connectivity problems - time out

search engine penalties for connectivity problems

[oriannastar]

Our web hosting company has caused our site to be on error'time out' for over 7 hours today, and their support team still can't tell me as to 'why' and 'when' their technical problems will be resolved. They are one of the bigger more expensive and 'said' professional companies is Brisbane, Australia. We certainly pay them a hefty monthly fee for their hosting services. Someone told me once that search engines can penalize you if they find your site down when they index... Is this true? And what should one expect from a hosting company when these problems occur, is this error 'time out' acceptable and reasonable with hosting companies?

Eternally grateful for any help or suggestions with regard to this question of mine?

Total beginner!

[Receptional]

The web is not perfect, and with Mydoom causing havoc, the largest of ISPs are under pressure at times.

When a large hosting company has a problem, it can be hard. However, a 99% uptime equates to about 100 hours offline a year. So 7 hours on its own is not unexpected.

That said, it can be a misery. Google, however, will need to repeatedly find your site offline (over many days, not hours) before deciding it cannot be reached. It does not assume initially that it is your fault, but the Internet in general. Your customers, of course, may not be so forgiving.

If your ISP's support is not up to scratch, then that IS a reason for moving. If they can't tell you what is going wrong, how can you tell your customers?

[oriannastar]

thank you!