Forum Moderators: phranque
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1.) Do you need Linux or Windows?
If you absolutely are enslaved to use ASP or *cough* other OS-dependent technologies then you'll need to use *clicks cancel button at the win95 login for the comp user next to him* a Windows server.
If you're not working for a mind enslaved to the idea that Microsoft knows all *cough* standards *cough* then make sure your host is using LINUX.
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2.) Any computer can be made in to a web server, what type of web server software should I look for?
I honestly admit that I've only used Apache. As far as Apache goes I know that it serves all the purposes I've required something in it's position to do. I am aware there are other web server software you could find a host with but Apache is mostly dominant choice. Apache comes in two flavors, 1.3 and 2.X and 1.3 will serve the needs of the vast majority of people.
With Apache you can stop image theft, create useragent blacklists or whitelists, modify index-less folders, turn off those folders, manage password protected folders, and so much more. The only downside is that it is NOT easy to learn unless you get someone who knows how to EXACTLY answer your question. However if you work hard at it you'll eventually find the answer. If anyone is to make a suggestion over mine I hope to hear some stuff about other server software.
Having Apache ALMOST always means you will have access to the .htaccess in your root public folder. ~IF~ you don't see it set your FTP to use the "-a" filter to unhide files. If can not see it you can still upload and overwrite it. If you mess up your htaccess file and screw up your site and receive error 500 then just upload a completely blank copy of the file until you can fix it.
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3.) My host is completely and utterly unorganized. I wish there was something that would make managing my site not literally suck, what should I look for?
You should look for a host with a CONTROL PANEL. Cpanel is one example though many hosts have their own considering they have to BUY Cpanel.
An intelligent (but not necessarily good) host will at lest provide pictures of their control panel if not a guest username and password to log in and check stuff out.
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4.) I keep seeing "storage" and "bandwidth" but I have no clue what they mean and how they apply to me?
They apply to everyone and the wrong host can mean your site goes down if you're not in the know.
Storage is the amount of space for your files. A good host will allow up to 500mb, 1 GB, 2GB, sometimes 5GB or more on a shared account for under 8 bucks a month for most good yearly plans. Most information sites with lot of pictures will usually use perhaps 25-100 mbs tops. Unless you're using a lot of multimedia or letting half your college dorm mates have their own FTPs then STORAGE doesn't need to be more then the files you have saved on your computer. To find out on a PC right click your computer's copy of your web-site folder. It will tell you how many KB, MB, or GB your web-site folder is.
Bandwidth is important because many hosts will shut OFF your site completely if you go over your bandwidth. Many will not bother to contact you and just shut off your site, and some will even charge you without letting you know! The best thing to do is to know WHAT bandwidth you have already and to ensure any new host you get has a high bandwidth cap that your site won't be getting anywhere close to for a while.
If you're not aware of your bandwidth you should check your site's statistics. If you don't have a statistics program you should look for a good stats program provided by your new host such as AWSTATS. Keep in mind that older versions of AWSTATS have a serious vulnerability so you should SPECIFICALLY ask if your AWSTATS is only accessible via the admin control panel. If this is the case then you should not have to worry about that issue.
In AWSTATS you can see your DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, and YEARLY bandwidth, hits, visits, etc. If you add up about a weeks worth and the total estimate you make is greater then your current cap then make sure you've already read the next question...
Bandwidth is the act of sending a file from the server to a client, any client including yourself. If I download a page that is 2kb and 3 images that are 4kb each from webmasterworld I've just used up 14kb of webmasterworld's bandwidth.
You can get a bandwidth limit as high as 100GB (100 gig) for about as low as 7-8 bucks a month. That should mean if you're not looking to upload a massive multimedia web-site then you could probably get a bandwidth of 50GBs for about 4 or 5 bucks a month.
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5.) Do I have to pay a ton of money for a good web host? IS there a common way to get a host to lower their price?
No, unless you're sadly homeless and obsessed with a web presence.
Web hosts will typically let you choose to pay monthly or yearly. If you pay yearly they typically discount your rate.
In example...
9.25 a month / monthly
8.66 a month / yearly
If you pay monthly based on the above example you'd end up paying $111 bucks that year on hosting. If you paid once when you started host you'd pay 103.92. Sometimes the yearly option is clearly better and sometimes it is not.
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6.) How do I ensure I don't get screwed AFTER I give these people my money?
It's REALLY simple, make sure that you get a host with at LEAST a 30 day money back guarantee!
This means you have the legal right to call up, tell the host that you're not happy with the services (but reframe from calling them a doosh-bag) and they will refund your money.
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6.) I had a hard time updating my web-site, what should I look for when I get a new host that makes it easy?
FTP = File transfer protocol.
An FTP program will (if you use a good one like me) allow you to drag files from your computer on to the server and just send the files online. It's rather effortless really.
As long as your new host supports FTP (and if they don't they must seriously suck) they will provide you with three things...
Host Address
Username
Password
You seriously need to write this info down if it's not something you're going to remember. If not your computer is going to crash, you'll loose your FTP, and when you've battled the computer demons from hell and won, you won't have a clue how to connect with the FTP unless you have it written down! Keep in mind your host address is going to include their web-site address or yours.
Usernames are either typically really short (about 7/8 characters long) or are like an email address with an @ symbol. I'll be glad to suggest an FTP that I absolutely love if you PM me but there are free FTP programs out there.
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7.) Ok I admit that I don't know that much about web design and hosting so what should I look for it I need someone to ask a simple and quick question?
If you have a web-host related question you should hope your host has 24/7 FREE tech support. This is usually not hard to find. Late night calls (2am-8am) you might wait half an hour if you call for tech support as they will probably and realistically have only one guy on staff. During the day most hosts will staff more people obviously.
It's a good idea to call tech support for any potential hosts and to make note of how many minutes it takes from the ring tone to the Hello? you get from the tech. During the day you honestly should not have to wait longer then 2 minutes. An acceptable delay would be 5 minutes if they are busy. At night an acceptable wait would be 15-20 minutes. If it takes much longer then that during those time periods then the hosting company you called might not have it's act in gear and you should probably keep calling other hosts. You can always call a host without having an account to test their response time. Talking to tech support before being a customer will usually yield an idea of how willing they are to help you and also give you an idea of things their site may not make you aware of.
By talking to tech support BEFORE you spend money on a host you should consider calling the tech support and asking if basic aspects of what your site needs to achieve can be done. Be prepared to be responded to with a possibly technical question so they can give you an answer.
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8.) I found this host that I'm really excited about but it says there is a limited time offer! I know that if I just get that package now I might not know about something they don't have that I need until after the money back period ends. What advice do you have?
Most offers hosts have usually last a bit longer then they are intending you to think. In any sales position a good sales person will believe in their product and not feel like they have to pressure you to buy their product because if they are confident of their skills they'll expect you to see that they have the best to offer. If you feel pressured in any way you should not do any business with that host, or really any company.
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9.) Lets say I find a host, when I pay should I expect any hidden fees?
There are two main things to consider. If you pay with a debit card for example be prepared to pay for a full year of hosting. If they charge 9.25 a month be prepared to pay at least $111.
The only other TYPICAL fee that is SOMETIMES acceptable is a setup fee. Usually hosts will toot their horns and say, hey we'll set you up for free!
Be wary of hosts that force you to upgrade for simple things like Perl!
10.) Upgrades? Ok, what are the things I should expect from a decent host in a list of words so I can sound like I know what I'm talking about and hence increase my chances of getting some truth talk from these creepy sales people?
Clientside stuff (nothing happens until it gets to the persons computer) is not something a host should be tooting their horn about. HTML, XHTML, Javascript, CSS are examples of something that are obvious! You may see QuickTime, realplayer, windows media, and flash mentioned though there is some minorly important reasons some hosts may feel obligated to say they support those technologies. In the very least they should support Quick Time which is PC/Mac compatible.
Serverside stuff is what you should be concerned about. Most commonly...
Perl/CGI, PHP, MySQL (database) are the basic things all hosts should provide.
Remember you need a Windows server for ASP support if you're in the grinded position of having to support that.
Cold fusion like cpanel has to be purchased b the host but if you're reading this and finding it informative don't worry about cold fusion for now or a good while.
10.) A year passes and I end up grinding out any problems I have with my host in the first few months. What can I expect if I renew?
An important thing to keep in mind is that not all hosts may keep your initial price per month the same, AKA raise your price after a while. When you call (before you buy) you should ask, "If I stay with you people for the next 70 years and the cost of a double cheeseburger ends up being 15 bucks, will you still charge me the 7 bucks a month you charge me now then?" If they say yes then you're hearing in this regard what you should. 70 years may be stretching it but it is intended to give you an idea of how to stop your prices from inflating.
If you're a curious noodle and like to snoop in to things you may be looking at an evolving fascination of staring at glowing screens late at night. It's much prettier then the wall and it glows! Much more then can be said for the wall except that one spot... oh right, anyway I've had an issue with a solid host in the past. When Vbulletin (paid forum software) updated their software the the 3X series my host did not support something simple that kept me from upgrading and I actually lost the database for the board. Be sure to test new versions of software out BEFORE you renew to ensure your host is keeping up with the current technologies! In my case they refused to put me on a new server with the correct settings (I was not asking for dedicated, just a fresh one) and they absolutely refused. So I found myself yet another host.
I know my advice has been wordy but I hope someone out there will read it and not get screwed. If I missed anything please feel free to add your two cents. I have yet to become truly advanced in the sense where I'd be earning a 6 figure income but I think my advice is fair enough for the people that find it enlightening as I've seen many people wander to this great place that are just starting out. I know I'd find some of this info helpful at one point or another. And now for spellcheck! Best of luck to everyone and a special thanks to webmasterworld as I've learned a lot from this great site in my time here.
clicks cancel button at the win95 login for the comp user next to him
If all your knowledge of windows is based on win95, then perhaps you should use another OS for your hosting, and make sure they have plenty of hand holding.
If, however, you like to manage your own server, and would prefer spending your time on your website instead of learning the ins and outs of a particular OS, then you might be open to looking at Windows 2003.
Any computer can be made in to a web server
*cough*
I honestly admit that I've only used Apache
*cough*
*cough*
*hack*
*snort*
Type in "[host name] sucks" and other nasty things which you might expect unhappy users to say in forums or on their blogs (better).
If there are 10's or 100's, there's a good chance at least a few of them are legitimate. Look for recurring themes in these threads - downtime, lousy customer support, etc.
If you find people with high post counts on several message boards saying these things, and their posting history does not show that they have a vendetta for company x, then you can usually figure out how good a company has been to its customers.
As for me, I've decided that there is no such thing as a good host. They all have shortcomings, and so I spread my risk around. I regularly run into problems on one or another server, but when that happens I don't lose the farm.
Better to deal with regular problems than occasional catastrophes I think.
just some off the cuff thoughts after reading it ...
>>>If you're not working for a mind enslaved to the idea that Microsoft knows all *cough* standards *cough* then make sure your host is using LINUX.
MS gets a lot of bashing here at times but in my experience server 2003 is very sound, additionally ms sqlserver is extremely powerful and in my view considerably better (although more expensive) than mySQL (horses for courses though i understand that)
>>>If you don't have a statistics program you should look for a good stats program provided by your new host such as AWSTATS.
i'd agree that awstats gives a great, at a glance overview, but if you are serious about this business then an essential requirement from a webhost is downloadable log files, which you can then analyse locally with a more powerful stats package.
>>>>Sometimes the yearly option (re: hosting fees) is clearly better and sometimes it is not.
i would never pay yearly myself, there is not much saving if you have to change hosts half way into the year because you won't get a refund.
>>>> if you're not looking to upload a massive multimedia web-site then you could probably get a bandwidth of 50GBs for about 4 or 5 bucks a month.
don't know about prices but bandwidth of 50 gigs is huge IMO, any site starting out would only need 5-10 gigs at most (probably much less)
>>>> Late night calls (2am-8am) you might wait half an hour if you call for tech support as they will probably and realistically have only one guy on staff. During the day most hosts will staff more people obviously.
i disagree, it depends on the hosting company, for instance i'm in europe and have a host in the usa, i can phone them lunchtime here (early hours in the morning for them) and they always answer the phone almost straight away, not only that the support guys are usually bored at that time and are glad to get a call, they've helped me well above the call of duty on many occasions just because i've asked and they have little else to do. (no pm's please i'm not promoting a host company here)
>>>>Remember you need a Windows server for ASP support if you're in the grinded position of having to support that.
not true
>>>>An important thing to keep in mind is that not all hosts may keep your initial price per month the same, AKA raise your price after a while.
funnily enough in my experience prices don't rise they actually drop! hosting fees have crashed and bandwidth allowances have increased dramatically, especially in the last couple of years but the trend is still DOWN not up. So i'd advise checking the hosts homepage every now and then to see if they have decreased the price of your package - or more likely created new but cheaper packages that you could change over to.
My own tip would be ...
never transfer your domain name to a host company, keep it registered elsewhere, by all means use their nameservers but never put yourself in a position of needing their help if you want to change hosts! - you might find that outgoing clients are not their highest priority.
from roldar
>>>They all have shortcomings, and so I spread my risk around. I regularly run into problems on one or another server, but when that happens I don't lose the farm.
ditto that :)
