questions about web hosting- im so confused

[skullshivers]

when i ask someone to recommend a web hosting service to me they always seem to recommend someone with stats somewhat like ->THIS<-.

when i surf around and do comparison shopping i easily find much better bargains with BETTER stats ->THIS<- and ->THIS<- and ->THIS<- and .. well you get the point

ok what the hell is going on? why do people recommend the web hosts with higher prices and fewer perks? what vital bit of information am i missing? how can the more expensive guys stay in business when there are plans out there that quadruple the stuff you get at half the price? and why do the expensive guys get RECOMMENDED?!?!

help!

 

[kermalou]

all i will say is one word/one person:

ROSSMAN


he will be here shortly to the rescue

 

[ggavinmoss]

Originally posted by: kermalou
all i will say is one word/one person:

ROSSMAN


he will be here shortly to the rescue

I've always suspected that RossMAN was a bot that scanned for threads with the keywords "web hosting", "canon", "free", and "quizno's".

-geoff

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: ggavinmoss

Originally posted by: kermalou
all i will say is one word/one person:

ROSSMAN


he will be here shortly to the rescue

I've always suspected that RossMAN was a bot that scanned for threads with the keywords "web hosting", "canon", "free", and "quizno's".

-geoff

She is a bot

 

[Nocturnal]

Definately take heed to RossMan's advice. I'd take his advice over any web advertisement.

I'm currently with www.dathorn.com, $13.95 a month, 2 gigs space, and 30 gigs of transfer space. He informed me of their deal and I signed up without a blink. However, since then, which was almost a year ago, he has come across many new hosting deals that can be had for lower than $13.95.

 

[RossMAN]

skullshivers,

I doubt I can help you since you seem to be more concerned with bargain prices rather than quality web hosting at a reasonable price.

1) What is your realistic monthly budget?
2) Do you need Linux or Windows web hosting?
3) How much resources (disk space/bandwidth) would you like?
4) Would you please PM me with your AIM/MSN

 

[Mucman]

I love how people think that diskspace and bandwidth is what it's all about. Where I work we are pricier than the competition (if you are comparing data transfer and disk space), but what you get are solid servers, knowledgeable support (like me), installed 3rd part components, etc...

 

[skullshivers]

I doubt I can help you since you seem to be more concerned with bargain prices rather than quality web hosting at a reasonable price.

im not as concerned about the price as much as you might think. what my question boils down to is: what makes "quality web hosting". what is the difference between the cheap guys and the expensive guys. and by your reply im assuming that you consider yourself a "quality" web host. why? whats the difference between you and the other guys?

just so you all know.. ive been using geocities for a while now(its free what can i say)
but i wanted to make a site for my little boy's baby pics and maybe other things. so i AM in the market but i need the above questions answered before i choose a host.

 

[Mucman]

Originally posted by: skullshivers

I doubt I can help you since you seem to be more concerned with bargain prices rather than quality web hosting at a reasonable price.

im not as concerned about the price as much as you might think. what my question boils down to is: what makes "quality web hosting". what is the difference between the cheap guys and the expensive guys. and by your reply im assuming that you consider yourself a "quality" web host. why? whats the difference between you and the other guys?

just so you all know.. ive been using geocities for a while now(its free what can i say)
but i wanted to make a site for my little boy's baby pics and maybe other things. so i AM in the market but i need the above questions answered before i choose a host.

Ahh, so if all you are doing is pic hosting, then anything php enabled (so you can setup gallery) is all you need. Go for whatever gives you the most diskspace, and data transfer for the buck then. Where I work, we cater to business orientated clients, who have much different needs than you.

 

[skullshivers]

oh sorry .. guess i didnt specify before

im just looking for web space for a personal site. the space, transfer, price, etc are not set in stone.


and if there is such a thing as a "quality web host" then id be glad to pay a few dollars a month more. but as of yet no1 has been able to tell me what "quality" means.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: skullshivers

I doubt I can help you since you seem to be more concerned with bargain prices rather than quality web hosting at a reasonable price.

im not as concerned about the price as much as you might think. what my question boils down to is: what makes "quality web hosting". what is the difference between the cheap guys and the expensive guys. and by your reply im assuming that you consider yourself a "quality" web host. why? whats the difference between you and the other guys?

just so you all know.. ive been using geocities for a while now(its free what can i say)
but i wanted to make a site for my little boy's baby pics and maybe other things. so i AM in the market but i need the above questions answered before i choose a host.

I would never recommend my own web hosting for you or any other AT'er because I am in the market to make a profit. Just to give you an idea of why I would never recommend myself to you. My smallest web hosting plan is 50MB disk space, 500MB bandwidth with FTP/email and NO CONTROL PANEL access for $9.95/mo

I do host a few AT'ers web sites (such as ZimHosein.com) for free.

There are a lot of factors which distinguish a quality web host provider compared to a 14 year old running a "web hosting business" after they get home from high school just before night time. What if your "web host' gets grounded or his PC crashes? Sure you are paying $5/mo for tons of resources but why subject yourself to being cramped on an oversold Celeron server at RackShack?

1) What is your realistic monthly budget?
2) Do you need Linux or Windows web hosting?
3) How much resources (disk space/bandwidth) would you like?
4) Would you please PM me with your AIM/MSN?

 

[RossMAN]

skullshivers - Do you have AIM or MSN?

I know of a web host who is offering a special, they might be PERFECT for your needs.

 

[Mucman]

A quality webhost provides as close to 100% uptime as possible. That's the short answer... the long answer is a host who can provide close to 100% uptime when not just supporting static HTML . The more components offered, the more difficult it is to provide this. I could probably guarantee 100% if all I allowed was .html and pictures on the server

 

[skullshivers]

A quality webhost provides as close to 100% uptime as possible. That's the short answer... the long answer is a host who can provide close to 100% uptime when not just supporting static HTML . The more components offered, the more difficult it is to provide this. I could probably guarantee 100% if all I allowed was .html and pictures on the server

oh my baby jesus! that is probably the first straight answer ive got. thanks!

two more questions (im full of em arent i? well... im full of something lol)

im running win XP. can i use a unix/linux host? what are the pros/cons of windows hosting vs unix/linux?

 

[replicator]

So many webhosts out there.

I've had some good experiences with www.ehosting.ca (used to be called mecca), based on B.C. Canada.

Really fast tech support, and best of all, they are cheap and you can choose between Unix and NT hosting (ASP .NET) at no extra charge.

Their startup plan is 5.95 per month Canadian. That means like 4 bucks US! They don't charge by bandwidth, and is stated as unlimited. Have 4 domains hosted by them for over 4 years.

They are a tucows affiliate, and I believe serve as a mirror for them.

(btw, I have no other affiliation with them, just a satisfied customer. I also use 1and1 and westhost)


Only criticism I have and should mention is that although a database (mysql, access, sql server) is offered, it costs an additional $6 canadian per month. And they've added a setup cost of 15 bucks, which they never had. Also they don't offer as much webspace as some other hosts, but it is one reason why they don't charge for bandwidth.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: skullshivers

A quality webhost provides as close to 100% uptime as possible. That's the short answer... the long answer is a host who can provide close to 100% uptime when not just supporting static HTML . The more components offered, the more difficult it is to provide this. I could probably guarantee 100% if all I allowed was .html and pictures on the server

oh my baby jesus! that is probably the first straight answer ive got. thanks!

two more questions (im full of em arent i? well... im full of something lol)

im running win XP. can i use a unix/linux host? what are the pros/cons of windows hosting vs unix/linux?

Yes you can and should use a Linux web host.

A Windows web host usually uses ASP programming language. I'd say the majority of the internet uses Linux (Apache).

 

[RossMAN]

Also most web hosts offer a control panel such as cPanel (cpdemo/cpdemo).

 

[DeviousTrap]

I think that Mucman basically said it all... Genereally the consensis is that the hosts who charge more are the ones that provide the superior service, in areas such uptime and support. One thing you should make sure to aviod is any host that offers unlimited bandwidth or space.... it does not exist. If you are looking for a happy medium I would suggest http://www.hostspace.us, it is a fairly new company but I know the owner very well, and he is definatly commitied to his business (if you choose them, let then know that DeviousTrap sent you... you might just get special treatment )

 

[Kenazo]

just curious, but do you have a DSL or cable connection? If you do, why not host yourself using Apache? Of course you need an always on connection, and a computer that is always on, but it might be a cost effective solution.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Kenazo
just curious, but do you have a DSL or cable connection? If you do, why not host yourself using Apache? Of course you need an always on connection, and a computer that is always on, but it might be a cost effective solution.

Good suggestion and a web site I would recommend is DSLWebserver.com

 

[Kenazo]

good page! I was looking for a guide to setting up PHP. I've wanted to get a gallery going, but didn't know how to get PHP working and had yet to find a good guide.

 

[DeviousTrap]

Originally posted by: Kenazo
just curious, but do you have a DSL or cable connection? If you do, why not host yourself using Apache? Of course you need an always on connection, and a computer that is always on, but it might be a cost effective solution.

I have to disagree with that suggestion. First of all most DSL and Cable providers do not allow this in their TOS, so you might want to check that first. Secondly, you can't guarentee good uptime as well as speed. If more than 2 or 3 people are online, especially is looking at pictures / videos, your website will slow down to a crawl as well as you internet access (you online from home.) Especially since you can easy get a $5 account at a few hosts that will serve your purpose I don't think it is worth it.