Choosing the Right Hosting Provider

Anyone using web applications for business purposes knows that choosing a web hosting provider is crucial to the success and execution of those apps. The results can be disastrous if your hosting provider is unreliable. Prevent unrecoverable mistakes by arming yourself with the knowledge of what to look for in a hosting provider.

Name Brand Hardware
Name brands are recognizable for a reason. If a brand is known for quality and dependability, the product you purchase from that brand will usually follow suit. Look for companies who say what brand of servers and products they use in their datacenters. If they aren’t telling you, chances are you’ve never heard of the brand.

24x7x365 Support
Make sure your provider has tech support on hand at all times available by phone or chat to take care of any issues that might arise with your server. Hardware isn’t infallible. Excellent customer care and quick attention to issues will make the difference between a few hours and a few days of downtime.

Redundant Network
The network is the heart of any IT Infrastructure provider. Without a redundant network, you’re exponentially increasing your risk of downtime. A fully redundant network means that your network can lose any one piece of networking gear at any one level and data will continue to flow uninterrupted.

Tier 1 Bandwidth Providers
In addition to a fully redundant network you also need great bandwidth providers. Tier 1 bandwidth providers typically own their entire network and it either stretches a continent or the entire globe. A few examples of Tier 1 providers include Level3, NTT, AT&T, Global Crossing & Savvis. Tier 1 providers ensure that your content gets to your visitor using the most efficient route possible.

Automated reboots and automated Operating System reloads
Insisting on an IT Infrastructure provider who has invested in self-service systems will save you time and money over the duration of your hosting deployment. Rebooting servers yourself when they fail and being able to install a fresh Operating System on your hardware at the click of a mouse is indispensible.

Quick Provisioning of Servers
Typically when people order a product or service of any kind it’s because they need it. Don’t settle for waiting days for your server to be ready. Find a provider that guarantees quick provisioning, getting you online and working in no time.

Choosing a provider may seem like a daunting task given the vast array of providers these days. Knowing what to look for will make the decision easier and help to keep your online business needs running smoothly.

Source by: The Planet

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A Simple Guide to Web Hosting

A Simple Guide to Web Hosting
Personal Computers, Servers Or ISP?

You need a server to host your site so that it can be viewed over the internet. This server can either be an Internet Service Provider or of your own. Most websites are hosted by an Internet Service Provider because they can provide powerful server hardware, high speed connections and reliable server support.

Most providers have very fast connections to the Internet such as a full T3 fiber-optic (45 Megabytes per second) connections which is about 1000 high speed (56 Kilobytes per second) modems combined.

For those who are looking to set up their own servers and host their own websites, a personal computer is often not powerful enough to do the job. As the name suggests, a personal computer can hardly handle multiple visitors to your website- servers are needed to handle these visitors simultaneously.

Getting Your Web Hosting

There are thousands of companies that offer web hosting for your website. Which to choose and what to look out for? With the multitude of features and terms in each hosting plan, it can be puzzling for those who are just starting out. The golden rule in choosing your website: Nothing beats reliable web hosting. Many web hosting plans offer more space, more benefits than others. The decision to your web hosting should be based on reliability. We have seen too many disappointed website owners who chose benefits and space over reliability.

Source by: Lester Boey

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How To Find The Best Web Host

Building a website is very easy as there are countless web hosts, software programs, and website builders on the internet to choose from. But building a website that really produces profits, that builds traffic and ranks among the top websites on the net is extremely difficult to do.

Choose a hosting service that owns their own equipment and has high-speed connections to multiple Internet backbones, backup power generators and backup systems in place. Make sure they are a reliable business that has been around for awhile. Check their support system and make sure they offer 24/7 email, ticket system or live telephone support. Try their support team and see if they respond quickly enough for your needs and if their support staff is helpful and knowledgeable.

You should be able to host at least one domain name. There should be no restrictions on sub-domains. Look for e-mail access as well. The better the service, the more options they will provide for email. Make sure to get ample disk space for your website and try to get as much bandwidth as possible. Also make sure that your hosting service includes a statistics program so you can monitor your website traffic on your website.

If you plan on running a internet store or ECommerce shopping cart you need a hosting service that offers this service and supports SSL(Secure Sockets Layer.) When starting an online storefront, a web host will be able to guide you through the hosting process effectively. Ask the host about upgrade options so you can have an upgrade plan in place for when it is needed. Starting an online store is an exciting opportunity, and your web host will impact the success of your store.

Building a website that works, that drives traffic for long-term profits, takes the right process, the right tools and the right training. Check and see if the web host offers a website building program and tutorials to help you along the way. Make sure they have tools to optimize your website for the search engines. Check and see if they offer extras like auto-responders, Ezine publishing, and website submission services. Most web hosts bundle their services in package deals for you to choose from.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Good website hosting services have no problem directing you to helpful information or answering your questions in a way that you can understand.

Article Source: Don Fletchinger from ABC Article Directory

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