Hosting is a type of hosting where you get space in a larger site for free, provided that you allow the site to advertise on your homepage. The advantages of Free Hosting are that it costs nothing, and therefore requires no investment other than a little bit of time. Free Hosting programs also do provide a number of good options for your site, and allow you to create a fully functional, attractive web site for free. Although it does have a number of advantages, Free Hosting also has an equal number of disadvantages. With nearly all free hosts, users can not use an individual domain name, but typically are forced to use something like this www.theirname.com/yourname. In addition, Free Hosting packages offer limited space and file transfer, and do not offer options like email.
Co-location
Co-location hosting is a type of hosting that uses your server equipment located in a secure, state of the art facility in another location. The most significant positive aspect of Co-location hosting is that it provides you with the ultimate in control over the speed and reliability of your site. With Co-location, your site is basically as good as you want it to be. The most significant negative aspect of Co-location is that it is rather expensive. Servers do not come cheaply, nor do the technicians that you will need to look after it. As a result, Co-location is the least attractive option based on the high initial cost, but is an excellent alternative for extremely serious or financially-free webmasters.
Dedicated Server
Dedicated Server hosting is a type of hosting where you rent an entire server, and is a good solution for serious webmasters lacking the initial startup capital to purchase their own server. Dedicated Server hosting offers a high degree of control, and offers a lot of disk space and file transfer. Because your site is the only one being served by your dedicated server, you can also count on a fast connection. The advantages of Dedicated Server hosting is that it offers everything you need to get top quality service, without having to purchase a server. The disadvantages are that it is significantly more expensive than Virtual Hosting, and does not offer the same levels of control that are available with Co-location hosting
With all the features and options available in the web hosting industry today, it comes as little surprise that many web hosting beginners feel a bit overwhelmed. I personally was a hosting beginner not too long ago, and can clearly recall thinking that I would never be able to gain the knowledge necessary to create and launch my site, however, after spending a bit of spare time reading up on the industry, I came to the conclusion that it really wasn`t web hosting wasn`t nearly as difficult as it appeared to be. After all, if some snotty little 8-year old kid can make a nice-looking, fully functional personal homepage, how hard can it be? For the hosting beginner, mastering the technical terms of the web hosting industry is nowhere near as important as understanding what kind of host is the right kind for your particular web site.
Generally speaking, web sites can be divided into one of three large categories: Personal/Small Business Homepages, E-Commerce Web Sites, and Information Providers. The type of host you choose depends a great deal on what category your site falls into. The next section is dedicated to discussing each of these three major categories, and which type of host is best suited to each category.
Personal Homepage/Small Business Website
A personal homepage or small business website is generally the smallest and most basic type of web site, and does not require a lot of disk space or bandwidth. As a result, you have one of two plausible options when choosing the type of web host for your site, Virtual Hosting or Free Hosting.
E-Commerce Website
If you plan to offer goods for sale on your website, your site will be far more complex, and also need to be able to handle more traffic and data transfer. For E-Commerce sites, there are three viable solutions: Co-location, Dedicated Server, and Virtual Hosting.
Information Provider
Information Providers are generally the largest types of sites on the web, and must be designed to handle a lot of traffic. That being the case, Information Providers usually must take a more serious, and more costly approach to web hosting. If you are going to be creating a larger site that will be used as a source of information to users around the world, consider either investing in your own server equipment, choosing a Co-location Server, or a Dedicated Server.
Virtual Hosting
Virtual Hosting is a type of hosting where you "rent" space in a large server, and share that server with other web sites. The advantages of Virtual Hosting are that it is extremely cost efficient, and offers a variety of functions and options to suit nearly any site. The disadvantages of Virtual Hosting, however, are that you are at the complete mercy of the server. If you happen to pick a bad server, your site could be down for long periods of time, costing you lots of potential visitors that will not come back a second time.
Free Hosting
Free Hosting is a type of hosting where you get space in a larger site for free, provided that you allow the site to advertise on your homepage. The advantages of Free Hosting are that it costs nothing, and therefore requires no investment other than a little bit of time. Free Hosting programs also do provide a number of good options for your site, and allow you to create a fully functional, attractive web site for free. Although it does have a number of advantages, Free Hosting also has an equal number of disadvantages. With nearly all free hosts, users can not use an individual domain name, but typically are forced to use something like this www.theirname.com/yourname. In addition, Free Hosting packages offer limited space and file transfer, and do not offer options like email.
Co-location
Co-location hosting is a type of hosting that uses your server equipment located in a secure, state of the art facility in another location. The most significant positive aspect of Co-location hosting is that it provides you with the ultimate in control over the speed and reliability of your site. With Co-location, your site is basically as good as you want it to be. The most significant negative aspect of Co-location is that it is rather expensive. Servers do not come cheaply, nor do the technicians that you will need to look after it. As a result, Co-location is the least attractive option based on the high initial cost, but is an excellent alternative for extremely serious or financially-free webmasters.
Dedicated Server
Dedicated Server hosting is a type of hosting where you rent an entire server, and is a good solution for serious webmasters lacking the initial startup capital to purchase their own server. Dedicated Server hosting offers a high degree of control, and offers a lot of disk space and file transfer. Because your site is the only one being served by your dedicated server, you can also count on a fast connection. The advantages of Dedicated Server hosting is that it offers everything you need to get top quality service, without having to purchase a server. The disadvantages are that it is significantly more expensive than Virtual Hosting, and does not offer the same levels of control that are available with Co-location hosting
Beginner's Guide to Web Hosting
By HostSearch Staff Writer
Not too long ago, I was a newcomer to the web hosting, and I can clearly recall the utter confusion and frustration I felt at how inaccessible the whole process seemed. For most beginners, and especially those getting a bit of a late start, the seemingly endless lists of specialized, technical terms and different options available are almost enough to make a person wash their hands of the whole thing. With all of the options available in the web hosting industry these days, it is understandable that hosting newcomers often find themselves feeling lost and confused. Before you decide to give up, however, it is important to understand that web hosting is not an inherantly difficult venture, but actually a quite easy one, and in the sections that follow, we at HostSearch will provide you with the information you need to get your site up and running in no time!
Step One: Choosing a Domain Name
The first step in getting your web site ready for the web is selecting and registering a domain name. This name will serve as your online identity, and help your visitors remember what your site is about. For more details on Domain name selection, please feel free to check our Domain Registration section.
Step Two: Creating Your Website
Once you have successfully registered your domain name, the next step is to create your website to give it the look and feel you want. When coming up with a design for your website, it is extremely important to do a good deal of research to see what works for a website like yours, and what doesn`t. If you are a true beginner, you may want to consider hiring a design company to help you create your web pages. For more information on the basics of site design, please feel free to check out our article Ten Tips to a Better Web Design.
Step Three: Choosing Your Host
After you have finished your site, the next step is to choose a server for your site that makes the most sense for both your site and your budget. Choosing a server is a relatively complicated process, and one which requires a great deal of research. The best way to start is by making a preliminary search for the type of host you want, and then reading reviews on the hosts that the search engine turned up. For more information, see our article " to make things easier, you can check out following
HostSearch Showcases.
Low Cost Hosting
Unix Hosting
Windows NT/2000 Hosting
E-commerce Hosting
Dedicated Servers Hosting
Reseller Hosting
Step Four: Uploading Your Site
Once you have selected your host of choice, the next step to getting your site up on the web is uploading your page, text, and image files to your server. With most sites, you will need to use an FTP program, which these days are relatively simple. The role of an FTP program is to upload your created web pages, text, and image files to your server. Once you have uploaded your files, your page files will then be served to users who enter your site. Some of the more popular programs are Cute FTP and WSFTP. Once you have successfully uploaded your files and pages to the web, your site will be up and running!
Step Five: Promoting Your Site
Ok, so now your site is up on the web, you can sit back and relax, browsing your beautifully crafted web pages, right? Wrong. Simply having a functional web site on the Internet is only the first step down the long and winding road to web success. In order to make sure your site enjoys the best chances of success, it is essential that you do your fair share of promotion. Before you go out and start passing out flyers or putting up billboards, make sure you register you site with the major search engines.
Not too long ago, I was a newcomer to the web hosting, and I can clearly recall the utter confusion and frustration I felt at how inaccessible the whole process seemed. For most beginners, and especially those getting a bit of a late start, the seemingly endless lists of specialized, technical terms and different options available are almost enough to make a person wash their hands of the whole thing. With all of the options available in the web hosting industry these days, it is understandable that hosting newcomers often find themselves feeling lost and confused. Before you decide to give up, however, it is important to understand that web hosting is not an inherantly difficult venture, but actually a quite easy one, and in the sections that follow, we at HostSearch will provide you with the information you need to get your site up and running in no time!
Step One: Choosing a Domain Name
The first step in getting your web site ready for the web is selecting and registering a domain name. This name will serve as your online identity, and help your visitors remember what your site is about. For more details on Domain name selection, please feel free to check our Domain Registration section.
Step Two: Creating Your Website
Once you have successfully registered your domain name, the next step is to create your website to give it the look and feel you want. When coming up with a design for your website, it is extremely important to do a good deal of research to see what works for a website like yours, and what doesn`t. If you are a true beginner, you may want to consider hiring a design company to help you create your web pages. For more information on the basics of site design, please feel free to check out our article Ten Tips to a Better Web Design.
Step Three: Choosing Your Host
After you have finished your site, the next step is to choose a server for your site that makes the most sense for both your site and your budget. Choosing a server is a relatively complicated process, and one which requires a great deal of research. The best way to start is by making a preliminary search for the type of host you want, and then reading reviews on the hosts that the search engine turned up. For more information, see our article " to make things easier, you can check out following
HostSearch Showcases.
Low Cost Hosting
Unix Hosting
Windows NT/2000 Hosting
E-commerce Hosting
Dedicated Servers Hosting
Reseller Hosting
Step Four: Uploading Your Site
Once you have selected your host of choice, the next step to getting your site up on the web is uploading your page, text, and image files to your server. With most sites, you will need to use an FTP program, which these days are relatively simple. The role of an FTP program is to upload your created web pages, text, and image files to your server. Once you have uploaded your files, your page files will then be served to users who enter your site. Some of the more popular programs are Cute FTP and WSFTP. Once you have successfully uploaded your files and pages to the web, your site will be up and running!
Step Five: Promoting Your Site
Ok, so now your site is up on the web, you can sit back and relax, browsing your beautifully crafted web pages, right? Wrong. Simply having a functional web site on the Internet is only the first step down the long and winding road to web success. In order to make sure your site enjoys the best chances of success, it is essential that you do your fair share of promotion. Before you go out and start passing out flyers or putting up billboards, make sure you register you site with the major search engines.
Web Hosting - Description
A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to provide their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their data center, called colocation.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tech entrance Host Review
Tech entrance Hosting Service Review
“Tech Entrance Hosting” focus on the service quality and customer support to help you get your website published with ease.
We operate powerful servers that can handle large loads giving you the best performace and fastest access to your site and data and giving your visitors the best user experience.
- Friendly support 24/7.
- 99.9% Uptime guarantee.
- Instant account activation.
- Softlayer and FDC data centers.
- Oct core (8 CPU) Xeons with 8GB RAM.
- cPanel 11 with Fantastico and RVSkins.
- 30 Days non-questionable moneyback guarantee.
This is the first paid hosting service I use for my site, actually I used it for my Proxy site,
However as I still have enough bandwidth and disk space , I now put some other site on to Tech entrance.
Tech entrance is less popular than the other well-known host such as Go-daddy, Hostgator, Dreamhost or any hosting site that you can found their banner everywhere, but their service level quality is outstanding for me.
As they claim 99.9% Uptime guarantee in their site I admit it’s true. I have host with Tech entrance for about 6 month , and only one downtime happened , and it’s only a while.
Their Customer Support always reply our ticket mail in short time
Other advantages to host your site with Tech entrance , is they accept Proxy, as for other well-known hosting, if you put your Proxy script in their hosting, They will banned your site about 1 or 2 days.
If you take a look at their appearance site, it is not that bright and eye-catching as others,but I thought Tech entrance as their slogan , Focus on the service quality and customer support
Overall
Tech entrance is the best amongst all and I still use their service until now.
If you ready to host your site now, just go here
“Tech Entrance Hosting” focus on the service quality and customer support to help you get your website published with ease.
We operate powerful servers that can handle large loads giving you the best performace and fastest access to your site and data and giving your visitors the best user experience.
- Friendly support 24/7.
- 99.9% Uptime guarantee.
- Instant account activation.
- Softlayer and FDC data centers.
- Oct core (8 CPU) Xeons with 8GB RAM.
- cPanel 11 with Fantastico and RVSkins.
- 30 Days non-questionable moneyback guarantee.
This is the first paid hosting service I use for my site, actually I used it for my Proxy site,
However as I still have enough bandwidth and disk space , I now put some other site on to Tech entrance.
Tech entrance is less popular than the other well-known host such as Go-daddy, Hostgator, Dreamhost or any hosting site that you can found their banner everywhere, but their service level quality is outstanding for me.
As they claim 99.9% Uptime guarantee in their site I admit it’s true. I have host with Tech entrance for about 6 month , and only one downtime happened , and it’s only a while.
Their Customer Support always reply our ticket mail in short time
Other advantages to host your site with Tech entrance , is they accept Proxy, as for other well-known hosting, if you put your Proxy script in their hosting, They will banned your site about 1 or 2 days.
If you take a look at their appearance site, it is not that bright and eye-catching as others,but I thought Tech entrance as their slogan , Focus on the service quality and customer support
Overall
Tech entrance is the best amongst all and I still use their service until now.
If you ready to host your site now, just go here
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