The Shared Hosting Checklist

Are you looking to build a website but are working with limited resources?  If so, shared hosting could be the option for you.  This solution is very affordable and can provide you with a number of tools needed to establish yourself on the web.  Before signing yourself into a lengthy service contract, there are many important things you need to know about this environment.  By reading over this checklist, you will be more likely to find a provider that suits your needs and avoid all the pitfalls of shared hosting.

Overselling

Believe it or not, overselling is a common trait in the shared hosting sector.  What this means is that a company is selling more server resources than they have access to.  For instance, if a provider is offering you 10,000 GB of disk space and bandwidth per month, this might be unlikely if they are hosting 10,000 websites on a single server.  This could result in various problems for your site, especially if most of your neighbors as just active as you intend to be.  Although the 500 GB of storage offered by a dedicated host may not sound as attractive as the unlimited offering of a shared provider, it is however, more likely to be true.  In fact, you should keep in mind that unlimited is merely an advertising gimmick whereas 500 GB is generally more than enough bandwidth and storage.

Reselling

Reselling is any easy and affordable way for people like yourself to generate income from the web hosting business.  You sign up with a company, they you provide you with server space and you sell it to customers of your own to make a profit.  Some succeed at this venture while others fail.  Even worse are the fly-by-night resellers that have no intentions on hosting your site.  Instead, they take your money and sensitive files and make off.   If you decide to host with a reseller, do a little research and find out how long they have been doing business.

Support

Customer service is a critical element of web hosting, especially if you are creating your first website.  To make sure you get the benefit of quality support, you should find out if the company has a phone number, email address or live chat.  You can take this one step further by making contact before signing up to judge their response time.  If they take days to reply or blow you off completely, there is no need to waste your time.

Reviews

One way to find yourself a good shared host is to read reviews online.  This should give you a good idea about who you will be dealing with and what to expect.  At the same time, you shouldn’t rely solely on web hosting reviews.  Some could be written by internal sources at a particular company while others could be written by competitors.  If you want helpful reviews, try to get them from somebody you can trust to provide honest opinions.

Status

Every web host had to start somewhere, but it’s always a good idea to sign up with a company that has been in the business for a while.  Several providers have crumbled despite seeming as if they were off to a good start.  By doing business with trusted names with documentation to back up their claims, you can better assure that your experience with shared hosting will be a positive one.

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Nov 24, 2008 : Shared Hosting No responses yet

What You Need in a Dedicated Server

There are a number of options for hosting your site these days.  Do your prefer hosting with Linux or on a Windows platform?  Are you going to create one site or does your business call for multiple domains?  Some options will actually cover several of your hosting needs.  However, if you’re planning to run a database driven operation or simply need more control over the hardware itself, you would be more suited for a dedicated server.

Similar to conventional hosting, a dedicated server is leased to you by a web host.  Instead of sharing server space and resources with other clients, the machine is dedicated exclusively to the needs of your business.  This gives you complete control over server administration along with all the software configurations.  With an entire server to work with, you can create a powerful web presence without concern of the issues associated with shared hosting.

To assist in your mission of acquiring a dedicated server, we have listed a few essentials that need to be considered when looking for a host.

Operating Systems: The platform you choose to run plays a tremendous role for many reasons.  First of all, you must have some level of experience with the software in order to administer the server.  It will also determine just what software applications you are able to incorporate.

Windows NT is one of the most popular and generally the most expensive solution.  This software is very comprehensive as it brings a look and feel from the Windows desktop environment to a server platform.  Linux is another option, not as well known and a bit more complex.  Many experienced webmasters prefer the flexibility and stability of Linux.

Bandwidth: With your own server, disk storage shouldn’t be much of an issue.  However, you still need to be concerned about the amount of transfer.  Dedicated server hosts generally provide a certain amount of bandwidth every month.  You certainly need to make sure its enough to compensate for the traffic of your business.  The good thing is that most companies allow you to purchase higher levels on demand.

Backup and Restoration: A reliable backup solution is vital in any web hosting environment.  Because manually backing up your data can be a hassle, you should look for a host that offers an automatic backup solution.  This might cost a little extra but the convenience is well worth it, especially if something out of the ordinary should occur.

Monitoring: Since you are leasing the dedicated server, you do not have the ability to physically watch over it.  This is why you should invest into a company that provides constant monitoring of their equipment to ensure that your site is always functioning.  Do some investigating to find out approximately how frequently they monitor the equipment and then ask how they go about handling issues when they are detected.

Automated Tools: Maintaining your own server takes far more knowledge than managing a shared hosting account.  At the same time, you don’t have to be a technical genius to enjoy the benefits of dedicated server hosting.  A host that offers some type of automated system can make the task much easier.

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Nov 17, 2008 : Dedicated Servers No responses yet

The Essentials of Colocation

With internet traffic at an all time high, online businesses are scrambling for ways to cut operational costs.  For those who thrive from this traffic, most of these efforts have been placed on reducing bandwidth costs, and essentially the price for their hosting plan.  When the shared environment is no longer sufficient and the dedicated server runs out space, many business owners make the move to colocation hosting.

What is Colocation Hosting?

Colocation describes a hosting environment where the webmaster moves their operation to an offsite facility.  They provide a server and other equipment to an outside company who houses it in their data center for a fee.  The company makes sure the client has internet connectivity and secures all of the hardware by doing so.  This is a great option for the flourishing online business that has grown to a point where it can no longer manage an in-house operation.

If colocation hosting sounds like the right move for your business, you should make yourself familiar with the essential components needed to make it a success.

Operating Systems

When it comes to network operating systems there are several to choose from.  Two of the most popular solutions are Linux and Windows NT.  Linux is a viable option for the demanding network setting.  While it is certainly more complex than other systems, it is also more secure.  Linux runs efficiently on almost any type of hardware and is less susceptible to malware infection.  Although it’s not as comprehensive, experienced administrators love the superior functionality as Linux permits access to the kernel’s source code.

NT is extremely popular and distinguishes itself by bringing the traditional Windows interface to the network server environment.  This system is easy to use, allowing administrators to operate the server with a simple point-and-click method.  In addition to the comprehensive interface, NT is the perfect environment for third-party software with database access to systems like MS Access, DB2, Oracle and MSSQL.

Server Hardware

The server hardware you choose for colocation hosting is just as important as the operating system.  Three of the most widely used platforms are Cobalt, Intel and Sun.  Perfect for the webmaster managing multiple sites, Cobalt has become extremely popular in the server hardware arena.  Developed by Sun Microsystems, Cobalt offers great performance out of the box.

Sun has built a reputation on fast and efficient hardware.  It is a bit more stable than Cobalt and highly recommended for high traffic sites.  Intel isn’t too far off with reliable equipment that is typically more affordable to the average administrator.

Networking

After squaring away your OS and hardware, you must then choose an NIC (network interface card).  There are a number of networking cards on the market, but all are not sufficient.  Since this is what will enable an internet connection, we recommend staying away from cheap, off-brand products.  You can save a lot of money in the long run and prevent downtime by investing in a reliable NIC capable of supporting your network activity.

Memory & Hard Drives

The amount of how much memory and hard drive speed your server requires will vary.  For memory, we recommend going with at least 256 of MB.  Hard drives often come in various speeds from 5400 to 15, 000 RPM.  Needless to say, the more memory you purchase, the more web pages you can store; the faster your hard drive, the faster your server can access data.

Regardless of how many times you’ve heard it, the first step is always to determine your individual hosting needs.  Jot down a few essentials and take note when a colocation provider delivers their sales pitch.  Without sticking to your guns, you may invest in aggressively marketed items that serve no benefits to your cause.

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Nov 10, 2008 : Colocation Hosting No responses yet

Advantages and Disadvantages of Colocation

The term colocation (co-location) is increasingly being used in the web hosting industry.  So what’s the big idea?  It’s simple - convenience, less maintenance and more control over your web server’s configurations.  By storing your system in a large, well maintained facility, you can gain access to greater transfer and other features that would ordinarily be far too expensive to manage in the typical office setting.

As it often goes with most things, there is an upside and a downside to colocation hosting.  In this article we will overview this popular service and try to determine if the positives outweigh the negatives.

Advantages

The biggest advantage of colocation is the cost of bandwidth and associated resources.  Most of these facilities maintain redundant systems and multiple backbones to enable incredibly fast internet connections.  This offers a vast amount of potential bandwidth at a price that is generally determined by the actual amount used.  In most cases, the monthly fee for a colocation service is significantly cheaper than a dedicated Tier 1 line.

Unlike the managed environment, you actually own all the hardware and software components in the data center.  If the server becomes insufficient for your company’s growth, you can then visit the colocation facility and make the needed upgrades.  The luxury of installing your own software frees you of the predefined set of applications provided by a conventional web host.  If you feel that your business requires Windows NT instead of the Linux operating system, simply purchase the software and install it on your server.

Another benefit of colocation hosting is that such providers usually offer better protection against power outages.  Redundant backup generators, power sources and internet backbones help companies offer uptime guarantees of 99% and higher.  Colocation providers often keep an inventory of spare components on hand along with a team of professionals capable of making timely replacements.

Disadvantages

The biggest drawback to colocation is perhaps that a center that’s both reliable and convenient is hard to find.  If you have a staff of your own to manage the systems, you want to find a facility that is relatively close to your business to reduce travel time when upgrades need to be made.  Colocation centers are often located in bigger cities in the vicinity of major network hubs.  This is a factor that somewhat limits geographic options.

The most obvious disadvantage is that colocation is more expensive that managed hosting.  This is attributed to the cost of purchasing or leasing software and hardware components along with the actual space you’re renting.  Additional fees may also apply when your staff needs to perform maintenance.

Is Colocation the Move for You?

Even a small business that experiences a high volume of traffic can survive with managed hosting.  With the right company, this solution can be affordable and reliable.  A larger corporation might find it more cost-efficient to move their in-house operation to an offsite data center, preferably with an experienced IT staff and a well designed facility.  For a number of mid-level businesses, colocation is a solution that compromises between leasing a dedicated server and owning a costly data facility.

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Nov 03, 2008 : Colocation Hosting No responses yet

The Two Sides of Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the most cost effective way to get a website of your own, thus the main reason why it is so popular among personal users and small to medium sized businesses.  So why is shared hosting so affordable?  It’s rather simple.  Multiple users are hosting their sites on the web server and essentially sharing the costs.  Despite the convenience and cost-efficiency, shared hosting often gets a bad rap.  In this article we will share some of the concerns and cover the advantages and disadvantages that come along with the shared server.

The Good Side

Not only is shared hosting more affordable, it also enables the easy management of your website.  Unlike a dedicated hosting environment, you don’t have to worry about the technical challenges associated with maintaining the server which generally includes updating the operating system, installing software and other tasks.  This is all handled by the web hosting company who basically gives you a pre-installed platform already configured for client-side management.

The Bad Side

The factor that makes shared hosting so great is the very thing that presents drawbacks.  The nature of this environment can result in problems to every site hosted on the server.  Even if one site on the machine experiences a sudden burst in traffic or makes a critical scripting error, the available resources of every other user could be impacted to a point where their sites become incredibly slow or completely inaccessible. While this is very inconvenient for someone trying to run a successful business, reliable hosts constantly monitor the performance of their web servers for such problems.  This gives them the ability to quickly address issues by temporarily shutting down the machine and performing the required maintenance.

Another disadvantage of shared hosting relates to the limitations you are forced to endure.  What you get is what you get, which is generally a certain amount of bandwidth and disk space, databases, scripting languages and a couple of pre-installed software applications.  So what happens when you want to utilize a particular script or program that is not available on the server?  Nothing.  You simply miss out.   This can present numerous problems as the average shared host simply cannot structure their service to benefit a single user.  When coupling the fact that so many providers are overselling their service with unlimited this and unlimited that, you have a situation that may not be worth the incredibly low price after all.

The Determining Factor

In the end, a reputable shared hosting company is really all that matters.  When doing business with a company that has established a proven track record, you can host your site in confidence and cater to thousands of visitors everyday.  In order to ensure a smooth performance, we suggest looking into a provider and finding out about how many sites they a running on a single server.  Additionally, you should look for signs of reliability in the form of a respectable uptime and customer support in case something does go wrong.  If everything is intact, you can enjoy all the benefits of an economical web hosting service without much worry about performance and security issues.

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Oct 29, 2008 : Shared Hosting No responses yet