Finally decided on something to base your business on and ready to start building the web pages? Getting through the first aspects of starting you internet business can be a struggle. Getting all your ideas into an organized layout etc etc. Well now that you have all your ideas organized what to do next?
The most important thing you will need to have for a successful internet business is what type of web hosting you will choose to host your web pages.
Why?
Well for one, your web host will have all your html pages, all graphics, scripts etc. What happens when your host goes offline? Does your website stay up or go down? It goes down. When your website goes down, you lose customers, no sales during the downtime meaning a loss of potential income.
Take time to find a good host that will suffice every aspect of your business. Do some research and ask some questions.
If you are looking for a shared hosting solution, find out if the host is overselling its servers. Overselling is when a company packs too many customers on one server, putting strain on the server resources. Shared hosting is not recommended for business type sites that need performance for its users, but it will suffice a business just starting out.
Another type of hosting solution is a dedicated server. A dedicated server is a server dedicated to only you. It is the most expensive out of hosting solutions, but will provide the most stable environment. No one else has an account on the server, so all server resources are for you. A managed dedicated solution is when your host will install operating systems, upgrades to software, or security fixes for you. You can call them any time to fix a problem because that’s what you pay for.
A step below a fully dedicated server is what is called a VPS or Virtual Private Server. A VPS is almost like a dedicated server but the physical server will have a few other users on it. You still have full control over your section of the server, you can install anything you want or upgrade. The server resources are shared among users, but many web hosts guarantee you a fixed amount of resources dedicated to your account.
If not wanting to shell out a pretty big check on web hosting for a starting business, I would recommend at least starting out with a virtual private server. Once you outgrow the VPS you can move onto a dedicated server of your own.
Before signing up to any web host, do some research! Find several hosts that have what you are looking for and search for reviews, your internet business depends on it. Cheaper is not always better at least in webhosting!
Showing posts with label web host. Show all posts
Showing posts with label web host. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Important Things to Consider when Choosing a Web Host
A Web host company will provide you with space to host your A domain name and a whole host of scripts from forum software to shopping cart integration.
If you want to be seen on the internet you will need a web host, but do not just go picking any host. You need a reliable web host who offers a quality service. So here comes a few of my own personal needs before i sign up with a web host.
Price, Ok this is not the most significant factor when choosing a web host, but we do not want to be paying stupid prices for a service we can get just as good from someone else at half the price.
Experience, This is one of the things i expect from a web host, Yes every company has to start somewhere but why should you be the one to suffer if someone does not have the experience to keep your site online at least 95% of the time.
Reputation, as anyone who has a buisness knows reputation goes a long way, make sure you choose someone with a good one.
Infastructure & Adaptability, A good webhost will already be planning for the future, they need to be able to upgrade to the latest and fastest equipment as and when it is needed. New things come out on the internet all the time and you want your provider to be able to offer advice and support if needed.
Support, Most websites now offer 24/7 support online and offline, make sure the one you choose also offers the same support, no point having customers if your site is down and your web host is unavailable.
So with all that in mind take your time and shop around, use google and make use of the review sites that are out there.
If you want to be seen on the internet you will need a web host, but do not just go picking any host. You need a reliable web host who offers a quality service. So here comes a few of my own personal needs before i sign up with a web host.
Price, Ok this is not the most significant factor when choosing a web host, but we do not want to be paying stupid prices for a service we can get just as good from someone else at half the price.
Experience, This is one of the things i expect from a web host, Yes every company has to start somewhere but why should you be the one to suffer if someone does not have the experience to keep your site online at least 95% of the time.
Reputation, as anyone who has a buisness knows reputation goes a long way, make sure you choose someone with a good one.
Infastructure & Adaptability, A good webhost will already be planning for the future, they need to be able to upgrade to the latest and fastest equipment as and when it is needed. New things come out on the internet all the time and you want your provider to be able to offer advice and support if needed.
Support, Most websites now offer 24/7 support online and offline, make sure the one you choose also offers the same support, no point having customers if your site is down and your web host is unavailable.
So with all that in mind take your time and shop around, use google and make use of the review sites that are out there.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
How To Choose Your Web Host
1. Use a popular web host.
That cheapo one might be an uncommitted reseller. I used one recently. Very cheap, and very helpful. Then my site went 'missing'. By the Grace Of God I was able to get in contact with the owner, and make a backup, before the service was closed down. I found out later he had only about six customers.
Use a popular web host. Avoid ones that are trying to attract customers by undercutting rates to silly levels. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Their Google PageRank gives a clue as to how popular they are.
This will irk the smaller hosts, but if your site is a serious one, put it on a serious host. Web hosting costs peanuts these days. People can be funny about spending an extra $5 a month. You'll wish you'd paid $500 when your site goes skew-whiff, and you can't get a reply from their technical support.
3. Send them an email or two. See how long it takes to get a reply.
This can be very revealing. If they take two days to get back to a potential customer, how long do they take to answer their _existing_ customers?
4. Check out their forums; how busy are they? They don't have a forum? Next!
They should have enough customers to run a forum, and care enough to have one. Reading it can give you a clue as to what their support is like. Likewise, see when they had the last news update on their site. If it was long ago, they may be moribund.
5. Technical Support.
This is as important as the features they supply. It's no good having a Virtual Private Server for $10.00 a month if there's no one there to answer your emails when the hard-disk fails.
6. Features.
Most geeks favour Unix. It's been around longer, and is more stable. Web hosts offering Unix variants like Linux have always been cheaper. They also seem to offer a wider range of toys. I need SSI (Server Side Includes), SSH (secure Telnet), 10 MySQL databases, Cpanel, PHPMyAdmin and a UK IP number. And you can get this for $15 a month.
Things like MySQL databases, Cpanel and SSH access are real sticking points for a lot of web hosts. If they're generous with these, you've found a rare jewel.
7. Word Of Mouth.
Webmasters are always asking about web hosts on webmaster forums. Find a few recent threads, and note who gets the most votes. Search engines, on the other hand, have been spammed by some hosts. If you do a search on 'the best web hosts' or 'top 10 web hosts' you'll get puff pages. Recent opinions from professional webmasters are the best.
That cheapo one might be an uncommitted reseller. I used one recently. Very cheap, and very helpful. Then my site went 'missing'. By the Grace Of God I was able to get in contact with the owner, and make a backup, before the service was closed down. I found out later he had only about six customers.
Use a popular web host. Avoid ones that are trying to attract customers by undercutting rates to silly levels. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Their Google PageRank gives a clue as to how popular they are.
This will irk the smaller hosts, but if your site is a serious one, put it on a serious host. Web hosting costs peanuts these days. People can be funny about spending an extra $5 a month. You'll wish you'd paid $500 when your site goes skew-whiff, and you can't get a reply from their technical support.
3. Send them an email or two. See how long it takes to get a reply.
This can be very revealing. If they take two days to get back to a potential customer, how long do they take to answer their _existing_ customers?
4. Check out their forums; how busy are they? They don't have a forum? Next!
They should have enough customers to run a forum, and care enough to have one. Reading it can give you a clue as to what their support is like. Likewise, see when they had the last news update on their site. If it was long ago, they may be moribund.
5. Technical Support.
This is as important as the features they supply. It's no good having a Virtual Private Server for $10.00 a month if there's no one there to answer your emails when the hard-disk fails.
6. Features.
Most geeks favour Unix. It's been around longer, and is more stable. Web hosts offering Unix variants like Linux have always been cheaper. They also seem to offer a wider range of toys. I need SSI (Server Side Includes), SSH (secure Telnet), 10 MySQL databases, Cpanel, PHPMyAdmin and a UK IP number. And you can get this for $15 a month.
Things like MySQL databases, Cpanel and SSH access are real sticking points for a lot of web hosts. If they're generous with these, you've found a rare jewel.
7. Word Of Mouth.
Webmasters are always asking about web hosts on webmaster forums. Find a few recent threads, and note who gets the most votes. Search engines, on the other hand, have been spammed by some hosts. If you do a search on 'the best web hosts' or 'top 10 web hosts' you'll get puff pages. Recent opinions from professional webmasters are the best.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
A Strategic Plan For Hosting Multiple Websites
Success in Niche Markets requires a strategic plan for the hosting of your websites. It's becoming a common practice to have upwards of 100 sites serving a variety of interests. To easily and effectively manage a large number of sites, and to contain costs, an overall hosting strategy needs to be considered.
And, of course, there are many with a smaller number, say 10 or more sites, intending to build their "empire" to a much greater size. With a view to controlling your business, it is also important to consider future growth before the workload and cost arising (as you "just add a few more additional sites") spiral out of control.
There are two special matters to consider at the very outset: The number of sub-domains allowed and the number of domains allowed on the one account.
Using a sub-domain means that you don't have to register a domain name in the early stages of a new website. It gives you a chance to first test the demand for a particular niche before you spin it off to a fully fledged site with a registered domain name. For example, if you have a hosted website called BettysHelpfulHints.com, you could add numerous sub-domains (or additional websites) to this - if your host allows it. Thus, You would be able to create sites with compound names like GourmetRecipes.BettysHelpfulHints.com; Onlinedating.BettysHelpfulHints.com; OrganicGardening.BettysHelpfulHints.com, and so on.
Web hosts have varying requirements about the number of sub-domains allowed. Naturally, the more that you have, the more bandwidth that is used, so it's often the case that lower-fee charging hosts will limit the number of sub-domains allowed on the one account.
Once you've decided that demand justifies it, you'll start thinking about registered domain names for your individual websites. This is much more cost effective and easier to manage if it can be done with the same web host, all on the same account. However, also keep in mind the caution behind the old saying, "Don't keep all your eggs in the one basket".
So it's probably wise to consider a structure that hosts your major multiple websites with 3-4 different companies. Also consider opening a reseller account with another hosting company for small and new websites and backup. This structure offers security along with the capacity to expand.
Other key factors to consider:
1. You'll want your sites operating with as little downtime as possible, so ensure that that they have the facilities to do this. Unfortunately 99% of web hosts will claim they are online 99% of the time. Using several web hosts spreads the risk of downtime. It's highly unlikely all your sites will be down at the same time.
2. Cost isn't a major concern when you have only 1 or 2 websites. When you have 10, 50 or 100+ the monthly expense can be crippling if you don't anticipate the growth and just add sites by opening new accounts. One option, metioned earlier, is to use a reseller hosting account for those new and small sites. This would cost only about $15 per month. Sub-domains are also a possibility, with no additional cost if the web host will allow it. If you reach the stage of needing a dedicated server, this will cost upwards of $50 per month.
3. If your site development is likely to affect a production hosting site, carry out development and testing work on your reseller account and move the finished application to another server when you are satisfied it is functioning to your satisfaction.
4. Having backup facilities in place that have already been tested means you can easily transfer a major web site to another web host if required. A temporary or permanent change can be made in the few minutes it takes to redirect the domain.
5. There are many outstanding web hosting companies available. One that is highly regarded is HostGator.com, which will allow you to host an unlimited number of domains, as does MeWebhost.com. Another well-regarded host that comes to mind - TeknonMedia.com - allows an unlimited number of subdomains, even with their lower cost packages. I have no connection with any of these, knowing them only by reputation.
The growth of Private Label Rights and niche market products, including promotional material and websites, has encouraged a boom in marketing to a huge range of niche interests. Market segments that were once considered too difficult to cater for are now easily accessible. This has also resulted in a huge growth in the number of websites now controlled, or likely to be controlled, by individual marketers. A workable strategy to administer this growth needs to be considered at an early stage - that is, before your "empire" becomes too difficult to manage and the costs excessive.
And, of course, there are many with a smaller number, say 10 or more sites, intending to build their "empire" to a much greater size. With a view to controlling your business, it is also important to consider future growth before the workload and cost arising (as you "just add a few more additional sites") spiral out of control.
There are two special matters to consider at the very outset: The number of sub-domains allowed and the number of domains allowed on the one account.
Using a sub-domain means that you don't have to register a domain name in the early stages of a new website. It gives you a chance to first test the demand for a particular niche before you spin it off to a fully fledged site with a registered domain name. For example, if you have a hosted website called BettysHelpfulHints.com, you could add numerous sub-domains (or additional websites) to this - if your host allows it. Thus, You would be able to create sites with compound names like GourmetRecipes.BettysHelpfulHints.com; Onlinedating.BettysHelpfulHints.com; OrganicGardening.BettysHelpfulHints.com, and so on.
Web hosts have varying requirements about the number of sub-domains allowed. Naturally, the more that you have, the more bandwidth that is used, so it's often the case that lower-fee charging hosts will limit the number of sub-domains allowed on the one account.
Once you've decided that demand justifies it, you'll start thinking about registered domain names for your individual websites. This is much more cost effective and easier to manage if it can be done with the same web host, all on the same account. However, also keep in mind the caution behind the old saying, "Don't keep all your eggs in the one basket".
So it's probably wise to consider a structure that hosts your major multiple websites with 3-4 different companies. Also consider opening a reseller account with another hosting company for small and new websites and backup. This structure offers security along with the capacity to expand.
Other key factors to consider:
1. You'll want your sites operating with as little downtime as possible, so ensure that that they have the facilities to do this. Unfortunately 99% of web hosts will claim they are online 99% of the time. Using several web hosts spreads the risk of downtime. It's highly unlikely all your sites will be down at the same time.
2. Cost isn't a major concern when you have only 1 or 2 websites. When you have 10, 50 or 100+ the monthly expense can be crippling if you don't anticipate the growth and just add sites by opening new accounts. One option, metioned earlier, is to use a reseller hosting account for those new and small sites. This would cost only about $15 per month. Sub-domains are also a possibility, with no additional cost if the web host will allow it. If you reach the stage of needing a dedicated server, this will cost upwards of $50 per month.
3. If your site development is likely to affect a production hosting site, carry out development and testing work on your reseller account and move the finished application to another server when you are satisfied it is functioning to your satisfaction.
4. Having backup facilities in place that have already been tested means you can easily transfer a major web site to another web host if required. A temporary or permanent change can be made in the few minutes it takes to redirect the domain.
5. There are many outstanding web hosting companies available. One that is highly regarded is HostGator.com, which will allow you to host an unlimited number of domains, as does MeWebhost.com. Another well-regarded host that comes to mind - TeknonMedia.com - allows an unlimited number of subdomains, even with their lower cost packages. I have no connection with any of these, knowing them only by reputation.
The growth of Private Label Rights and niche market products, including promotional material and websites, has encouraged a boom in marketing to a huge range of niche interests. Market segments that were once considered too difficult to cater for are now easily accessible. This has also resulted in a huge growth in the number of websites now controlled, or likely to be controlled, by individual marketers. A workable strategy to administer this growth needs to be considered at an early stage - that is, before your "empire" becomes too difficult to manage and the costs excessive.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
What is Web Hosting and What Do We Get From Cheap Web Hosting
Web hosting basics
All web pages are downloaded from a source called the web server. All these need to be stored in a server so that a visit to your website is possible. Therefore, if you would want to manage a website, you need to host it on a web sever. Once your website is hosted, people from any points of the world can have access to your pages. A company or institutions that do all these stuffs for you are termed as web hosting providers.
There are several types of web hosting, let us discuss some of them.
Shared Hosting is basically a type wherein several to hundreds of websites are being hosted by a single physical web server. The issue of slower performance often arises in here. Yet a reputable web host don't easily add up web sites without considering their would-be effects to the entire system.
Because this type of web hosting is shared, website owners can expect cheaper rates but must learn to deal with occasional system break downs and slower server response time.
Dedicated Hosting is the reverse of shared hosting. This has the principle of one server per customer. Therefore, web hosting rates are much higher in here but with the assurance of higher traffic.
Co-location hosting is much like dedicate web hosting, only differing on the actual ownership of the web server hardware. However, the server is located in the web hosting provider's center.
Reseller hosting works in a third-party principle. The web hosting provider resells the web server storage to customers who can then structure their own branding and prices.
With that said, we can now discuss how can you make the most out of your cheap web hosting.
Cheap web hosting is now a popular choice among web site owners. However, choosing one may prove to be hard. But with bits of efforts and intensive data gathering, you can arrive on a cheap web hosting that is ideal for all your requirements.
Here are the things you need to check:
Your needs. Identify what you truly need, anything in excess may add up to the cost of your web site so examine them well. Develop criteria for features selection that you will need and start from there. Say, do you need to have a large bandwidth? Or website builders and spam protections?
Reliability. Check the ability of the provider to cope up with troubles on system breakdowns. Also check on their uptime guarantee. However, it must be understood that they normally only cover issues pertaining to Server OS crashes and hardware failure.
What's your budget? Its always getting what you paid for. Your willingness to spend for a web hosting provider will determine how much would you gamble for an account. There are a number of cheap web hosting providers that will give you the services you paid for. Normally, you would benefit for their very low rates. However, it must be noted that they normally don't generate good traffic.
It is not like discouraging you from seeking a cheap web hosting provider, only that be keen when selecting one. Always equate the benefits that may be had from them and the corresponding disadvantages.
But we must take into consideration still those cheap web hosting providers that produce satisfied and happy customers. Usually, their prices range from $6 to $7 a month. Prices lower than these must be thoroughly evaluated though.
All web pages are downloaded from a source called the web server. All these need to be stored in a server so that a visit to your website is possible. Therefore, if you would want to manage a website, you need to host it on a web sever. Once your website is hosted, people from any points of the world can have access to your pages. A company or institutions that do all these stuffs for you are termed as web hosting providers.
There are several types of web hosting, let us discuss some of them.
Shared Hosting is basically a type wherein several to hundreds of websites are being hosted by a single physical web server. The issue of slower performance often arises in here. Yet a reputable web host don't easily add up web sites without considering their would-be effects to the entire system.
Because this type of web hosting is shared, website owners can expect cheaper rates but must learn to deal with occasional system break downs and slower server response time.
Dedicated Hosting is the reverse of shared hosting. This has the principle of one server per customer. Therefore, web hosting rates are much higher in here but with the assurance of higher traffic.
Co-location hosting is much like dedicate web hosting, only differing on the actual ownership of the web server hardware. However, the server is located in the web hosting provider's center.
Reseller hosting works in a third-party principle. The web hosting provider resells the web server storage to customers who can then structure their own branding and prices.
With that said, we can now discuss how can you make the most out of your cheap web hosting.
Cheap web hosting is now a popular choice among web site owners. However, choosing one may prove to be hard. But with bits of efforts and intensive data gathering, you can arrive on a cheap web hosting that is ideal for all your requirements.
Here are the things you need to check:
Your needs. Identify what you truly need, anything in excess may add up to the cost of your web site so examine them well. Develop criteria for features selection that you will need and start from there. Say, do you need to have a large bandwidth? Or website builders and spam protections?
Reliability. Check the ability of the provider to cope up with troubles on system breakdowns. Also check on their uptime guarantee. However, it must be understood that they normally only cover issues pertaining to Server OS crashes and hardware failure.
What's your budget? Its always getting what you paid for. Your willingness to spend for a web hosting provider will determine how much would you gamble for an account. There are a number of cheap web hosting providers that will give you the services you paid for. Normally, you would benefit for their very low rates. However, it must be noted that they normally don't generate good traffic.
It is not like discouraging you from seeking a cheap web hosting provider, only that be keen when selecting one. Always equate the benefits that may be had from them and the corresponding disadvantages.
But we must take into consideration still those cheap web hosting providers that produce satisfied and happy customers. Usually, their prices range from $6 to $7 a month. Prices lower than these must be thoroughly evaluated though.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Resellers !! Expensive Web Hosting Providers
Have you heard of those population chemistry vast checks with Google Adsense or subdivision poles apart publisher programs? Did you differentiate that these family execute not purely own a single site but hundreds earning them at least .25 cents a day? That means if you have a website that at least earns an average of 25 cents, one hundred sites will give you an earning of $25.00 a day or at least $750.00 a month. Imagine earning that amount from your home, from your own small business. No Boss. No pressure. Work whenever you want.
Building one hundred sites a hour is not risible anymore. There are thence umpteen automated equipment to hump out the albatross and they all turn up in tawdry prices. Building a website itself is remarkably easier than before. Just go for a web host with an on-line website builder and you can build your first site in as little as one hour. Or choose one with one-click installation of popular scripts and you can build your blog and make your first post in five minutes or less.
With thousands of body politic logging relevance the internet prosaic looking for ways to discharge money, garish net hosting comes absorption picture. The expression "cheap net hosting" itself crop 220,000 searches last month and it only means that people are now after cheap web hosting services.
With the magnify of native agility act along with the improvement of disparate Content Management System platforms, everybody now is presumption of turning to the net for option income. Cheap lacework hosting after all are not really a bad choice. The number of cheap web hosting companies grows because of the growing number of demands. They need to compete with the major hosting companies and the only way to do it is to offer a much cost-effective alternative. By the way, these major hosting companies are now diversifying their services and selling reseller accounts to anyone who wanted to start their own web hosting companies. Thus, cheap web hosting providers are growing continuously.
So if partition mesh hosting provider tells you not to bid to a cheap interlacing hosting provider, speculation at their website and glad eye at the services they are offering. Compare it with what a flashy net hosting provider has to offer. Sometimes you consign only see that their main difference is the price. There is also a great possibility that they both lies on the same server, the cheap web hosting provider being a reseller of the first one.
So if you are organization to provide a pipeline and conviction of hosting your quarter with an worthwhile lattice hosting provider, why not settle your corner catechism first. Cheap web hosting isn't really that bad. I actually have my website hosted with one.
Building one hundred sites a hour is not risible anymore. There are thence umpteen automated equipment to hump out the albatross and they all turn up in tawdry prices. Building a website itself is remarkably easier than before. Just go for a web host with an on-line website builder and you can build your first site in as little as one hour. Or choose one with one-click installation of popular scripts and you can build your blog and make your first post in five minutes or less.
With thousands of body politic logging relevance the internet prosaic looking for ways to discharge money, garish net hosting comes absorption picture. The expression "cheap net hosting" itself crop 220,000 searches last month and it only means that people are now after cheap web hosting services.
With the magnify of native agility act along with the improvement of disparate Content Management System platforms, everybody now is presumption of turning to the net for option income. Cheap lacework hosting after all are not really a bad choice. The number of cheap web hosting companies grows because of the growing number of demands. They need to compete with the major hosting companies and the only way to do it is to offer a much cost-effective alternative. By the way, these major hosting companies are now diversifying their services and selling reseller accounts to anyone who wanted to start their own web hosting companies. Thus, cheap web hosting providers are growing continuously.
So if partition mesh hosting provider tells you not to bid to a cheap interlacing hosting provider, speculation at their website and glad eye at the services they are offering. Compare it with what a flashy net hosting provider has to offer. Sometimes you consign only see that their main difference is the price. There is also a great possibility that they both lies on the same server, the cheap web hosting provider being a reseller of the first one.
So if you are organization to provide a pipeline and conviction of hosting your quarter with an worthwhile lattice hosting provider, why not settle your corner catechism first. Cheap web hosting isn't really that bad. I actually have my website hosted with one.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Pricing Of Web Hosting
Get What You Pay For
Why bother paying for hosting when there are plenty of companies offering free hosting? Well, in web hosting, when you pay nothing, you often end up with nothing.
Most free web hosts offer limited services. Even though they are not charging you to host your website, they still need to make money. The most common way to do this to place advertising on your site. You probably will have no control over what kind of ads show up. You won't be consulted when those decisions are made.
Sometimes free hosts will place restrictions on the content you place on your site. For example, you may not be allowed to sell things or have certain types of content, such as videos or music. Worst of all, your web site could disappear overnight. New companies offering free hosting pop up almost everyday, but they also vanish with astonishing regularity. When your hosting company vanishes, your web site goes with it.
Do You Need A High-Priced Web Host?
You'll need to use a reliable web host if you are serious about having a web site. Prices range considerably -- some companies offer rates as low as $2 a month, while others charge over $100. The highest rates don't always translate into the best service. Some of the lower-priced hosts offer a reliable, stable environment that allows your website to be accessed around the clock for years.
Generally speaking, though, the more you pay the more you get. Higher rates should bring you services such as more storage space, more bandwidth to handle Internet traffic, and extras such as databases, email accounts, mass mailers, and the ability to add custom scripts. Higher rates can also mean better technical support, in the unlikely event you have problems with your website.
What is a Web Server?
When you're ready to make your move, it helps to understand some of the technical details about the service you're buying. Every host has dedicated computers known as servers, which connect to the internet and "serve" pages any time they are requested. So, whenever anyone wants to see a certain web page by clicking on a link, the request is sent to the particular server where that web page is stored. The server responds by sending HTML data across the internet, and eventually back to the person who requested it.
A web server must have fast connections to be able to serve pages quickly. For the greatest speed and reliability, try to find a host that has multiple high-speed connections, as well as reliable back-up power supplies in case of power outages.
Remember, you are trying to build a business, so you'd better be prepared to pay to keep the other business in business. Otherwise you may both soon be out of business.
Why bother paying for hosting when there are plenty of companies offering free hosting? Well, in web hosting, when you pay nothing, you often end up with nothing.
Most free web hosts offer limited services. Even though they are not charging you to host your website, they still need to make money. The most common way to do this to place advertising on your site. You probably will have no control over what kind of ads show up. You won't be consulted when those decisions are made.
Sometimes free hosts will place restrictions on the content you place on your site. For example, you may not be allowed to sell things or have certain types of content, such as videos or music. Worst of all, your web site could disappear overnight. New companies offering free hosting pop up almost everyday, but they also vanish with astonishing regularity. When your hosting company vanishes, your web site goes with it.
Do You Need A High-Priced Web Host?
You'll need to use a reliable web host if you are serious about having a web site. Prices range considerably -- some companies offer rates as low as $2 a month, while others charge over $100. The highest rates don't always translate into the best service. Some of the lower-priced hosts offer a reliable, stable environment that allows your website to be accessed around the clock for years.
Generally speaking, though, the more you pay the more you get. Higher rates should bring you services such as more storage space, more bandwidth to handle Internet traffic, and extras such as databases, email accounts, mass mailers, and the ability to add custom scripts. Higher rates can also mean better technical support, in the unlikely event you have problems with your website.
What is a Web Server?
When you're ready to make your move, it helps to understand some of the technical details about the service you're buying. Every host has dedicated computers known as servers, which connect to the internet and "serve" pages any time they are requested. So, whenever anyone wants to see a certain web page by clicking on a link, the request is sent to the particular server where that web page is stored. The server responds by sending HTML data across the internet, and eventually back to the person who requested it.
A web server must have fast connections to be able to serve pages quickly. For the greatest speed and reliability, try to find a host that has multiple high-speed connections, as well as reliable back-up power supplies in case of power outages.
Remember, you are trying to build a business, so you'd better be prepared to pay to keep the other business in business. Otherwise you may both soon be out of business.
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Price Of Web Hosting Continues To Drop
The price of web hosting continues to drop as competition continues to increase.
Web hosting is a relatively new industry which did not exist fifteen years ago. All web sites were being hosted by local internet service providers. Only large companies used to have their own websites. Things are very different now. Not only do the small and medium sized companies have websites but more and more individuals have websites as well.
There are businesses now that are thriving on the internet. Thousands of individuals also have their own websites as the internet becomes a major source of information. Work from home concepts are catching on and the internet is changing the way people do business. The trend of people owning more than one domain name is increasing. Some internet entrepreneurs have fifty or hundred web sites each.
The first impression one gets from looking at current trends is that the future of web hosting looks bright. It is going to be a period of competition for market share in a fiercely fought out market. Everyday more and more small and medium businesses are looking to build, improve or maintain a web presence. These changes will be beneficial to the well-managed and fast growing small and medium sized web hosts.
Personal websites are expected to increase as well. Reducing costs and relatively easy site building tools will bring more non-techies into the market.
Price will be the big changing factor to look at. Competition will be fierce as web hosting companies continue to offer more features, but price always seems to be the first feature most people look at.
In the years ahead, web hosts will find that to stay viable and profitable, in a market place that is growing ever more competitive that they must not only offer fully featured plans, good connectivity and reliability, but also be willing and able to respond to the diverse queries from their customers.
Why are web hosting prices coming down?
One reason is that some of these web hosting providers are newer companies. They are probably trying to get business or their operational costs are lower than the other web hosting companies. In early days the infrastructure cost was very high, but that has been reduced significantly.
Newer players in the web hosting industry invest comparatively less. So how do cheap web hosting providers manage this? Part of it is that servers, hard drive space and bandwidth are much, much less expensive than they were several years ago. Cheap web hosting providers capitalize on this fact. Moreover now there is much more business then ten years ago. Big volumes at lower margins work in this industry as well.
Until recently, web hosts attempted to compete by providing the most tools and features. The problem with this model is that it can be overwhelming for the average person. Some web hosts have a cheap upfront rate and then charge you additionally for almost every other feature. Customization is becoming more popular where you pay only for what you use. It is important never to compromise on quality.
Anyway we will continue to see the prices of web hosting going down in the future as competition stays fierce.
Web hosting is a relatively new industry which did not exist fifteen years ago. All web sites were being hosted by local internet service providers. Only large companies used to have their own websites. Things are very different now. Not only do the small and medium sized companies have websites but more and more individuals have websites as well.
There are businesses now that are thriving on the internet. Thousands of individuals also have their own websites as the internet becomes a major source of information. Work from home concepts are catching on and the internet is changing the way people do business. The trend of people owning more than one domain name is increasing. Some internet entrepreneurs have fifty or hundred web sites each.
The first impression one gets from looking at current trends is that the future of web hosting looks bright. It is going to be a period of competition for market share in a fiercely fought out market. Everyday more and more small and medium businesses are looking to build, improve or maintain a web presence. These changes will be beneficial to the well-managed and fast growing small and medium sized web hosts.
Personal websites are expected to increase as well. Reducing costs and relatively easy site building tools will bring more non-techies into the market.
Price will be the big changing factor to look at. Competition will be fierce as web hosting companies continue to offer more features, but price always seems to be the first feature most people look at.
In the years ahead, web hosts will find that to stay viable and profitable, in a market place that is growing ever more competitive that they must not only offer fully featured plans, good connectivity and reliability, but also be willing and able to respond to the diverse queries from their customers.
Why are web hosting prices coming down?
One reason is that some of these web hosting providers are newer companies. They are probably trying to get business or their operational costs are lower than the other web hosting companies. In early days the infrastructure cost was very high, but that has been reduced significantly.
Newer players in the web hosting industry invest comparatively less. So how do cheap web hosting providers manage this? Part of it is that servers, hard drive space and bandwidth are much, much less expensive than they were several years ago. Cheap web hosting providers capitalize on this fact. Moreover now there is much more business then ten years ago. Big volumes at lower margins work in this industry as well.
Until recently, web hosts attempted to compete by providing the most tools and features. The problem with this model is that it can be overwhelming for the average person. Some web hosts have a cheap upfront rate and then charge you additionally for almost every other feature. Customization is becoming more popular where you pay only for what you use. It is important never to compromise on quality.
Anyway we will continue to see the prices of web hosting going down in the future as competition stays fierce.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
4 Tips to Find the Web Host That's Right for You
So you have finally planned to invade the magical world of Internet. All captions ready, all information gathered, all details penned down. What next?
Your next important step is finding the Web Host for your site, The Right One..
A web host is a service provider that places your web site on a computer that is connected to Internet. This then gives people who surf Internet a way to access your website.
Finding the best host for your company's Web site is one of the most important steps when taking your business online. Not only will your host be responsible for placing your company's site on the Internet; it will also be responsible for keeping it there and being available to potential customers.
Now, let us take a look at the steps to be followed when choosing the right web host:
1. Create an online plan for your site. What you are going to sell, number of items, methods of payment and the features of your site. Then determine the possibilities for your site's expansion over the next six months, the next year and the next five years. Look into these factors before short-listing your probable host.
Disk Space/Storage refers to the amount of space given by a web-hosting plan for your web site's pages, images, and any additional files. Take this into consideration when determining the total number of files you will be using for your website and their sizes. If you are planning on creating a website with a lot of video or audio files, you will need a lot of disk space. Check whether your host can meet this requirement.
Programming Languages such as ASP, PHP, Perl/CGI, JSP and ColdFusion are used to create a lot of popular scripts (software) to help your website function. Make sure your web host supports the language used by you. Also, if you are planning on selling services or products from your website, make sure the web hosting plan you choose offers some type of ecommerce solution.
2. Now that you have checked out all your requirements, pick your top five responses. Surprisingly, many of the hosts you submit a request for a proposal to won't respond by your set deadline. Ignore them and look at the responses you receive and pick the five best.
3. Ask for references. Take your short list of hosts and ask them for the names of some of their clients -- then pick up the phone and see what the host's clients have to say. Be sure to inquire how good the host is at making the site available online.
4. Test their customer service. Pick up the phone and call customer support at 2 a.m. Drop customer support an e-mail to see how fast they respond to you. Do what it takes to feel comfortable with your service provider before you enter into any type of business relationship.
Choosing the right Web host is easier if you approach it the way you would approach any other major purchase for your business. It can mean the difference between success and failure for your online venture.
Your next important step is finding the Web Host for your site, The Right One..
A web host is a service provider that places your web site on a computer that is connected to Internet. This then gives people who surf Internet a way to access your website.
Finding the best host for your company's Web site is one of the most important steps when taking your business online. Not only will your host be responsible for placing your company's site on the Internet; it will also be responsible for keeping it there and being available to potential customers.
Now, let us take a look at the steps to be followed when choosing the right web host:
1. Create an online plan for your site. What you are going to sell, number of items, methods of payment and the features of your site. Then determine the possibilities for your site's expansion over the next six months, the next year and the next five years. Look into these factors before short-listing your probable host.
Disk Space/Storage refers to the amount of space given by a web-hosting plan for your web site's pages, images, and any additional files. Take this into consideration when determining the total number of files you will be using for your website and their sizes. If you are planning on creating a website with a lot of video or audio files, you will need a lot of disk space. Check whether your host can meet this requirement.
Programming Languages such as ASP, PHP, Perl/CGI, JSP and ColdFusion are used to create a lot of popular scripts (software) to help your website function. Make sure your web host supports the language used by you. Also, if you are planning on selling services or products from your website, make sure the web hosting plan you choose offers some type of ecommerce solution.
2. Now that you have checked out all your requirements, pick your top five responses. Surprisingly, many of the hosts you submit a request for a proposal to won't respond by your set deadline. Ignore them and look at the responses you receive and pick the five best.
3. Ask for references. Take your short list of hosts and ask them for the names of some of their clients -- then pick up the phone and see what the host's clients have to say. Be sure to inquire how good the host is at making the site available online.
4. Test their customer service. Pick up the phone and call customer support at 2 a.m. Drop customer support an e-mail to see how fast they respond to you. Do what it takes to feel comfortable with your service provider before you enter into any type of business relationship.
Choosing the right Web host is easier if you approach it the way you would approach any other major purchase for your business. It can mean the difference between success and failure for your online venture.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Finding A Web Host To Fit Your Needs
Deciding which web hosting service is right for your web site is similar to choosing the right car for your family. Just like a lemon auto choice can complicate your life and cost you more in the long run, a lousy web host can affect your online business on many different levels, potentially costing you time and money.
Of course, no one purposefully chooses a poor web host any more than one knowingly makes a decision to become the owner of a problem car. Research is key when deciding which web hosts are the best and most cost effective. Below is some information about three popular web hosts to help you determine what type of service best fits your needs.
GoDaddy.com
With simple and hassle-free hosting, GoDaddy offers both economy and premium packages. Their $8.95 domains are some of the best prices one can find in the industry. Adding hosting to this domain drops the price to $1.95. It may be hard to find another good company who offers these prices.
Simplicity and user-friendliness are primary characteristics of GoDaddy’s services. From hassle-free control panels to straightforward hosting and domain management, you could obtain a Linux server with a new domain and have it up and running in less than 30 minutes. And if you have any problems or questions, satisfactory customer service is another benefit of using GoDaddy.
The only drawbacks to GoDaddy are its smaller size and potential security issues due to the shared servers, which can sometimes be problematic for larger traffic volume sites and sites utilizing cash transactions. And while the amount of space GoDaddy offers may not be as large as some, it is still enough to satisfy the needs of most online sites.
GoDaddy may work best for blogging websites, simple squeeze and landing pages, simple forums, and personal home pages, as well as other smaller-scale sites not requiring high security.
IxWebHosting
Offering some of the largest packages at the lowest prices, ixWebHosting is a very competitive service to consider. While its economy package looks a lot like GoDaddy’s, the ixWebHosting premium package at $12.95 per month brags features such as unlimited space and 3 TERA-BYTES—meaning 3000 BGs or 3 TRILLION bytes—of bandwidth.
Additionally, this premium package provides unlimited e-mails and SQL databases and five free domains all tied into this $12.95 price. There is so much offered in the package that some may question why a web site would even need all of these features and benefits. The reality is that most owners will not need all of this, but even if you need some of it, the price is nice.
Like GoDaddy, security is a concern for ixWebHosting services. However, the control panel is not as good as GoDaddy’s.
IxWebHosting’s premium service is a great option for the site owner who needs significant bandwidth and disk space or anticipates high traffic volume or downloading from the site.
TVCNet
If security and customer service are at the top on your list of needs from your web host, TVCNet may be one your best options. While the disk space and bandwidth may not be as impressive as some of the other web hosting choices, you will likely find you do not actually need all of the massive space offered by other providers. Instead of excessive and, often times, unnecessary space, TVCNet focuses in on top-notch secure and reliable hosting.
Not only will your questions be answered promptly by the TVCNet staff, but it is also possible to achieve a 100% hacker-safe site through using their web hosting service. This is an excellent choice for anyone who has or expects to build a small to medium sized site with full technical support and hacker-proof security.
Of course, no one purposefully chooses a poor web host any more than one knowingly makes a decision to become the owner of a problem car. Research is key when deciding which web hosts are the best and most cost effective. Below is some information about three popular web hosts to help you determine what type of service best fits your needs.
GoDaddy.com
With simple and hassle-free hosting, GoDaddy offers both economy and premium packages. Their $8.95 domains are some of the best prices one can find in the industry. Adding hosting to this domain drops the price to $1.95. It may be hard to find another good company who offers these prices.
Simplicity and user-friendliness are primary characteristics of GoDaddy’s services. From hassle-free control panels to straightforward hosting and domain management, you could obtain a Linux server with a new domain and have it up and running in less than 30 minutes. And if you have any problems or questions, satisfactory customer service is another benefit of using GoDaddy.
The only drawbacks to GoDaddy are its smaller size and potential security issues due to the shared servers, which can sometimes be problematic for larger traffic volume sites and sites utilizing cash transactions. And while the amount of space GoDaddy offers may not be as large as some, it is still enough to satisfy the needs of most online sites.
GoDaddy may work best for blogging websites, simple squeeze and landing pages, simple forums, and personal home pages, as well as other smaller-scale sites not requiring high security.
IxWebHosting
Offering some of the largest packages at the lowest prices, ixWebHosting is a very competitive service to consider. While its economy package looks a lot like GoDaddy’s, the ixWebHosting premium package at $12.95 per month brags features such as unlimited space and 3 TERA-BYTES—meaning 3000 BGs or 3 TRILLION bytes—of bandwidth.
Additionally, this premium package provides unlimited e-mails and SQL databases and five free domains all tied into this $12.95 price. There is so much offered in the package that some may question why a web site would even need all of these features and benefits. The reality is that most owners will not need all of this, but even if you need some of it, the price is nice.
Like GoDaddy, security is a concern for ixWebHosting services. However, the control panel is not as good as GoDaddy’s.
IxWebHosting’s premium service is a great option for the site owner who needs significant bandwidth and disk space or anticipates high traffic volume or downloading from the site.
TVCNet
If security and customer service are at the top on your list of needs from your web host, TVCNet may be one your best options. While the disk space and bandwidth may not be as impressive as some of the other web hosting choices, you will likely find you do not actually need all of the massive space offered by other providers. Instead of excessive and, often times, unnecessary space, TVCNet focuses in on top-notch secure and reliable hosting.
Not only will your questions be answered promptly by the TVCNet staff, but it is also possible to achieve a 100% hacker-safe site through using their web hosting service. This is an excellent choice for anyone who has or expects to build a small to medium sized site with full technical support and hacker-proof security.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Good Quality & Cheap Web Hosting
If you plan to own a new website, you will need to host your website on a web server. When your website goes live on the web server, online users can then browse your website on the Internet. Company that provides the web servers to host your website is called web hosting providers.
A web hosting provider will typically have a fast connection to the Internet housed in a physical building called 'data center' and they may host thousands of web sites on many servers. The web host essentially rents out space to you so that you can get your website up on the world wide web.
With a well-managed web host, you can free yourself from worrying the up-keep of complicated server technology and proper technical maintenance. That's the whole purpose of the web hosting companies. You should leave the technical work to web hosting professional while you focus on your own internet business.
There are thousands of web hosting providers on the internet and how do you decide which one you should use? Sites like betahosts.com can help you by comparing all best hosting providers.
The features that web hosting companies are offering are getting quite standard nowadays. There are basic features that you'll need in a web host. You can find out more here.
To give a web host a competitive edge over others, more attractive features are very necessary. You'll find that many hosts are willing to give away free stuff that used to cost over $10 per month.
These are some of the advanced features that our top hosts are offering.
* Web Buider Many of our top 10 hosts offer powerful web builder program called SiteStudio. SiteStudio allows you to make sites without any html, FTP and HTTP knowledge. You can also build site on the fly while at home, school or even at work. Hostgator's SiteStudio has over 500 ready-made templates for you to choose from.
* Ecommerce Enabled If you are selling products on your site, you need a merchant account. A shopping cart is a useful tool if you have more than 1 product in different categories. SSL(Secured Sockets Layer) is a must-have if you need to receive valuable information such as your customers' credit card information. PowWeb, Hostgator and Lunarpages provide osCommerce shopping cart and shared SSL for your ecommerce needs.
* Marketing Package Most marketing package including search engine submission software, keyword generator and link checker. Some hosting companies like iPower have established partnership with Yahoo! Search (previously known as Overture) and Google Adwords to offer you pay-per-click credit to jump start your business.
Popularity
The best marketing method is by far from word of mouth. If you sign up for a web host and are satisfied with the performance, most likely you'll recommend to anyone who is looking for a good host. Big web hosting companies know about this concept so well that they would go all out to retain their existing customer. The more satisfied customers they have, the more popularity they'll get. We take this as an important indicator of how good a host is. # There are a few factors that we judge the popularity of a particular web hosting provider.Number of existing customers. # The satisfaction level of their existing customers: We manage to get hold of their existing customers from the positive reviews they submitted through our host comment form, their comment in the 3rd party web hosting and inhouse forums and the customers' comment found on other hosting directories. # The amount of pretigious hosting awards they won # Their sites Alexa traffic ranking
Lunarpages is on top among our top 10 hosts. Network Reliability, Speed and Uptime Guarantee
In terms of reliability, we are looking at how redundant is the server, how often the companies backup the server and how well they handle emergency. "Redundant" means that if any of the Internet connections get interrupted, the alternate Internet connection will take over. PowWeb Load Balancing Technology is one of the best that we found to ensure your site is up 99.9% all the time.
A web hosting provider will typically have a fast connection to the Internet housed in a physical building called 'data center' and they may host thousands of web sites on many servers. The web host essentially rents out space to you so that you can get your website up on the world wide web.
With a well-managed web host, you can free yourself from worrying the up-keep of complicated server technology and proper technical maintenance. That's the whole purpose of the web hosting companies. You should leave the technical work to web hosting professional while you focus on your own internet business.
There are thousands of web hosting providers on the internet and how do you decide which one you should use? Sites like betahosts.com can help you by comparing all best hosting providers.
The features that web hosting companies are offering are getting quite standard nowadays. There are basic features that you'll need in a web host. You can find out more here.
To give a web host a competitive edge over others, more attractive features are very necessary. You'll find that many hosts are willing to give away free stuff that used to cost over $10 per month.
These are some of the advanced features that our top hosts are offering.
* Web Buider Many of our top 10 hosts offer powerful web builder program called SiteStudio. SiteStudio allows you to make sites without any html, FTP and HTTP knowledge. You can also build site on the fly while at home, school or even at work. Hostgator's SiteStudio has over 500 ready-made templates for you to choose from.
* Ecommerce Enabled If you are selling products on your site, you need a merchant account. A shopping cart is a useful tool if you have more than 1 product in different categories. SSL(Secured Sockets Layer) is a must-have if you need to receive valuable information such as your customers' credit card information. PowWeb, Hostgator and Lunarpages provide osCommerce shopping cart and shared SSL for your ecommerce needs.
* Marketing Package Most marketing package including search engine submission software, keyword generator and link checker. Some hosting companies like iPower have established partnership with Yahoo! Search (previously known as Overture) and Google Adwords to offer you pay-per-click credit to jump start your business.
Popularity
The best marketing method is by far from word of mouth. If you sign up for a web host and are satisfied with the performance, most likely you'll recommend to anyone who is looking for a good host. Big web hosting companies know about this concept so well that they would go all out to retain their existing customer. The more satisfied customers they have, the more popularity they'll get. We take this as an important indicator of how good a host is. # There are a few factors that we judge the popularity of a particular web hosting provider.Number of existing customers. # The satisfaction level of their existing customers: We manage to get hold of their existing customers from the positive reviews they submitted through our host comment form, their comment in the 3rd party web hosting and inhouse forums and the customers' comment found on other hosting directories. # The amount of pretigious hosting awards they won # Their sites Alexa traffic ranking
Lunarpages is on top among our top 10 hosts. Network Reliability, Speed and Uptime Guarantee
In terms of reliability, we are looking at how redundant is the server, how often the companies backup the server and how well they handle emergency. "Redundant" means that if any of the Internet connections get interrupted, the alternate Internet connection will take over. PowWeb Load Balancing Technology is one of the best that we found to ensure your site is up 99.9% all the time.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Web Hosting: Bundle Up If You’re Going Online
We live in a great big bundled world. Where we once received bills from a phone, cell, cable, and Internet provider now we can receive one bill from one provider for all services. Typically these bundled items provide a discount to the end user as a gift for using one provider to the exclusion of all others.
The same premise is used for web hosting as well. In many cases you can bundle web hosting, web design, email, unique site features and more for one bundled price.
As these packages are bundled so are your options. In some scenarios you can save even more by using non-technical site tools that allow the site owner to develop the website on their own. When the site is complete it will still have the look and feel of the high quality site you need with features that will likely exceed your ecommerce needs. The best part is the price for this service may be substantially less than most other site design options.
The concept of bundling is really a throw back to the full service days of yesteryear. There was a time when you would fill up with gas and the attendant would check all your fluids, wash your windows and make sure your tires were filled to the right pressure.
In many ways this helps explain the bundling services that are available today. Sometimes all services originate with the provider while in other cases the provider works with strategic partners to provide seamless service for your ecommerce business.
Web hosting is an important function of your ecommerce business. One of the difficulties many businesses face when using a web designer is that once the site is developed it may be difficult to get changes made to the site in a timely manner.
Due to the growth in online business designers are spending enormous amounts of time developing new sites and have less and less time available for maintenance. This can put your site at risk and could result in missed business opportunity.
When you can make immediate changes to your site you can implement new ideas or sales opportunities on a moments notice. You no longer need to be at the mercy of an overworked site developer.
Bundled web hosting options provide an impressive number of customizable site templates and additional features that can be used to enhance your online presence or make connecting with your business much easier for clients and potential customers.
The same premise is used for web hosting as well. In many cases you can bundle web hosting, web design, email, unique site features and more for one bundled price.
As these packages are bundled so are your options. In some scenarios you can save even more by using non-technical site tools that allow the site owner to develop the website on their own. When the site is complete it will still have the look and feel of the high quality site you need with features that will likely exceed your ecommerce needs. The best part is the price for this service may be substantially less than most other site design options.
The concept of bundling is really a throw back to the full service days of yesteryear. There was a time when you would fill up with gas and the attendant would check all your fluids, wash your windows and make sure your tires were filled to the right pressure.
In many ways this helps explain the bundling services that are available today. Sometimes all services originate with the provider while in other cases the provider works with strategic partners to provide seamless service for your ecommerce business.
Web hosting is an important function of your ecommerce business. One of the difficulties many businesses face when using a web designer is that once the site is developed it may be difficult to get changes made to the site in a timely manner.
Due to the growth in online business designers are spending enormous amounts of time developing new sites and have less and less time available for maintenance. This can put your site at risk and could result in missed business opportunity.
When you can make immediate changes to your site you can implement new ideas or sales opportunities on a moments notice. You no longer need to be at the mercy of an overworked site developer.
Bundled web hosting options provide an impressive number of customizable site templates and additional features that can be used to enhance your online presence or make connecting with your business much easier for clients and potential customers.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Web Hosting: Web Accessibility
Deep in the heart of an office complex there lies a room that may be filled with floor to ceiling server cages that house multiple web-based servers. In the back of a storefront you may likely find servers working to keep websites operational.
A web host is simply a leasing agent for space on an existing server to allow your business website to be accessible by millions of Internet customers. The use of a web hosting service is similar to leasing a storefront as a showroom – it just costs less.
However, unlike a typical building lease option, a web host can provide a variety of features that you can customize based on the needs of your online business. For instance, you might need the capability of providing File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to business associates to access company data or new manufacturing specs. You might also need other data management protocols.
Most ecommerce websites will also need a shopping cart with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), database support and other similar features. Web hosting may not always be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. You should determine what your needs will be in a web hosting solution and seek to find a solution that bundles the most options for the most reasonable price.
Interestingly, many of the sites that provide web design also make web hosting a part of the package. There may be many reasons this is so, but the predominant reason may be the access to the site information through a known or existing server. However, it is possible to work with a web hosting solution to allow the development of a site that is personally built by you. These web-hosting solutions allow the use of an extensive selection of features that can be customized through template rich designs and implemented in less time than other web development options.
You also want to find a web hosting service that can guarantee the greatest amount of uptime. Because the Internet has grown so fast you may also find web-hosting solutions that have no track record, so be careful about selecting a company that has not had ample time to prove their capabilities in maintaining quality service.
Leasing a portal to the web through a web-hosting service is one of the most cost effective ways to unleash your entrepreneurial spirit through a business startup, but you may be best served in looking through a variety of options before settling on a service that will help determine your accessibility on the web.
A web host is simply a leasing agent for space on an existing server to allow your business website to be accessible by millions of Internet customers. The use of a web hosting service is similar to leasing a storefront as a showroom – it just costs less.
However, unlike a typical building lease option, a web host can provide a variety of features that you can customize based on the needs of your online business. For instance, you might need the capability of providing File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to business associates to access company data or new manufacturing specs. You might also need other data management protocols.
Most ecommerce websites will also need a shopping cart with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), database support and other similar features. Web hosting may not always be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. You should determine what your needs will be in a web hosting solution and seek to find a solution that bundles the most options for the most reasonable price.
Interestingly, many of the sites that provide web design also make web hosting a part of the package. There may be many reasons this is so, but the predominant reason may be the access to the site information through a known or existing server. However, it is possible to work with a web hosting solution to allow the development of a site that is personally built by you. These web-hosting solutions allow the use of an extensive selection of features that can be customized through template rich designs and implemented in less time than other web development options.
You also want to find a web hosting service that can guarantee the greatest amount of uptime. Because the Internet has grown so fast you may also find web-hosting solutions that have no track record, so be careful about selecting a company that has not had ample time to prove their capabilities in maintaining quality service.
Leasing a portal to the web through a web-hosting service is one of the most cost effective ways to unleash your entrepreneurial spirit through a business startup, but you may be best served in looking through a variety of options before settling on a service that will help determine your accessibility on the web.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Hosting Your Own Web Server: Things to Consider
Are you disgusted or disappointed with your current web host? Have you switched web hosting companies too many times? Have you thought of hosting your own website(s)? Do you have the ambition to control and manage your own web server?
If you answered 'yes' to the questions above, then you may be ready to host your own sites. This article will give you things to consider while making the switch.
When being your own web host you should be technically inclined and have basic knowledge of operating systems, understand technical terms, understand how to setup a server environment (such as: DNS, IIS, Apache, etc.) have basic knowledge of scripting languages and databases (PHP, Perl, MySQL, etc.), be familiar with current technologies, and have a basic understanding of hardware and server components.
You should realize the pros & cons. It is one thing to say, you want to host your own web server and it is another thing to actually do it.
Pros:
* Own sense of responsibility
* Awareness level raised (you are at the frontline of all server happenings)
* No monthly hosting fees/accounts
* Incompetence no longer exist
* Non-shared environment (dedicated server)
* Unlimited websites, databases, content, storage, etc.
* More bandwidth
* No more waiting on someone else time
* Complete control
Cons:
* Exhausting at times
* Faced with server/hardware problems
* ISP business account (monthly business/broadband expense)
* If server goes down then the website is offline
* No technical support team
* Software, hardware, and network expenses
There could be many more pros & cons but I??ve pointed out some of the major ones. Managing a web server starts as a full time job, you must constantly monitor its performance and security. This can sometimes be an exhausting task, especially if you currently have other responsibilities. Though, the control you will have over your website and its performance is rewarding enough. You no longer have to wait for technical support or approval to install a script onto the server. You can have as many websites and databases you want, as long as your hardware can handle it. You no longer have to go into the discussion forums and search for the best web host or rant about how much you hate your current host. You can even begin hosting family & friends personal websites.
Ask yourself, how technically advanced are you? Many times you do not have to be a tech guru or anything of the sort, but you must be very resourceful. You must know how to find resolutions and answers to problems, quickly and efficiently. This means you must be internet savvy. Not just the average surfer, who surfs aimlessly, but you must be the surfer who can always find what they are looking for. This is key, because with any server environment you are going to run into problems and finding the answers are most accomplished online, using multiple resources, search techniques, and engines. Sure you can hire someone to fix your problems, but as we should have learned from the "web hosting", having someone do it for you isn't always the best option. Here is a test to see if you are ready to find solutions. I need a solution to a Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Event Error - "Event ID: 1056?? it??s a DHCP Server Error. How would you search? Go ahead find the solution.
Did you first go to Google? If you did, that was a nice effort and common for most, plus a good place to start, but usually it is best to start at the developers' website. In this case "microsoft.com" would have been the first option. Why? Google would more than likely provide you with the answer from Microsoft and other sources, but you don't want to get inaccurate information from other sources. It is common to get information from Microsoft that would not specifically resolve your problem, but the developer should always be your first place to search for the answers. Now search the error again and go to the Microsoft site and find the solution.
You should had found this link: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282001 (Event ID 1056 is Logged after installing DHCP)
What search phrase did you use? It should have been Event ID: 1056, because the Event ID is the exact error, it pinpoints your exact problem without broadening your search. Sometimes the error description is also appropriate to search, just the error description by itself or in combination with the Event ID. It depends on your error, your search feedback, your ability, and technique. For this example I did not include the error description.
Google or Yahoo! should have been your second option (the two largest search engines). Then search other smaller and niche search engines. A good search site which makes use of Google??s operator tags is www.soople.com. Next you should search within forums and discussion groups. If you are pretty internet savvy and have a plentiful or few forums and discussion groups which you frequent then you might actually visit those places before visiting Google or Yahoo!. You can even visit those before visiting the developer site since it is a trusted source, but I wouldn't recommend it, I still would go to the developers' site first. Okay, so now we have planted our feet and have familiarized ourselves with being internet (search) savvy. We are ready to purchase a server!
When making a server purchase you need to consider a few things before doing so. What to buy? A top of the line, quadruple processor, and super fast turbo server is always ideal, but many times it is not logical or affordable. Therefore, you need to weigh your options (sensibly).
What to buy?
* First determine your budget. Be realistic and expect to spend at least $2,500 for a low-end server. For a low-end, quality server with other needed equipment and services I spent a little over $4,500 easily.
* Determine your ISP (broadband) provider. Research and speak with several different vendors before deciding which broadband solution best suit your needs. Each provider plan is different and has different benefits, determine the best one which fits your needs. Bandwidth should be put into consideration when choosing your ISP.
* A backup device should be purchased before implementing a server install. The backup device should be double the server storage space. This could be a standalone unit like an external hard drive or network storage device or the backup device could be multiple devices such as: backup tapes, disc, etc. The reason the backup device should be larger is because you want to be able to have months worth of backups and not just weekly or monthly backups. You should have at least 24 weeks of backups without the concern of storage space. The backup device or safe deposits should also be external, removable, and portable. This is so the backups can be stored in a remote location. Usually for safe-keeping, in event of a theft or disaster.
* Determine your daily traffic goal (the daily traffic which you hope to see within 1 year ?C be realistic), divide that number by the daily traffic you currently receive, and then multiply that number by 5. That is the total number of GB space you need.
Example:
Daily Traffic Goal: 10,000 (Divided by) Current Daily Traffic: 500 (Times X) 5 = 100GB
In the example you should purchase a 100GB Hard Drive, it is best to buy 2 or more drives oppose to 1. In this case, since 50GB drives do not exist or harder to find, you would buy two 60GB drives giving you a total of 120GB. 2 or more drives are usually needed in a server to configure the proper RAID option, in some cases 3 or more are needed. Your backup storage space should be a minimum capacity of 200GB (or 240GB, optional).
* Determine your memory. If your web server daily traffic goal is 500,000 then I would recommend at least 2GB worth of memory. If it is a shared server, meaning it also has other server services running on the machine, especially a mail server or database server (which is not recommended) then your memory should at least be 3GB or more. Otherwise you can think small and upgrade as needed, a 1GB memory stick should be fine for starters.
* Determine your network components, which NIC card best performs under high traffic levels and which router best performs for your LAN / web server. It is best to get a router which has a built-in firewall (commonly known as a ??hardware firewall??). Your ISP may provide you with a router or hardware firewall, this is how they are able to authorize your traffic on their network. Like a cable box does for cable television. The router also shares your IP address with other clients on your network. This enables you to share your internet connection without having to get a different IP from your ISP. The hardware firewall is simply a router with a built-in firewall, which means it shares your IP address as well as provides added protection to your network. It blocks bad addresses and ports at the forefront, before it can even make it to your computer. It is not recommended to rely only on a hardware firewall for security, this is just the first step. It is recommended to also include a software firewall (firewall software which installs on your computer) and it is recommended to continue timely security practices, such as updating and patching your system on a scheduled routine.
* Determine your processor speed and power. Regardless of the amount of traffic you are expecting I would recommend a dual processor or greater. A dual processor or greater is best because if your website unexpectedly take off then you will be well prepared and if you host other server options or websites on the same server then you will have better performance. At the time of this writing the 64-bit platform is the processor direction. 3.8GHz is the most available speed. If your pockets can afford the latest technologies then that is ideal, but keep in mind at this particular time a 64-bit compatible processor is not necessary, without having many applications that require or deliver on that platform. That is a lot of speed going no where fast. Also, remember the power of the 64-bit platform and the greater the processor speed the more heat it produces, therefore it must be cooled much more rapidly and efficiently. At this time a dual 32-bit, 2.8GHz ?C 3.2GHz processor will suffice (even that is way more than enough). Though, if your pockets can afford it then the latest and greatest would be fine, you will be well prepared. Otherwise, do like most people and upgrade when the time comes.
* Make sure you have a CD/RW drive. A floppy disk drive is not needed, but I do recommend it for making system restore disk. The CD/RW drive is needed because you need some type of removable storage device. You never know when you need to install a driver from a different location??like a ethernet driver. An external CD/RW drive is the best option, especially if you have multiple machines.
* Choose your operating system carefully. Choose the vendor which you are most comfortable with. Do not choose a MAC if you never used a MAC before. Just because your friend suggests it and says it is a piece of cake does not mean it will be for you. You are trying to get a web server online not re-learn a whole new system. Stay focused and grounded. If you are comfortable with Microsoft then go with Microsoft, regardless if the IT person at your job says Microsoft products are unsecure, Linux or Unix is more secure and much better for a web server. If you have never used Linux or (especially) Unix then you will be in for a ride of your life. Your web server experience will soon become a nightmare and you will have wasted thousands of dollars on equipment. Go with what you know, not what you are told. Each platform has its pros and cons: Microsoft is the user-friendly of them all; Mac is the web/graphic developer of them all; Linux is the open-source/developers paradise of them all; Unix is the most secure of them all. Each of them can be tweaked in ways to provide a solid, quality platform, it is best to stick with what you already know.
* You should install on your system all the web services (such as: Apache, IIS, etc.), applications (such as: backup device software, RAID (Array) Manager), scripting languages (such as: PHP, Perl, etc.), CGI, Database (such as: MySQL, Microsoft SQL, etc.), and a web log analyzer (such as: weblog expert, nihuo, etc.). It is also recommended to perform system updates, security patches, and firewall installs and configurations. It is sometimes best to leave the security installs and configurations for after you have the system functioning properly to avoid any uncalculated problems. This way when you install the firewall and something stops working properly like connecting to your website from outside your network, you can troubleshoot assuming that it is the firewall, therefore you would begin by opening port 80 on the firewall. This method can save you a lot of hassle, but can sometimes be considered the unsecure method, especially if you don??t have a hardware firewall already in place.
Next, there are a few things to consider before installing and configuring a server. Where to put it? A secluded, cool location is ideal, but if this cannot be accomplished then adjustments can be made.
Where to put it?
* Locate a location within your home that is static-free, we do not want to put the server on the carpet, near curtains, or anything else that can produce a static reaction. The reason for this is that you do not want the server internal components to receive a static charge and short circuit.
* The location should be a cool environment, preferably below room temperature. The reason for a cool area is because servers (as well as desktop computers) produce large amounts of heat, the more heat it produces the more it needs to cool off. If the server is not kept cool, then this can lead to the server hanging and then eventually crashing. It's the same result of when a car overheats, it stops running. You can keep a server internal components cool by keeping the room cool, additionally you can add more fans to the server which cools the server internal components, you can also position a standalone fan directly at the server back panel and constantly have the fan cool the server internal components. Depending on how cool your room is and how much heat your server produces, getting more fans for your server may be a must and not an option.
* It is suggested that the server is at a higher level within your house (mid-floor), because if it is in the basement and a flood occurs it could ruin it. If it is in the attic and the sun beams on the attic for hours the server could overheat. Mid-floor level is usually the cooler place within the home, but these recommendations is optional and you should put the server in the most comfortable and convenient space following the rest of the guidelines.
* Be sure the area you choose is not damp or wet (no leaks, moisture, near any liquids, or near a window ??especially open??). We all know what can happen when electrical components get wet.
* The server should sit at least 4?? inches from the ground
* Be sure a working electrical outlet is near. It is an important to have a power supply, a good brand is APC. Having a power supply can save you from electrical outages, blackouts, and brownouts. Having a power supply helps the server keep its power, remain stable, and unaffected when there is an outage, as well it protects your server against electrical shock. If your outage remains more than 5 minutes it is recommended to begin backing up anything deemed important and shut the computer down voluntarily as well as any other electrical attached devices.
* Have a LAN line near and also a phone jack (if you plan on using the server for any dial-up services). It is not recommended to use your web service with a dial-up connection. A broadband connection or greater is recommend for optimal performance. The LAN line should never come from your wall and plug directly into your server, it should plug into a hardware firewall (usually a router with a built-in firewall).
* Depending on the size of the server and the internal components the server may be extremely noisy and loud, especially with the fans going. It is suggested to have the server in a secluded location which is not near any peaceful area of the house, such as: bedroom.
Those are all some basic things to consider before hosting your own server. Hosting your own server is not an easy task, but once you have had some time and experience with it, it becomes a breeze. You will have a better web hosting experience, you will be more in tune and reliant to your customers, and you will gain greater technical aptitude. Hosting your own web server is rewarding, useful, and gives you the opportunity to host unlimited websites, databases, services, etc.
If your web traffic becomes too great for your server then it is recommended to choose an offsite web host. It is recommend to purchase a dedicated server with a quality web host. If you choose a server with the above recommendations then your server traffic should be fine for at least up to 25,000,000 page views per month. It could be greater or less depending on your operating system, your server configuration, performance, applications, and services. The point is you should be well in a position to purchase dedicated server space by the time your traffic gets too high, because if you are getting anything close to 1,000,000 page views a month you should have some competitive advertising or ecommerce income. And plus, with the knowledge you will gain from the experience you will be able to support your own server at a dedicated server (remote) location, thus cutting more overhead.
The biggest disadvantage of hosting your own web server is the uptime reliability. If your web server powers down for any reason then your website is offline. Usually web hosting companies have methods and networks to prevent this failure from affecting your website. Usually if the system goes down they have a mirror location where your site is rejuvenated and doesn??t experience much downtime. Some web hosts do not practice this method or any other fault tolerance. Imagine if a blackout or power outage occurs, then your web server could be down for hours or even days, this can affect your business greatly. There are some hosting companies who provide mirror web hosting for a small fee, I haven??t found one that is reliable yet. Or you could cross your fingers and hope for the best, until you are able to host your server outside your home on a larger network.
Hosting your own server usually is not a money-saving experience. It sometimes cost more to host your own server, when you total the up keep and maintenance. The benefit of hosting your own server is usually a better platform for your customers, because it is no longer a shared server and it gives you the ability to make global changes almost instantaneously. When your customers request more performance or specific applications, then you will be able to implement this immediately. Customers like to know that you are in control. If you tell your customers that the server will be down for maintenance from 6 a.m. ?C 7 a.m. then it would be best if that is when your server is down, not from 5 a.m. ?C 10 a.m. You know how your web host will tell you one thing and then you have to try explaining it to your customer. In the end it will benefit you to host your own web server as a web business, this helps you and your customers.
If you answered 'yes' to the questions above, then you may be ready to host your own sites. This article will give you things to consider while making the switch.
When being your own web host you should be technically inclined and have basic knowledge of operating systems, understand technical terms, understand how to setup a server environment (such as: DNS, IIS, Apache, etc.) have basic knowledge of scripting languages and databases (PHP, Perl, MySQL, etc.), be familiar with current technologies, and have a basic understanding of hardware and server components.
You should realize the pros & cons. It is one thing to say, you want to host your own web server and it is another thing to actually do it.
Pros:
* Own sense of responsibility
* Awareness level raised (you are at the frontline of all server happenings)
* No monthly hosting fees/accounts
* Incompetence no longer exist
* Non-shared environment (dedicated server)
* Unlimited websites, databases, content, storage, etc.
* More bandwidth
* No more waiting on someone else time
* Complete control
Cons:
* Exhausting at times
* Faced with server/hardware problems
* ISP business account (monthly business/broadband expense)
* If server goes down then the website is offline
* No technical support team
* Software, hardware, and network expenses
There could be many more pros & cons but I??ve pointed out some of the major ones. Managing a web server starts as a full time job, you must constantly monitor its performance and security. This can sometimes be an exhausting task, especially if you currently have other responsibilities. Though, the control you will have over your website and its performance is rewarding enough. You no longer have to wait for technical support or approval to install a script onto the server. You can have as many websites and databases you want, as long as your hardware can handle it. You no longer have to go into the discussion forums and search for the best web host or rant about how much you hate your current host. You can even begin hosting family & friends personal websites.
Ask yourself, how technically advanced are you? Many times you do not have to be a tech guru or anything of the sort, but you must be very resourceful. You must know how to find resolutions and answers to problems, quickly and efficiently. This means you must be internet savvy. Not just the average surfer, who surfs aimlessly, but you must be the surfer who can always find what they are looking for. This is key, because with any server environment you are going to run into problems and finding the answers are most accomplished online, using multiple resources, search techniques, and engines. Sure you can hire someone to fix your problems, but as we should have learned from the "web hosting", having someone do it for you isn't always the best option. Here is a test to see if you are ready to find solutions. I need a solution to a Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Event Error - "Event ID: 1056?? it??s a DHCP Server Error. How would you search? Go ahead find the solution.
Did you first go to Google? If you did, that was a nice effort and common for most, plus a good place to start, but usually it is best to start at the developers' website. In this case "microsoft.com" would have been the first option. Why? Google would more than likely provide you with the answer from Microsoft and other sources, but you don't want to get inaccurate information from other sources. It is common to get information from Microsoft that would not specifically resolve your problem, but the developer should always be your first place to search for the answers. Now search the error again and go to the Microsoft site and find the solution.
You should had found this link: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282001 (Event ID 1056 is Logged after installing DHCP)
What search phrase did you use? It should have been Event ID: 1056, because the Event ID is the exact error, it pinpoints your exact problem without broadening your search. Sometimes the error description is also appropriate to search, just the error description by itself or in combination with the Event ID. It depends on your error, your search feedback, your ability, and technique. For this example I did not include the error description.
Google or Yahoo! should have been your second option (the two largest search engines). Then search other smaller and niche search engines. A good search site which makes use of Google??s operator tags is www.soople.com. Next you should search within forums and discussion groups. If you are pretty internet savvy and have a plentiful or few forums and discussion groups which you frequent then you might actually visit those places before visiting Google or Yahoo!. You can even visit those before visiting the developer site since it is a trusted source, but I wouldn't recommend it, I still would go to the developers' site first. Okay, so now we have planted our feet and have familiarized ourselves with being internet (search) savvy. We are ready to purchase a server!
When making a server purchase you need to consider a few things before doing so. What to buy? A top of the line, quadruple processor, and super fast turbo server is always ideal, but many times it is not logical or affordable. Therefore, you need to weigh your options (sensibly).
What to buy?
* First determine your budget. Be realistic and expect to spend at least $2,500 for a low-end server. For a low-end, quality server with other needed equipment and services I spent a little over $4,500 easily.
* Determine your ISP (broadband) provider. Research and speak with several different vendors before deciding which broadband solution best suit your needs. Each provider plan is different and has different benefits, determine the best one which fits your needs. Bandwidth should be put into consideration when choosing your ISP.
* A backup device should be purchased before implementing a server install. The backup device should be double the server storage space. This could be a standalone unit like an external hard drive or network storage device or the backup device could be multiple devices such as: backup tapes, disc, etc. The reason the backup device should be larger is because you want to be able to have months worth of backups and not just weekly or monthly backups. You should have at least 24 weeks of backups without the concern of storage space. The backup device or safe deposits should also be external, removable, and portable. This is so the backups can be stored in a remote location. Usually for safe-keeping, in event of a theft or disaster.
* Determine your daily traffic goal (the daily traffic which you hope to see within 1 year ?C be realistic), divide that number by the daily traffic you currently receive, and then multiply that number by 5. That is the total number of GB space you need.
Example:
Daily Traffic Goal: 10,000 (Divided by) Current Daily Traffic: 500 (Times X) 5 = 100GB
In the example you should purchase a 100GB Hard Drive, it is best to buy 2 or more drives oppose to 1. In this case, since 50GB drives do not exist or harder to find, you would buy two 60GB drives giving you a total of 120GB. 2 or more drives are usually needed in a server to configure the proper RAID option, in some cases 3 or more are needed. Your backup storage space should be a minimum capacity of 200GB (or 240GB, optional).
* Determine your memory. If your web server daily traffic goal is 500,000 then I would recommend at least 2GB worth of memory. If it is a shared server, meaning it also has other server services running on the machine, especially a mail server or database server (which is not recommended) then your memory should at least be 3GB or more. Otherwise you can think small and upgrade as needed, a 1GB memory stick should be fine for starters.
* Determine your network components, which NIC card best performs under high traffic levels and which router best performs for your LAN / web server. It is best to get a router which has a built-in firewall (commonly known as a ??hardware firewall??). Your ISP may provide you with a router or hardware firewall, this is how they are able to authorize your traffic on their network. Like a cable box does for cable television. The router also shares your IP address with other clients on your network. This enables you to share your internet connection without having to get a different IP from your ISP. The hardware firewall is simply a router with a built-in firewall, which means it shares your IP address as well as provides added protection to your network. It blocks bad addresses and ports at the forefront, before it can even make it to your computer. It is not recommended to rely only on a hardware firewall for security, this is just the first step. It is recommended to also include a software firewall (firewall software which installs on your computer) and it is recommended to continue timely security practices, such as updating and patching your system on a scheduled routine.
* Determine your processor speed and power. Regardless of the amount of traffic you are expecting I would recommend a dual processor or greater. A dual processor or greater is best because if your website unexpectedly take off then you will be well prepared and if you host other server options or websites on the same server then you will have better performance. At the time of this writing the 64-bit platform is the processor direction. 3.8GHz is the most available speed. If your pockets can afford the latest technologies then that is ideal, but keep in mind at this particular time a 64-bit compatible processor is not necessary, without having many applications that require or deliver on that platform. That is a lot of speed going no where fast. Also, remember the power of the 64-bit platform and the greater the processor speed the more heat it produces, therefore it must be cooled much more rapidly and efficiently. At this time a dual 32-bit, 2.8GHz ?C 3.2GHz processor will suffice (even that is way more than enough). Though, if your pockets can afford it then the latest and greatest would be fine, you will be well prepared. Otherwise, do like most people and upgrade when the time comes.
* Make sure you have a CD/RW drive. A floppy disk drive is not needed, but I do recommend it for making system restore disk. The CD/RW drive is needed because you need some type of removable storage device. You never know when you need to install a driver from a different location??like a ethernet driver. An external CD/RW drive is the best option, especially if you have multiple machines.
* Choose your operating system carefully. Choose the vendor which you are most comfortable with. Do not choose a MAC if you never used a MAC before. Just because your friend suggests it and says it is a piece of cake does not mean it will be for you. You are trying to get a web server online not re-learn a whole new system. Stay focused and grounded. If you are comfortable with Microsoft then go with Microsoft, regardless if the IT person at your job says Microsoft products are unsecure, Linux or Unix is more secure and much better for a web server. If you have never used Linux or (especially) Unix then you will be in for a ride of your life. Your web server experience will soon become a nightmare and you will have wasted thousands of dollars on equipment. Go with what you know, not what you are told. Each platform has its pros and cons: Microsoft is the user-friendly of them all; Mac is the web/graphic developer of them all; Linux is the open-source/developers paradise of them all; Unix is the most secure of them all. Each of them can be tweaked in ways to provide a solid, quality platform, it is best to stick with what you already know.
* You should install on your system all the web services (such as: Apache, IIS, etc.), applications (such as: backup device software, RAID (Array) Manager), scripting languages (such as: PHP, Perl, etc.), CGI, Database (such as: MySQL, Microsoft SQL, etc.), and a web log analyzer (such as: weblog expert, nihuo, etc.). It is also recommended to perform system updates, security patches, and firewall installs and configurations. It is sometimes best to leave the security installs and configurations for after you have the system functioning properly to avoid any uncalculated problems. This way when you install the firewall and something stops working properly like connecting to your website from outside your network, you can troubleshoot assuming that it is the firewall, therefore you would begin by opening port 80 on the firewall. This method can save you a lot of hassle, but can sometimes be considered the unsecure method, especially if you don??t have a hardware firewall already in place.
Next, there are a few things to consider before installing and configuring a server. Where to put it? A secluded, cool location is ideal, but if this cannot be accomplished then adjustments can be made.
Where to put it?
* Locate a location within your home that is static-free, we do not want to put the server on the carpet, near curtains, or anything else that can produce a static reaction. The reason for this is that you do not want the server internal components to receive a static charge and short circuit.
* The location should be a cool environment, preferably below room temperature. The reason for a cool area is because servers (as well as desktop computers) produce large amounts of heat, the more heat it produces the more it needs to cool off. If the server is not kept cool, then this can lead to the server hanging and then eventually crashing. It's the same result of when a car overheats, it stops running. You can keep a server internal components cool by keeping the room cool, additionally you can add more fans to the server which cools the server internal components, you can also position a standalone fan directly at the server back panel and constantly have the fan cool the server internal components. Depending on how cool your room is and how much heat your server produces, getting more fans for your server may be a must and not an option.
* It is suggested that the server is at a higher level within your house (mid-floor), because if it is in the basement and a flood occurs it could ruin it. If it is in the attic and the sun beams on the attic for hours the server could overheat. Mid-floor level is usually the cooler place within the home, but these recommendations is optional and you should put the server in the most comfortable and convenient space following the rest of the guidelines.
* Be sure the area you choose is not damp or wet (no leaks, moisture, near any liquids, or near a window ??especially open??). We all know what can happen when electrical components get wet.
* The server should sit at least 4?? inches from the ground
* Be sure a working electrical outlet is near. It is an important to have a power supply, a good brand is APC. Having a power supply can save you from electrical outages, blackouts, and brownouts. Having a power supply helps the server keep its power, remain stable, and unaffected when there is an outage, as well it protects your server against electrical shock. If your outage remains more than 5 minutes it is recommended to begin backing up anything deemed important and shut the computer down voluntarily as well as any other electrical attached devices.
* Have a LAN line near and also a phone jack (if you plan on using the server for any dial-up services). It is not recommended to use your web service with a dial-up connection. A broadband connection or greater is recommend for optimal performance. The LAN line should never come from your wall and plug directly into your server, it should plug into a hardware firewall (usually a router with a built-in firewall).
* Depending on the size of the server and the internal components the server may be extremely noisy and loud, especially with the fans going. It is suggested to have the server in a secluded location which is not near any peaceful area of the house, such as: bedroom.
Those are all some basic things to consider before hosting your own server. Hosting your own server is not an easy task, but once you have had some time and experience with it, it becomes a breeze. You will have a better web hosting experience, you will be more in tune and reliant to your customers, and you will gain greater technical aptitude. Hosting your own web server is rewarding, useful, and gives you the opportunity to host unlimited websites, databases, services, etc.
If your web traffic becomes too great for your server then it is recommended to choose an offsite web host. It is recommend to purchase a dedicated server with a quality web host. If you choose a server with the above recommendations then your server traffic should be fine for at least up to 25,000,000 page views per month. It could be greater or less depending on your operating system, your server configuration, performance, applications, and services. The point is you should be well in a position to purchase dedicated server space by the time your traffic gets too high, because if you are getting anything close to 1,000,000 page views a month you should have some competitive advertising or ecommerce income. And plus, with the knowledge you will gain from the experience you will be able to support your own server at a dedicated server (remote) location, thus cutting more overhead.
The biggest disadvantage of hosting your own web server is the uptime reliability. If your web server powers down for any reason then your website is offline. Usually web hosting companies have methods and networks to prevent this failure from affecting your website. Usually if the system goes down they have a mirror location where your site is rejuvenated and doesn??t experience much downtime. Some web hosts do not practice this method or any other fault tolerance. Imagine if a blackout or power outage occurs, then your web server could be down for hours or even days, this can affect your business greatly. There are some hosting companies who provide mirror web hosting for a small fee, I haven??t found one that is reliable yet. Or you could cross your fingers and hope for the best, until you are able to host your server outside your home on a larger network.
Hosting your own server usually is not a money-saving experience. It sometimes cost more to host your own server, when you total the up keep and maintenance. The benefit of hosting your own server is usually a better platform for your customers, because it is no longer a shared server and it gives you the ability to make global changes almost instantaneously. When your customers request more performance or specific applications, then you will be able to implement this immediately. Customers like to know that you are in control. If you tell your customers that the server will be down for maintenance from 6 a.m. ?C 7 a.m. then it would be best if that is when your server is down, not from 5 a.m. ?C 10 a.m. You know how your web host will tell you one thing and then you have to try explaining it to your customer. In the end it will benefit you to host your own web server as a web business, this helps you and your customers.
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