Finding a domain register and webhost

[junbin]

I'm new to all this webmaster stuff and I'm kinda lost with the over whemling load of information...

anyone here can give me some advice on finding a domain registrar and webhost? I hear that the two are usually linked, so which pair of services should i go for? What i really need is a good reliable service that is ad-free and cheap.... should support cgi and have a decent amount of bandwidth and harddisk space...

any input is welcome

[Syren_Song]

You don't have to register your domain name with the same folks that host your website. That's just a service they provide for convenience - and often to make a little extra money on the side.

I've got several sites I work with that are registered with different domain registrars and are hosted with completely different companies.

As for recommendations, you'll find quite a few opinions out there as to who's best. Try doing a site search here. You'll find quite a few threads that discuss these topics.

Personally, I think it's best to go with a company that has a good reputation and is recommended by lots of folks. You may want to try Westhost (they host WebmasterWorld) and Pair. They both have good reputations and have been around for a while.

As for domain registrars, I like GoDaddy. Personally, I'd avoid Network Solutions. The more I hear about them and the more experience I have with them, the less I like dealing with them.

[HarryM]

One thing to consider is performance. There are oufits who are big advertisers who offer inexpensive space with all the goodies, but who are very slow, possibly because of overloading or poor connections to the net.

In the UK I use webperf.zeus.co.uk which lists webhosts in order of performance. It's not too difficult to find one that provides everything you want at the right price, and also has a decent performance rating. It's also useful in listing webhosts who rarely advertise.

Webperf also links to Netcraft which states what kit the webhost is using and also gives downtime figures.

No doubt there are similar services for other countries.