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August 9, 2008 by Free GDI · Leave a Comment 

by Free GDI

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Hosting Your Blog

August 7, 2008 by Matt Hedges · Leave a Comment 

by Matt Hedges

There is no doubt that blogs or weblogs are the in thing at the moment. A blog is the equivalent of a diary that is published on the internet and it allows the blogger to regularly post about their thoughts, feelings, musing and opinions that they want the world to know about. These posts are meant to be truthful expressions and something that people want to share with the world at large. A blog can be about any topic at all and it doesn’t have to just use words, it can use images or video clips too.

A great thing about blogs is that they are designed to encourage interaction and other people to get involved with their thoughts and feelings too. This means that most blogs steer clear of anything too controversial in an attempt to attract more people.

The amount of companies providing blog hosting services is extremely large. Basically, a company that hosts blogs is one that will host or make arrangements to have your blog contained on their server. Serious consideration about which type of host really needs to be made by those undertaking a blog for business reasons. Getting the right or wrong blog host can hugely impact on the success of the blog and if there is money or business at stake, this is obviously a vital decision. There is no doubt that a great blog is a massively useful marketing option for any firm.

Blogs are being looked at as serious marketing devices by many major companies and are therefore hiring top bloggers to write for them, on subjects ranging from electronics to movies and entertainment. The biggest step for all fledgling business blogs therefore is to find the right hosting company for themselves, to become as effective as possible.

Blog hosts can roughly be divided into three categories: exclusive blog hosting providers, web hosting providers and web hosting resellers too. Both web hosts and exclusive blog hosts provide people the choice of either free service or that of a paid one.

Providers of blog hosting space: Learn your blogging options

Even before you write your first blog, you should determine what your needs and goals are. These outcomes may have an influence on which host is best for you. If you blog for fun and enjoyment and require just the basic elements, you wont need much from your host but if you plan to utilize the blog for business purposes, your needs will be greater and your choice of host may vary.

If you are not computer savvy and are scared by technical issues, choose a hosting provider which doesn’t rely on technological issues. If you have internet skills, do not be afraid to choose a host where you can utilize your talents and have your blog customized the way you want.

This may sound strange but you can get more exposure by using a free-of-charge blog hoster as opposed to one you pay for. This is because the free hosts that are always found near the top of the search engine lists get there by including encoding which relates to better exposure. If you aim to make from the blog, this level of exposure could be a great boon.

There are also benefits of working with a web host provider to create your blog. Choosing this option will put you in charge of how your blog will look, its style, how its interface is operated and all other features that are contained in the blog. If you do not have sufficient HTML skills or are uncomfortable with encoding this options may not be for you. However, left in the capable hands of a skilled computer worker, this form of blog can be extremely attractive and add something to your marketing activities.

This is why your own skill set should impact on your choice of blog host. If you have the talent to utilize the HTML and technological elements, then you would be wise to choose the paid for options. If you have no great desires for your blog and just want a simple one, even if it is to make money, choosing a hosting company for blogs can make things easy on you.

How to get your blog hosted?

As far as blogging software is concerned, your choice is certainly between B2 Evolution or Wordpress. Once you have picked either of the two, the next decision that you are left with is the choice of a hosting company for your blog. We shall now swiftly go over some of the criteria that you must look at before you choose a blog host.

Determine if paid or free hosting is best for you: This choice is a primary one. There are always plus points of a free service but will it offer everything you need? There are a lot of adverts imposed on these sites and this may detract from the message you wish to give visitors. This is why if it can be afforded a paid host on a sharing system is the best option after you have chosen B2 or Wordpress.

Ask questions to see if your host offers compatibility with B2Evolution or Wordpress: A large number of blogs are coming with Wordpress or B2Evolution already installed which is helping to further the popularity of them. This feature removes much of the technical issues that installing the software would cause. This benefits the user by removing these issues from them. If you lack technical skills or want the easy option, select a blog host that has one of the software programs installed. With a number of clicks you will be all ready to run your own blog.

* Choosing the best host: Choosing the best host or getting the best deal out of the numerous B2 and Wordpress hosting providers available can often be a daunting prospect. A good way to go about choosing the best suited host for you would be to check out the various websites and web hosting forums which let you compare and check the existing B2 and Wordpress providers. This lets you compare everything from pricing to technically important data like bandwidth and disk space being offered. Don’t forget to check the user reviews for the various web hosts and blog hosts, before making your final choice.

* Reviews are one of the best criteria to decide best host: Read reviews and criticism of your short listed sites. If you feel your blog is likely to get many hits you can even think of using a dedicated server. Also before deciding between Wordpress and B2, it is always advisable to have some prior knowledge of the softwares as it makes your work so much easier. Uptime and customer satisfaction should be the top most things in your mind. At the end of the time, if you value your blog and your opinion, choose a host prudently.

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Choosing the Best Hosting Company

August 5, 2008 by Steven A. Smaldery · Leave a Comment 

by Steven A. Smaldery

If you want to get yourself out there on the internet, there’s one thing you will need - a website. Before you can get your site online, you’ll need to look into web hosting companies and find the right one for your site. How do you pick the best hosting company?

There are a lot of different web hosting companies out there on the web; this makes it hard to choose one to host your site. They all look good and make a lot of promises, but not all web hosting companies are created equal and not all are suitable for your needs. This article will give you a little information on what to look for when you are shopping around for a web hosting company.

The first thing you need to do before you start your research is make a list of the things most important to you and your website needs. Think about the design or potential design of your website. Determine how much space you will likely need, the type of hosting you will want (Windows or Linux), and what elements will be included, such as shopping cart, databases, and so forth. This is important to choosing a hosting company because it will help you narrow down your list and understand exactly what you want.

Now you are ready to begin looking into web hosting companies. A query on a search engine will be very helpful here - you can also talk to other business owners to find out what they use and ask for recommendations form them. Reliability is the first factor which you will want to consider. A hosting company should guarantee you at least 99% uptime. Your website need to be up and running so that your visitors and/or potential customers can find it.

The disk space offered by each hosting company should also be considered. There will probably be many different packages available. Be sure to compare comparable plans against each other to find the best deal for the feature you need. Space is important, but so is bandwidth, the number of email accounts you can have through the site and any extras like scripts.

A lot of site owners decide on a web host based on price alone. You get what you pay for most of the time, but not in every case. Price is not the only thing which you should consider. Look at price and reliability and look into the reputation of the company. Ask others who use the service how they like it; you can also look online for user’s opinions of the service.

Web hosting companies who offer high quality hosting services for a low price are out there, but you should compare and ensure that the features you need are all there before you sign anything.

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Staying Updated With Blogs

July 29, 2008 by Ricardo d Argence · Leave a Comment 

by Ricardo d Argence

For most people with the internet the local news just doesn’t cut it for us anymore. We want personal in depth stories that most local news broadcasts aren’t willing to cover. Or maybe you like knowing what’s going on locally but you hate having to be on a time schedule. You are forced to listen to forty minutes of negative reports that you’ve already seen, just to hear the new story.

We are fortunate to have online blogs so we can stay on top of all the most recent information. All of the TV stations that you watch have internet sites. News blogs are ideal for those interested in learning more about certain topics because posts are generally categorized by topic. Political pundits and voiced their opinions fiercly thanks to blogging on the internet. American politics are currently influenced by blogs and political opinion.

Politics are not the only subject that are talked about on blogs. Bloggers usually have something to say when any kind of news breaks. Iraqi citizen bloggers were extremely popular during the time Iraq was being bombed by the United States. Blogs give readers the chance to hear first-hand information from eyewitnesses. Clearly, large corporations control television news and other mainstream media sources. Before a story reaches you, it has been filtered several times. I think I speak for many people when I say that I don’t want my news filtered or censored.

In order to stay on top of the latest events and posts, you are able to utilize a blog RSS feed. Get all your favorite blog updates at once for free with Google Reader.

When you create a Google account, your favorite news fees can be shown on your home page when you customize it to your taste. This same service is offered by Yahoo. This is probably the most convenient way to get your favorites blogs. Viewers that provide a variety of options to show and filter what you have selected to view can be downloaded and installed on your computer.

The feed is also available by email if you prefer. The majority of blogs will send you a daily (or as often as the author updates it) email to provide this service. This is also a great way to stay up-to-date on the news topics that interest you. Because I monitor my email often throughout the day, I prefer to get updates in this fashion.

If the blog you prefer lacks these options, you might ask the author to add them. Many of them will be elated to give their readers this type of service. Most blog software already has these options, so all you need to do is start using them.

Presently, I am more inclined to read blogs than to watch the news because I like to be informed without having to sit through commercials.

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How to Choose the Right Domain Name

July 29, 2008 by Matt Hedges · Leave a Comment 

by Matt Hedges

Domain name is the web address of your site, which generally follows with a ‘www’. We can mention an example of this which is also a well reputed domain name is www.amazon.com.

What makes a good domain name?

The web address of your site should, by no means, be a difficult one to write or remember. It is supposed to be an aid, not a barrier. Well, for a domain name, you can definitely consider your company’s name but at the same time, you can have a bias towards a phrase that promotes your own identity and your offerings.

It is expected that you consider the opinion of others about your choices of domain name to familiarize yourself with the kind of domain names that your users might prefer.

Well, here I denote certain things that you need to fight shy of while registering a domain name to be used for your main company web site:

1. There is a possibility of forgetting your domain name while typing the name into the browser or e-mailing you if you use a hyphen. So, avoid hyphen to reduce future problems.

2. Strive not to use digits in your domain name. For instance, if it is 3.com, you have to make everybody aware that it is not ‘three’ but ‘3′.

Now, with regard to your domain name, I will show some positive things:

1. Well, though not necessary, it is better to use ‘.com’ as a part of your domain name. You will get to see that people often forget addresses that end in ‘.net’ or ‘.org’ and on a more serious note, wrong address often becomes the destination of confidential e-mails.

2. Keep the spelling of the domain name simple.

3. 3 words or 20 characters should be its maximum length. So, make it as short as possible.

You should attach a lot of importance to the factors mentioned above, for the domain name of your primary company. You can consider ‘.net’ sites, hyphens and numbers for the secondary sites, but refrain from using them for the primary company.

Well, it goes without saying that ‘.com’ extension is the most available one as far as the web sites are concerned. So, if possible, my suggestion would be to use ‘.com’ as part of your domain name. But, now it’s not easy to find good ‘.com’ domains as most have been obtained.

It is of immense importance to clarify that ‘.com’, ‘.net’, ‘.org’ actually indicated three different things. ‘.com’ stands for commercial purposes, ‘.net’ stands for network purposes and ‘.org’ stands for non-profit purposes. But, this demarcating line has become fuzzy. Now, don’t think about these and outs and choose any of the extensions available for domain names.

Using uppercase and lowercase letters

As capitalization does not make any difference, your domain name can have thus anything ranging from numbers to letters or even to dashes.

Should my domain name have dash?

It’s better for you to remember that you might face a situation where your desired domain name has already been purchased, whereas, the same name is available with a dash. Make yourself familiar with the problems of using dash, although, sometimes it remains as the only option for you.

1) Using a dash in your domain name can be never ideal for communication. Users are likely to end up at a wrong site unless you tell them the proper place to put the dash and they put it perfectly.

2) Dash is often left out by people as it is always difficult to use and uncommon to type.

Price of a Domain Name: You need to know that you have to pay as annual fee ranging from $6 to $50 varying as per the registration service) for your right to use the chosen domain name. But, it is just a rental service without letting you purchase the domain name.

It is your choice whether you wish to use a cheap registrant whose service over a period of time is doubtful. But remember that a saving in the short term might cost you in the long run. You should stress on the access control panel domain when you are registering for your domain. As far as the domain registrars go, many of them permit the webmasters to edit the domain hosting, manage the DNS records, and also widen the domain so that transfer of the domain from one registrar to another becomes easy through the internet, without requiring any support. This gives you a lot of control and freedom as a webmaster. If you have got registered under a particular registrar, you will never want to bear the effect of any mistake incurred by the registrar, if you have settled on the domain for a fair period of time.

So, make sure that your domain name is registered remembering all the things mentioned above to prosper properly on this track. Will it be a Problem if someone else manages My Domain name?

It is expected that you will remain the owner or administrative contact of the account to solve future problems, though you can let others manage. For example, the information needed to shift your files to a new server in the future may be impossible to edit for you. You won’t be able to direct browsers to your site’s new location if you are not the owner or administrator of the domain name.

As more than 20,000,000 domain names have already been registered, it is indeed surprising if you are satisfied with your domain name. Your choice of your domain name affects your purchasing the domain name. Apart from this, you can be inspired in the future in the future to think about an unregistered name that can be secured. Let me remind you that if you give a suitable mount of money (which you should have in your pocket) to the present owner of the perfect domain name, it is both sensible and wise.

You are expected to be a marketer who researches and this research on this subject makes you familiar with a mixed bag of opinions. Your choosing of domain name can be sometimes discouraging as well. But, two common points are there.

1. At the very outset of your business plan, choose your domain name. This is ideal in a competitive market.

2. Register the domain name as soon as you select it.

To conclude, let me inform you that even if you haven’t resolved your business plan, purchase the domain names that have fascinated you. It is not very expensive if it is bought at an affordable registrar like GoDaddy. In the future, you can resell it and can even enrich it with creative content. But, once you don’t buy it, you may not get it in the future.

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How To Find a Reliable Web Hosting Company

July 29, 2008 by Matt Hedges · Leave a Comment 

by Matt Hedges

Making a catalog of your entire web hosting requirements is the first thing you should do before looking for a trustworthy web-hosting corporation. Check details like the necessary area needed, the total mails received, the space set aside for relocations, if you will need a database or shopping basket. Think about including chat aspects, make a forum or take a commercial account. All this is necessary, as, for a web host to be trustworthy, your requirements have to top the priority list. The following list is about the characteristics that a web host needs to have:

Dependability and Uptime

Find out how much Uptime your web host guarantees for your site, for greater Uptime means greater accessibility. Certain web hosts guarantee Uptimes of nearly 99.5%! Enquire about the hardware, safeguards and the connection stability, all of which minimizes downtime.

Pricing

Your web host should charge you a reasonable price and offer you flexible ways of making the payment. Look out for hidden costs, setup fees etc. But setup fees are now charged by most major companies to cover their costs for having quality technical support.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is a very important component is increasing or depleting the trade developments. If the host gives an undersized bandwidth then you pay more if you download more than the limit. However, many hosts will give more bandwidth at around the same costs. Select carefully. Don’t be fooled by any promises of ‘Unlimited Bandwidth’. It does not exist. Have a limit of at least 1GB of data flow. This will let more interchanges as the site becomes popular.

Storage Space of Disk

Space is another crucial factor as far as growth is concerned. You will find web hosts offering you 20 to 50 MB space while others offering 100 MB space, at again roughly a similar price. Go for the ones offering 100 MB and greater, for otherwise you will end up paying $5 to $10 more for every 10 MB additional space.

Server Speed-Velocity of the Server

Before zeroing on your web host, check the server speed. Use a free tool like Net Mechanic to gauge the access speed for all facets of access like connect time, download time, DNS lookup, network speed and absence of timeouts. The download time figures will tell you how fast or reliable the server is. Run a speed check on all the prospective web hosts that you decide, both in peak hours and non-peak hours.

Fundamental Characteristics

Select such a web host that offers a wide range of characteristics from the very beginning. You may be charged extra for features that some web hosts attach every month.

Multiple Domain Names

If in case you use more than one domain name, find out if your web hosting account will allow multiple hosting and if they will charge more for this service. Some web hosts do not charge anything extra for multiple domain names.

Email Auto responders and Mail Forwarding Accounts-Mail Auto- Responders and Forward Accounts

Make sure that your web hosting account permits forwarding of emails. It becomes extremely efficient and easy if all your emails from many of your websites are forwarded to your ISP service. Without logging into each and every one of your accounts, you can simultaneously read all the mail. Autoresponder is another time saving device that also acts as a great marketing tool. It is a program that sends any of your wanted pre-written messages to anyone who mails you. You can stay connected and increase your publicity while drastically reducing your own workload with this program.

List for Mailing

See if the web-hosting corporation will let you make mailing lists. Such a list or an online, mail based conversation assembly will be useful if you disperse the ezone for marketing strategies and endorsement episodes.

File Transfer Protocol or FTP

This is an assistance offered by all hosting corporations. It is a main tool and lets fast and competent file flow from one site to another.

Setting up Anonymous FTP accounts

This service gives you a FTP website that lets users have accessibility to download the required data and files. These nameless mail accounts can get you good money if people make huge downloads of free e-books or software and so on. The best advantage is that if the Net service or phone corporation drops work while file transfers or downloads, you can still keep downloading from wherever you stopped as soon as you reconnect.

Using a Secured or SSL Server

You have to use a very secure server if your trade deals with financial exchanges through the site. You may require meeting extra web hosting expenses for the service but the lack of a secure server can prevent clients from coming. You need a safe server like SSL server, which lets data in a structure to be figured out before transferring it to the server from the browser. This is especially important in cases where orders are taken and personal data like card numbers are exchanged.

CGI Scripts-Scripts of CGI

CGI scripts are usually used to obtain information from any form and then this information is conveniently sent to your email account. Decent web hosting companies are bound to have a library of CGI scripts which can be used by people hosting their sites. But the best web hosting accounts will allow you to add your own desired CGI scripts and use them. Go for web hosts which allow you this provision, for even though you might think you don’t need to use CGI scripts that much, you might need them later.

Highly Developed Features

See if the web host has developed characteristics like RealAudio/Video, Java Applets, Database Access, Password Protection and PHP so that your site may use them if required.

Backup-Support

Everyday, your web directory will most certainly be backed up by almost every web hosting service. It is unthinkable nowadays to not provide this basic service. To ensure that your website is not lost in the confusion, certain web hosts provide you with unnecessary and unimportant backups.

Security and Assurance

Since there are many web hosts present it can be problematic choosing and believing in the right one. Services that give plans like a money back strategy can be helpful if you are displeased with the functioning. Hosts giving out such plans are also more competent and trustworthy.

Being Flexible

A stagnant web hosting service can be the worst bane for your website and your business. It too needs to grow along with your website and business. So if you desire to include newer features like ecommerce, it should be able to upgrade and provide you with facilities like shopping cart, storefront or a merchant account. The web host should have constant upgrades an should be ready to provide you services like more web space, or your own dedicated server or even a forum.

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Secure Web Hosting With SSL Certificates

July 29, 2008 by Matt Hedges · Leave a Comment 

by Matt Hedges

“SSL certificates” are used by many businesses on line to create a secure atmosphere for their clients. These applications formerly known as Secured Socket Layers encrypt data so that information can be stored and used with confidence online. With fear of hacking and stealing of vital information on everyone’s mind this type of security is vital to your business. Without it your information is easily available to others online. SSL protocol uses a Certificate Authority to provide third party security for both transaction parties. It is a well-used technology that is proven and the industry standard for top security online.

Websites are most commonly used for business purposes. Sites like Amazon, Dell, and Ebay are shining examples of the impact e-commerce has made on our society. They all use a rapid exchange of confidential information in order to transact such business. By using other payment gateway sites such as Paypal, they collect private information to charge credit cards, as well as personal addresses and more. This data would be vulnerable to internet hackers resulting in severe damage without proper protection.

Without SSL protection it is easy to manipulate secured data. While the technology that SSL uses to secure data is not absolute, it restricts the ability of hacking almost completely. E-commerce businesses that store valuable data on their customers use SSL certificates exclusively in their everyday exchanges. It is so popular that customers have learned to look for the encryption sign as a symbol of their assurance to security. When they see a change in their URL to HTTPS:// they feel safe in using the service.

There are manifold benefits of SSL certification installation which a professional web host can provide:

* Customer Confidence in SSL certification

Customers feel good when they see the signs that indicate an SSL secured website. These signals include the ‘https’ in their browser’s URL and the SSL site seal as well as the secure locked padlock next to the URL. They gain a feeling of relief and enjoy stress free shopping with the understanding of security protecting their private banking and other information. Your host understands these requirements and targets your exact needs. Your many customers that wish to purchase products online need that security to feel comfortable doing so feeling your site is reliable and authentic.

* Keeps your Customer’s Information Confidential:

The measure of your web host’s success is the ability to install SSL certificates properly. The technology of encryption is measured by bytes. Your webhost will have knowledge of that for sure. If your web host can provide the necessary SSL certificates your customers information will be secure and your reputation will be stronger for it.

* Fast certification installation

Your webhost can get your certification up online in a short amount of time. They have the personnel and knowledge to understand the complex needs of installing SSL certificates and the resources available to complete the process. If you plan on going it alone and installing your own certificate you need the knowledge to complete the act.

* Helps in meeting regulatory requirements

Your web host caters to its clientele or web site owner in a variety of fields from finance to health care. There are several companies, however, that need to know their government requirements in the area of protection where confidential information is concerned. These regulations are exactly what SSL Certificates provide the extra security for.

The right web host for SSL certification installation:

* Web-based User Friendly Control Panel

Everything you do on your website will go through your control panel. It enables the management of your server. Make sure that you find a host that you feel comfortable with using their interface.

* Web hosts should provide dedicated IP address

The host should be able to provide a dedicated IP address which is essential for secured socket layers and Virtual FTP accounts.

* Watch out for hidden charges

The web hosts have a typical tendency to add hidden charges. After the installation is complete they include that in the list of charges. Such hosts, who don’t provide a clear estimation, should always be avoided.

* Compatibility with a variety of browsers

Chances are good your customers will not use the same browser as everybody else. Your host should provide installation of certificates that work on all popular browsers.

* Proper instructions

The web host should posses ample knowledge of all the technicalities related to SSL installation. He/she should be able to guide website owners who are ignorant about exactly which pages will have to be encrypted and which will not. SSL provides an option to turn it on when required and off when not in use.

* Shared SSL certificate

Another type of SSL certificate is the shared SSL given to authentic web hosts. This web host will install SSL certificates for their customers the same way dedicated certificates are installed. The difference is this type of SSL certificate is linked with the Secure Site Seal issued to domain owners. This type of SSL certificate allows top-level hosts to secure their own information. This requires the special expertise of a web host.

Installing an SSL certificate

Step 1:

The domain where the SSL certificate would be installed should have its own dedicated IP address. The Web host has knowledge of it as they will be handling the entire process.

Step 2:

Before the installation process of SSL certificate begins, the web hosts checks if owner has a Certificate Signing request generated or not.

Step 3:

When a web host opens the control panel they look for the ‘Install SSL certificate and Setup the Domain, and click on it. A window appears with the wizard to install the certificate.

Step 4:

In that wizard, they paste the certificate which is obtained from SSL vendor. Note: This is not the same as that of CSR

Step 5:

When the next box opens a Domain section appears. This is where the SSL is applied. In another field labeled ‘user’ the control panel name is added followed by the dedicated IP address to install the certificate.

Step 6:

Finally to end the installation process the host pastes the RSA private key and it’s complete. Note: The process may vary from host to host. The above is a general scenario to provide a description of the process.

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Choosing a Web Host: About Web Hosting and More

July 29, 2008 by Matt Hedges · Leave a Comment 

by Matt Hedges

The importance of computer is surely on increase and as a result of which, each and every aspect related to computer is of paramount significance at this point of time. It is often found that people are in need of some information regarding this, especially when it is about a website or the world of Internet. This is a common need and goes without saying that having created a website, one is supposed to go to the world of Internet. Once you are in the realm of Internet, it endows you with three alternative options to choose from. The first two options are simple and well known. In fact, if they are placed in an order, they stand like- either hosting the site on your own computer or hosting the site on a server. These are the first two options and the third option is that of employing anyone else to live up to the job of hosting the site for you. To put it in a straightforward manner, the first two options that are talked about are very useful and practical. But, the issue is that these options are perfect if either you have fast connections or if this is all about business related sites. This is not something easy because such options can’t be devoid of your vigilant eye to supervise. Moreover, this can only be done successfully if you do have a fast connection facility.

Opting for a web hosting company would be a great option to fall back on. The web hosts host your website on their server and you are given access to it via FTP for the purpose of uploading files on your website. Web hosting services are available for free, for a fee, and also a dedicated web hosting.

You need a huge cost to go for a dedicated web hosting and is mainly suitable for websites which is expected to have a good number of hits. The web host company hosts your website on their server, while using their connection.

The actual scenario is that paid web-hosting has certain advantages.

Some free hosts do not place their banner on your website, yet in most cases the services are not good enough. Some free web hosts have brilliant features but the tech-support is unreliable! For a small site, or if you are just venturing into this field go for a free web-host in the initial stages.

As far as the free web-hosting is concerned, they lack in the aspect of reliability notwithstanding having some brilliant features. Honestly speaking, their service is not up to the mark, although, there are some free hosts who do not put their banner on your website. You can consider these options if you have a small site or you are a beginner in this field. The web-hosts provide you with certain features and a list of such features is given below. This is not certainly an extensive list. Let me put it in this manner that in order to get your site hosted, you are expected to know about certain terms.

URL/ Address- If you have a domain name, it’s all right. Otherwise, you are in need of having a URL address. This is very important.

Space- As far as the aspect of space is concerned, it needs to be said that usually a space of 5MB is enough for a small site and this much space is perfect for over a hundred pages. Normally, what happens is that the graphics occupy a space of about 35KB. Having said this, one must know that it requires a space of 15-20MB in case of a graphics intensive site or one featuring downloads.

Bandwidth/Transfer: This is calculated monthly, and is based on the total number of files which are transferred from your site in the month. This is where unlimited bandwidth kind of helps, since you need at least 1GB space per month for a normal website.

CGI-BIN- This is of paramount significance as far as your dealing with interactive scripts like guest-books, counters is concerned. It provides you with the facility of remote hosting also bearing the banners from the site that live up to the task of presenting them.

SSI: This is a special function which channelizes the server for inclusion of a given thing on your webpage. It could be text, or any other thing.

My SQL/PHP/ASP Support- if you desire to maintain a database on your site you need database formats like these. ASP generates key sites often.

Technical Support: Free hosts do not provide such a good technical support as paid hosts do. As you might know, monitoring the websites is constantly required, and upon encountering any problem, you might need technical support from the host, so this bit is an important aspect of a web host.

E- mail- It is always wise to have a POP3 mail service as it lets you receive any message from your web-host before they send it to you. Actually, it is very common to have such mails provided you have a domain name.

FrontPage Extensions- If you have Microsoft Frontpage for modifying your website, you need such extensions. Front page items are also possible to be had in your site.

SSL/Secure Server: This is needed for ensuring safe facilities for ordering from your website.

The Aspect of Statistics/ Log Files- This is responsible to let you view the usages i.e. the downloaded files and the visited pages.

FTP Accounts- The users are able to download files from an area of your site with the aid of an anonymous FTP. As far as the FTP accounts are concerned, they let you upload files on your website.

About Paid-hosting: most free web-hosting can be upgraded to ad-free hosting for a minimal monthly fee and usually with better technical support. So you can search out a better web-host and dump those unwanted advertisements. It usually costs $5 to $75 per month, as compared to the dedicated servers which cost around $150 per month.

However, if you are opting for paid web host services, then you must ask them about a list of all the websites which they host. By doing this, you can contact webmasters of those sites and get first-hand information about the web host. Also, enquire about the technical support, since this is a very important factor as far as paid web hosts go.

Lastly, always read the fine print. Go over the terms and conditions, since it has been seen that some free web-hosts claim ownership of the copyright of YOUR page and bar you from advertising on your own website! Keep in mind the restrictions and stipulations before venturing to put up you website on the internet.

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Data Centre Reliability Considerations Checklist

July 29, 2008 by Amy Nutt · Leave a Comment 

by Amy Nutt

Planning, creating, and building a data centre can be one of the most expensive tasks an IT director can face. In order to maximize cost effectiveness and achieve optimum performance, reliability is key.

Data centre size can range from one room in an office to an entire building, but there are some basic requirements which must be implemented to ensure system reliability. When designing a data centre, efficient planning is very important. A number of areas must be addressed to ensure a dependable and efficient system which is capable of continued operation.

Understand the potential causes of failure

There are a number of areas cited as the most common causes of data centre failure:

- Environmental problems - Software failure - for example, memory leaks - Hardware failure - such as storage or processing problems - Operator or procedural error - Poor network reliability - Security breaches - for example hacker attack

Environmental considerations

When planning a data centre, there are a number of physical and architectural design features which must be implemented to ensure reliability:

Adequate Air Supply: temperature must be maintained between 20 and 25 ?C and humidity between 40 and 60 %. Too much humidity can cause water to condense on internal components. However if the air is too dry, this can cause static electricity to discharge. Malfunction is likely if the above ranges are not maintained. This is one of the prime causes of data centre malfunction. Implementation of adequate air conditioning and correct architectural design to allow for air circulation between units is vital. Particular care needs to be taken to prevent hotspots from occurring.

- Safeguard against power loss: external environmental factors such as hurricane or snowstorm can cause power black outs. It is vital to have a generator to ensure continued function, as well as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for emergency power. These should be of sufficient size to power cooling systems.

-Fire protection systems: the simplest forms of fire protection are smoke detectors, for early detection of a fire. It is also vital to ensure fire containment to prevent the spread of a fire to the entire data centre. For example: Contained sprinkler systems or gaseous fire suppression.

Software, hardware or network failure

Tested and quality assured hardware and software from reputable brands can help increase reliability. Common malfunction in one component, such as an internal fan or storage disc, can quickly lead to failure in another. Ensuring network performance and reliability can also have a huge impact on the performance of the data system.

Operational procedures

It is impossible to completely rule out human error and operational issues. However, devising an operations procedure to not only maximize performance but also track reliability and malfunction is key. Conduct regular back-ups on each production server to ensure quick file repair in the event of damage. Provide adequate operator training to implement protocol and avoid the most basic of errors such as leaving discs in drives, which would prevent an auto-reboot in the event of system failure.

Data security

Particularly important in large data centres with sensitive information, is to ensure adequate physical security. Corporations may consider outsourcing their data centre to an managed hosting services off-site location with 24 hour security guards and video surveillance. System security also requires keeping up-to-date with the latest security and anti-virus software.

Avoid single point of failure

One final key consideration is to avoid having a single point of failure. Test the system before it goes operational and ensure that if one component fails there is sufficient backup to ensure the data centre can still function. Back-up will make sure that your important data is never lost.

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Free Web Hosting: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

July 29, 2008 by Matt Hedges · Leave a Comment 

by Matt Hedges

Small businesses that wish to feature their services in internet often seek free and low priced web hosting services. This statement is generally true for companies who want to feature new websites. Free web hosting services offered by several hosting companies match the requirements of such businesses. The concept of free web hosting is based on a simple idea: a web host would provide free server space for hosting a small or medium business website. In return of this service the hosting companies would display advertisements on the client’s site and consequently earn from it. The free web hosting service is completely supported by advertisements but has its own limitations.

Clients of these services are easily lured by the no-cost features. Many of the hosts of free web space offer wonderful software and management capabilities for a free site. They then display pop up, pop under, or banner ads on the client’s website. Some also place these ads inside the client’s work space such as on their control panel with the provision they must click on them, or at least in the hopes they will. They may display these ads in other areas of the work space as well like on the file manager, etc.

The search for free hosting services has lessened over time with the development of many companies providing low cost web hosting with greater flexibility and no ads. Since these services offer great savings over most high cost web hosting plans with much more options and capabilities than free space business are now choosing these over free plans. The newest marketing and social crazy, blogging began to give free services a boon. As those blogs became easier to set up and use, however, that too is taking a backseat to the ability to blog on a cheap site without the additional technical help that used to be required.

How reliable are free web hosts?

Since the free hosts make money from the banner advertisements or resources related to it, they have more possibility of staying in the business. But it often happens that someone or some other company complains against their web hosting server declaring it as spam, hacker, etc, Complaints also crawl up if any free web hosting company utilizes an automated instant activation to offer other features like that of PHP or CGI. This is because free server consumes lot of downtime or the performance reduces considerably. This however, happens with the new web hosts but those who are professional generally don’t go for such offers.

The upside of free web hosts:

1. The free web hosting environments are great for students practicing web design, and their own hosting along with development. It allows them to store their projects, test them, and create them for free with no stress. They can expand their knowledge bank, and even share the information between each other. It is a valuable testing tool so they can see if their concepts are applicable and functional. It is a wonderful environment for creativity. Some web hosts cater specifically to that crowd such as boinc.ch who allows free accounts on their server for developers and students. People interested in creating a personal homepage can make great use of the features from these sites as well as it gives them the ability and freedom to share their personal life for free.

2. Another valuable use for free web hosting services is to volunteer organizations, and those companies that are not-for-profit. These institutions need to share their messages with the world but often have a very limited budget. The internet is the best way to reach masses of people quickly and free web hosting allows these organizations to do that, and also get donations and other important business on a large scale from many people at once. The same services that are beneficial to students, and personal web site builders are perfect for the volunteer and service organizations as it allows them to get online quickly at no cost. Larger web hosts may provide free service to these organizations for emotional reasons, but the most likely way to obtain free space is with a free host.

3. There are a large number of groups or communities who are eager to share their ideas and feeling on various big and small issues. Free websites can be helpful for such groups who don’t have enough money to invest on a shared or dedicated server. They can utilize the free service by posting useful information and also providing mutual links to their respective websites. This increases their search engine visibility and improves their rankings. Therefore both from SEO and financial perspective they are enjoying the benefit of free web hosting services.

4. Family websites can make great use of the free web hosting services too. They allow families to share information between each other and also with the world. Pictures, and other vital data can be shared in an almost diary form online where others can read and enjoy the experiences. Be sure to check for a web hosts authenticity before embarking on any program that shares your information online.

Cons of free web hosting

Even though the above organizations and individuals can save a great deal of money on free web hosting there are some things to consider before opting for those services.

1. Regardless of what they claim free hosts offer subdomain services not second-level domain.

2. Bandwidth to share pictures and data is very low on a free service provider. You will get much more with a paid service.

3. Since the free space provided is generally low, any file size cannot be uploaded freely in the website.

4. Your site will have many banners, pop ups, pop unders, and other distractions to visitors placed on it. This can look very unprofessional for an organization and diminish the value of the website. It also creates a negative impression to the visitor when they see all the ads and the subdomain name.

5. There is usually no guarantee of uptime.

6. Media and other big files types are not allowed as a rule. Most free sites restrict such files as MP3, MPEG, and ZIP to cut down on space used.

7. There is little to no support. Your ability to operate the site is a low priority to them. If it is offered it is usually short-term just to get you up online so they can make money.

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