Web Hosting Articles & Tutorials

What to Consider when Selecting a Control Panel

What is it that sells a web hosting package? The answer is simple - features. One of the most important features of all is the control panel. Every web host has their own preference when it comes to control panels. What is key is finding one that suits you best? Let us take a closer look at the unique features to the most commonly utilized control panels.

A control panel is a program that provides a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to enables quick and easy access to the features of your website. Many of them grant access to critical functions such email configurations, website statistics, database management, server log views and much more. While there are many control panels available, this article will focus on the big four: cPanel, Plesk, Ensim and vDeck. Almost all shared hosting providers offer one of these four control panels.

cPanel

cPanel is the most widely used control panel application on the market. Several web hosts implement this control panel, with the exception of those looking to cut cost. Though more expensive, cPanel is highly effective as it allows customization of all available features and add-on modules provided by the web host. Additionally, cPanel includes a skin feature preferred by hosts and users, allowing them to customize the overall appearance of the control panel.

Recent versions of cPanel have become more user-friendly as complexity was an issue with previous programs. While this control panel will provide the functionality to make your site stand out, you can save money by residing with a web host using a more affordable solution such as Plesk, Ensim or vDeck. You should also take note that cPanel may include more bugs than other solutions.

Plesk

Plesk is another control panel geared towards the budgeting webmaster. This program has established a reputation for it’s user-friendliness and stability. This comes in handy when tending to important tasks that can’t afford to be interrupted. The downside of Plesk is that it lacks various features when compared to other control panel solutions. If your website involves E-commerce and requires several add-on modules, cPanel maybe a better option.

Ensim

The Ensim control panel is better suited for the webmaster on a strict budget. This program is known to contain less bugs than cPanel but isn’t as easy to use for beginners. If you do take interest in a web host using the Ensim control panel, be sure to compare it with the cost of a host offering cPanel as there should be a noticeable difference.

vDeck

vDeck will soon be releasing it’s third edition and is slowing catching on as a reliable control panel. Many users deem this program as the perfect alternative to solutions like cPanel and Plesk. Some of its features include pre-installed professionally designed templates, a comprehensive web statistics program, a content management function and various advertising services. vDeck is more in-depth and has more of professional feel than cPanel as it offers a complete website management system for both small and large businesses. While vDeck is better suited for experts opposed to beginners just starting out with their first site, version 2 was more intuitive and version 3 promises to be even easier to use.

Whether it’s cPanel, Plesk, Ensim or vDeck, all of these control panels will provide the tools needed to make your website flourish. The issues with these solutions boil down to price and ease of use. Before purchasing a web hosting service, inquire within the provider to learn exactly what control panel they offer.

Choosing the Right Control Panel

After all that has been covered so far, you may eventually feel the need to switch to the services of a new web host. If this is the case, I highly recommend finding one that supports the same control panel that you used previously. This will save you the headache of having to learn a totally new application which minimizes the downtime of your business.

One of the best ways to determine if a web hosting service is right for you is to access and familiarize yourself with their control panel. As mentioned earlier, many hosts will have a demo that you can test out. If you do not know how to control the features of your site, paying for what would otherwise be a quality service could up being a complete waste of time and money. 

Most of the control panels supplied by a web host are fairly easy to manage. If not, help is always available online. Tutorials for popular software such as cPanel and Plesk can be easily found on various websites. In most cases this help can be accessed directly from your control panel. 

Every web host provides you with some type of control panel, regardless of how capable it may be to the cause. If your site is visited frequently and requires regular updates, the control panel can be a feature you greatly appreciate, or a bothersome application that offers frustration rather than assistance. Pay attention to this feature as it is the brains behind the operation. Everything that needs to take place happens here. If a web host does not offer a control panel that includes extensive features then I highly recommend seeking service elsewhere. 

Resources for Control Panels 

Most of the control panels available today come pre-installed within the web hosting server. Some hosts have taken the liberty to supply applications that are exclusive to their service and others offer solutions purchased through third-party developers. 

We will end this chapter by providing you with a comprehensive list of control panels that are currently active from free software to those used by popular web hosts such as Linux and Windows:

Open-Source Control Panels

• AlternC
• ASM (Account Services Manager)
• DTC (Domain Technology Control)
• ISPConfig
• ISPcp Omega
• RavenCore
• SysCP
• VHCS
• VishwaKarma
• web-cp
• Webmin
• Zpanel
• GNUPanel

Control Panels for Linux Web Hosting

• Alabanza
• Commercial Matrix
• Confixx
• cPanel
• CP Plus
• DirectAdmin
• HostFlow
• HSPComplete
• iBiz Panel
• Interworx
• Lxadmin
• vDeck
• xPanel
• ZOMOS
• ISP Manager

Control Panels for Windows Web Hosting

• CWIPanel
• DotNetPanel
• Helm
• HostingAccelerator
• InsPanel

Control Panel Features

As you can see, the control panels is one of the most important features that comes along with quality web hosting. Administrative power and the results of your website can be enhanced or limited depending on the strength of the control panel. When looking into the capability of a control panel, here are a few of the important features a user should look out for:

Spam Regulation - Let us begin with an area that goes hand and hand with the security of your website - spam protection. We all want to operate in a peaceful environment but that just isn’t reality. This also holds true on the internet. Users must be aware that there are numerous intruders constantly roaming the web looking to advertise their products and others with more harmful intent. If your email address is posted somewhere on the web, please believe that one of these spiders will find it and commence to liter it with spam.

Knowing the inevitable trends of the web, several hosts now offer spam filtering software to regulate a user’s inbox. To be honest, many individuals that fall into the category of spammers have good will with their annoying messages. In many cases this may be a decent person that actually has a very marketable product they wish to promote. The bad part is that they are going at it all wrong. If this sounds similar to your plan then you need to be forewarned. Several web host providers have strict rules about sending out spam on their servers. Finding a host that does not monitor this sort of activity is nearly impossible. My advice is to design a quality website with captivating content and do your best to market it. 

Web Statistic Programs

This next area we will cover is very attractive to the webmaster who wants access to every little detail. Though terribly underrated, the statistics of your website are a very vital to its lifeline. I am not referring to uptime so much as I am to keeping a steady flow of traffic and returning clients. 

Here are just a few of the many benefits that come along with having a quality web statistic program built into your control panel:

• Users will be able to find out exactly who visited their website. This can be done by viewing the visitor’s IP address to get a good idea of where they are located

• Users will know what pages the visitor viewed on the website

• Users will know where the visitor came from and how they stumbled upon the website. You will know if they were referred from another site or if they found it through resources like a search engine

• Users will also know the estimated time of a visitor’s stay on the website

When studying your control panel, you will learn that there is an exclusive terminology that comes along with most web stat applications. If you do not know what these features mean, having them can seem pointless. Below we have compiled a mini-glossary to help become more familiar with the common terms of web statistics:

Visits - This shows a user the total number of visits that pertain to a certain time period. This could end up being one thousand visits per day from a single web surfer. 

Unique Visits - Unique Visits differ from the typical surfer in this category. If a single visitor mentioned above came to your site one thousand times in a single day then it would only calculate to one in the Unique Visits area.

Page Views - This will display the number of times the pages of your website have been viewed. Uniqueness is ignored in this category. 

Hits - Every request to the server qualifies as a hit. Here is a perfect example: If a web page contains 10 images on it, there will be 10 hits or more per view of that page. 

Bookmarks - This area refers to visitors who were linked to your site through a bookmark stored in their “favorites”. 

Direct Address - This area refers to visitors who were linked to your site by manually tying the URL into a browser bar.

Referrer and Referral URL - This category displays the URL of which a visitor trailed a link that brought them to your site. This is a great tool for checking up on affiliates and learning just who kept their word and created a link back to your site. 

Common Web Stat Applications 

Control panels on the market today come with many different programs. The cPanel actually comes with several of them. These web stat applications range from basic features to thorough functions strong enough to manage high powered corporations. Here are some the most popular programs that should be able to meet many of your needs on a basic and business scale:

Webalizer - You are sure to find this with many web hosting control panels. Webalizer is quite common yet very exceptional in the way of function. This program displays numerical data and attractive graphics. It details action on hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly time frames. Users may also stay up to date with high ranking referrers and learn the most popular keywords visitors used to find the site.

AWStats - This program goes beyond the functions of Webalizer with an interface that appeals to professional users. Some of the features include the statistics for unique visitors, enhanced search engine evaluation, accurate duration of visits and much more. AWStats happens be one of the best applications that can be used for web statistics. 

Urchin - The last program we will cover has very attractive features but is a bit on the steep side. Try an average licensing fee of around one thousand dollars! This comes at the expensive of the web host who will certainly tack on a few extra bucks for the service. This very capable web stat program is more geared for successful companies who have their budget intact.

Other Notable Control Panel Features

A quality control panel will give a user complete authority over their website. Here a few more features that can help boost the rating of a web hosting service:

Account Information - Users have easy access to account information. In this area contact info can be updated such as passwords used to login into the control panel. 

Domain Manager - This is a very handy function that eliminates the need of surfing the net for a domain name. Many web hosts come available with a domain manager that is found within the control panel. In this section you can actually purchase a domain name from the web host, renew a domain and also edit and register it on their DNS server.

Site Support - We stressed the importance of selecting a web host that offers solid support. Information on contacting the help team is located in the control panel of your server. This is where you will find an email address for a representative or a support ticket to address any questions or concerns you may have about the service.

Network Status - This area of the control panel will identify issues concerning your network. If you are enduring performance issues with your website, this is the place to go. There is a great chance that you will find the problems listed there.

FTP Control - Here you will be able to manage all of your FTP accounts to ensure that your files are transferred correctly. A quality control panel allows you to modify an FTP login screen and also eliminate sessions. 

Site Tools - This is the section that needs to be the most extensive. Site tools for your control panels should include the following:

• Site protectors such as the .htaccess file

• The ability to install and remove FrontPage extensions

• The ability to change FrontPage passwords

• The ability to create custom error pages and handle redirects

• The ability to edit MIME Types

• The ability to support and modify Apache handlers

• A search engine submission tool to enhance the ranking of your website

Advanced Tools - These are the essentials that not only enhance the appearance of your website but keep it secure as well. The control panel of a good web host should come with access to an SSH server and permit users to manage PGP keys.

Control Panels Rating

As you have learned, what truly makes a capable web host are the features offered. The company that wins your service needs to provide everything that is required to make your website standout in amongst the endless sea of millions. They must have a substantial amount of disk space and bandwidth, whether the server is being shared or not. The web host needs to have a solid support system to aid you when editing becomes confusing. Another crucial feature you will need is a control panel, the central headquarters of your website. 

A control panel is an essential element of any hosting plan; without it, your website will probably look rather bland and unattractive. These applications give a user access to all the wonderful features advertised by a web host, the factors that were influential to your overall interest. 

The control panel gives a user administrative power, allowing them complete authority of the website whether it’s with designs or managing files and accounts. Here are a few other common denominators related to a control panel:

• Users can view visitor statistic by using state of the art web analyzing software

• Users can view details on how much disk space and bandwidth is available

• Users have access to a file manager

• Users can setup email accounts

• Users can manage the database

• Users can maintain use of FTP accounts

• Users have access to logs on the server

While they all have the same basic functions, different control panels will grant a user different administrative powers; some applications are more capable than others. Some control panels also function better with certain web hosting platforms, where they may be exclusive to that service. A few of them integrate well with both Linux and Windows. Several of the popular control panels that are being advertised on a web hosting server may include cPanel, Ensim, Plesk, Sphera, Hostopia and VDeck among others. All of these applications have a different look and feel to them, catering to the needs of specific users. The most significant difference is of course the hosting platform they are integrated with. 

Regardless of your experience, a control panel may take some practice before a user completely masters it. This is true with most new software. Some control panels are very user friendly and are simple to figure out after playing with the interface for a while. Others are more capable in the way of functions but require significant levels of practice. Accessing the needs of your website is a factor that will certainly come into play when it’s time to choose the web host with the right control panel. 

When it comes to quality paid web hosting, cPanel and Plesk are the two control panels used the most; another case of Linux versus Windows. These two applications are very similar yet diverse at the same time. Individuals that work with Plesk seem to enjoy its simplicity, while users operating cPanel admire the extreme capability.

A few companies have found a way to benefit from the perks of both programs by combining the power of cPanel and Plesk. One such company is iPower Inc. They have successfully designed an application that has swayed users of both cPanel and Plesk. iPower Inc. calls this innovation vDeck, a control panel that only a few web hosting companies have access to. 

Let us now go over the functions of cPanel, Plesk and a few other control panels and describe how they can help to power a website:

cPanel - The cPanel application was designed with end users in mind. This program enables them to administer everything from adding and removing content to managing any kind of SQL database. cPanel is mostly found within servers on a Linux based web hosting platform. Some of the vendors include Red Hat and many more Linux distributors. Users will find cPanel to be a very clean interface with several options and exceptional features. After settling in behind the controls, you will understand why cPanel is the number one used control panel on the market today. Some web hosting companies will even allow users to play with a demo version and take a test drive before signing up for service.

Global Rating: 5 Stars 

As of now cPanel is not available for Windows or Mac X operating systems. Though it has a few worthy competitors, matching the capability has been a tall task for any other control panel. 

Plesk - cPanel’s most comparable rival is Plesk. This control panel program is available for hosting servers operating on both Linux and Windows. This form of compatibility actually gives them a slight advantage over the cPanel application. The interface found on Plesk resembles the functions of Windows XP. It consists of soft colors and plentiful icons that make for easy navigation that works wonders for overall presentation. Plesk also is equipped with many of the basic features found with cPanel.

Global Rating: 4 Stars

H-Sphere - This is another very capable control panel that you will find with many web hosts. H-Sphere is a product created by Positive Software that also supports both the Linux and Windows operating system. This program has many favorable features that allow users to manage a website. Though it will certainly get the job done, H-Sphere is somewhat inferior when compared to cPanel or Plesk. The user interface leaves a bit to be desired but is manageable for the most part. I look for this application to improve with future versions in order to compete with the two most popular brands.

Global Rating: 4 Stars

Ensim - Here is another handy control panel that is liable to meet your needs. Ensim comes with the many great features and is able to support Linux and Windows as well. The interface on this application is suitable for almost any web hosting platform, making it a very manageable control panel. 

Global Rating: 4 Stars

DirectAdmin - Clever name for this next web hosting component. The people who created DirectAdmin say its control panel is the most easy to use, compared to all other brands on the market. The features they advertise are rather extensive yet are merely the same ones you would find on cPanel or Plesk. Similar to cPanel, DirectAdmin is only available on a few Linux web hosting platforms and has not adapted to the Windows operating system yet. The interface holds true to its ease of use but still lacks a bit in comparison to the two top names. 

Global Rating: 4 Stars

Interworx - Here is another control panel exclusive to Linux hosting. Don’t worry yourself about this fact; there are plenty of quality Linux web servers available to you. You will not find many flaws at all in this program. This interface makes for easy management and is very capable of ascending a user’s skill to the level of webmaster. One of their most attractive features is a neat little function called “Snapshot.” This gives a user access to a chart to view the process of upstreaming and downstreaming. I would say that aside from it’s inability to support Windows, Interworx is just a step above Plesk and knocking on the door of cPanel. 

Global Rating: 5 Stars

Helm - We have covered a variety of control panels, many of them exclusive to the Linux hosting platform. Let us now look at one dedicated to the Windows server. Helm is a control panel with a huge list of features and backs them up with an easy to manage interface. One great area of control is that users can view billing information with a few simple clicks and have easy access to email and other functions. 

Global Rating: 4 Stars

Hosting Accelerator - We’re on a roll with another control panel that caters to the Windows operating system. In truth, this control panel lacks a few of the key features found in the applications mentioned above. This is because the interface is much too cluttered and can be rather confusing. Having everything right in your face may be a plus for an experienced webmaster but can also be a turn off for someone new to hosting. 

Global Rating: 3 Stars

InsPanel - Here we are again with another control panel that powers a Windows web server. I would rate this as a very worthy service. The software comes with many capable features, but after evaluating the competition none of them really stand out. On the other hand, this control panel is put together rather nicely which makes it a fairly decent product. 

Global Rating: 4 Stars

CWIPanel - This company speaks very highly of their control panel. In actuality the look and feel is very similar to the other Windows based applications. One downside was the fact that no demo was offered to test out the software. Other than that, it seems to be a very worthy control panel. 

Global Rating: 3.5 Stars