Any website comprises the close - Domain name, Webspace, Webpages.

Lets say, You have got your Domain Name. Its freedom to concur for a appurtenant hosting backing provider to have your files uploaded in the domain. If you are opting for Linux Based Hosting Plan, plunge into conclusive you have the nearest included in your plans :

1. Control Panel - This is the gist

of your website. In a Control Panel, popularly avowed as CP, you can literally achieve anything. The influence you signup for a Hosting Pack, you must be provided with a CP to administer your webspace.

2. POP3 email Ids & Aliases - yourname@yourdomain.com is an pretentiousness POP3 ID. You right be provided with big of POP3 email ids and it depends on the Package size.

3. FTP Accounts & Virtual FTP - This is where you upload your files, omit them, come around them. This and comes along with the CP. Make unambiguous you have handful of FTP sub-accounts and to secure your clients/users password unharmed

directories. This is vitally

largely rightful wherein your clients / users can use the FTP to upload /download files from particular password protected folder of your website.

4. Backup - Most of the Hosts earnings Automated Backups. But users negotiate not cush hugely punishment on this stage picking the Hosting Pack. This feature is as inborn as anyother in this list.

5. Web Statistics - Analysis of your website visitors plays a premier role in the increase of your website. Say, your website has been launched and you bring off NIL Visits or More than 100 Visits per day. Whatever the original may be, you can wienie the Report using Statistics Application that voyage in the server backend.

6. Bandwidth - Choose the Hosting Plan that gives enough Bandwidth for your website. Even though you cannot go-between at the beginning, as cut progresses, you can juicy deduct the Bandwidth required.

7. PHP & Mysql Support - All the Linux Plans aid PHP & Mysql. Make indubitable you attain this complimentary of onrush when you shake on the hosting plan. Few Hosting Providers may irruption supplementary for MYSQL Database Support & PhpMyAdmin.

8. Webmail & SMTP - Email becomes opening model in your business once you activate the website. Check if the Hosts confirm with WEBMAIL ( http://mail.yourdomain.com ) to consent your mails thru a lacework based interface using Squirrelmail or Horde. Corporate Users prefer downloading mails thru Email Clients parallel as Eudora or Outlook Express. Only if SMTP or IMAP aid is enabled you can gain this option. Hence check if SMTP support is provided.

9. SPAM ASSASIN - No email user is chargeless from a spam attack. Hence you fancy to have Spam Filters installed on the server where your website resides.

10. IP - If your website prefers SSL Support (https://) as cut grows, makes ure you perform a DEDICATED IP. Most of the websites are hosted on requited IPs. Ask your Hosting Provider about the innumerable charges multiform in obtaining a ripe IP and SSL Support. Note : For SSL (https://), you desire to allow a Digital Certificate.

You can delineate the primary List commodity you like. Essentials?.Top 10?Must- haves?..Whatever. But these are the no problem ingredients of organ linux hosting plan.

About the Author:

The author writes about a number of different topics. For more information on web hosting visit http://www.hostservicereview.net and also visit the article pages: http://www.hostservicereview.net/Articles.html

Windows vs Linux : Hosting

The Basics of Linux & Windows :

Linux (and its close relation Unix) and Windows 2000 (and its close cousin Windows NT) are types of software (known as operating systems) that web servers use to do the kind of things that web servers do. You do not need to know any real detail of either to make a decision as to which you need but here a few guidelines.

Just because you use a windows desktop PC doesn’t mean you have to opt for Windows web hosting (and the reverse is true as well). The operating system you use on your desktop has little to do with your choice of web hosts. As long as you understand how to use your FTP or web publishing software, your can use either operating system.

But what is important is that you know what you want your website to do and what you want to offer on it. This is what will ultimately help determine the type of web hosting that will work best for you. As mentioned earlier, interactive websites usually rely on ASP, PHP, or Perl type languages.

Linux Web Hosting or Windows 2000 Web Hosting ? Make your Choice !

When it comes to Web hosting, Linux has, for some time, been widely considered the best OS for Web servers. It’s typically found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system and, as such, it’s commonly used for the demanding environment of Web and mail servers. Indeed,Most of the clients websites of aalpha NET runs on the Linux OS precisely because of this traditional stability.

The million-dollar question is what application are you looking to use for your hosting? Consider the tools and scripting languages you plan to use if you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific, then Windows is what you need.

If your site, like most web sites, is what might be termed “brochure-ware” then Linux servers are ideal. By brochure-ware I mean a site that offers the kind of information that in the past might have been provided on paper in the form of brochures, newsletters or data sheets. Brochure-ware sites will offer some interaction through enquiry forms and can certainly incorporate online purchasing and other routine e-commerce functions.

If however your site incorporates an online searchable database or interactive chat facilities then Windows 2000 or NT will be a better bet in most cases. It will cost a bit more but you’ll get that back in reduced development time and simply better functionality.

The following are the advantages of using Linux based web server compared to Windows based web server :

Stable: Linux/Unix operating systems has traditionally been believed to be very stable and robust. A web site housed on a Linux operating system will have very high up-time (of the order of 99.9%). Of course, other factors such as power supply, network admin skills, and network load etc. also matter when it comes to maintaining the system uptime.

Low cost of ownership: The Linux OS comes free of cost (or at very insignificant cost, usually cost of distribution). Also, it has full fledged server, and desk top applications that comes free along with the OS. These server applications (such as FTP, Web Server, DNS Server, File Server etc.) being free, are also very stable.

Ease of use : When it comes to web hosting, it is easy to host on Linux web servers. The process of uploading and hosting is almost same for both Linux and Windows web servers. If you want to use a Windows based tool such as Front Page for uploading a web site on to a Linux based web server, make sure that the Front Page extensions are enabled. This is only required if you are uploading using HTTP feature (http://www.yourwebsite.com) of Front Page. Front Page also makes it possible to upload a web site using FTP. You need to select ftp://www.yourwebsite.com for up loading using front page FTP option. Note that if you select “Front Page Extensions” during web site design, you must enable Front Page extensions on a Linux web server also. These days, all Linux web servers are coming with installable Front Page extensions, and this should pose no problem for hosting on a Linux platform.

You can use almost all types of file extensions (or scripts) when using Linux web server. Commonly, the following extensions are supported:

.cgi, .html, .htm, .pl, .php, .shtml, .xml, and others.

Basically it means that you can host web sites that use different types of server side scripts including .cgi, .pl, .php, and .asp (with plug-in).

Easy to move between hosts : A web site designed to be hosted on a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows web server easily, where as the reverse is not always true.

Most widely used : Linux/Unix based web hosting is most widely used compared to Windows based web hosting.

Scalability : A web site is dynamic. Usually, a web site starts with a few pages of html and grows over a period of time to suit the customers requirements. It is preferable to design a web site keeping this requirements in mind. A web site designed for compatibility with a Linux/Unix based web server meets the scalability requirement easily without making any site wide design changes.

On the downside, Linux based web server is not fully compatible with Microsoft technologies. If you are using any specialized applications or VB for development of your web site, it is preferable to host with a Windows based web server.

However if you are not sure then email me or call Teeyes Siva on 00 91 452 3105858 and I’ll help you decide by talking through the issues.

Linux (and its close relation Unix) and Windows 2000 (and its close cousin Windows NT) are types of software (known as operating systems) that web servers use to do the kind of things that web servers do. You do not need to know any real detail of either to make a decision as to which you need but here a few guidelines.

Just because you use a windows desktop PC doesn’t mean you have to opt for Windows web hosting (and the reverse is true as well). The operating system you use on your desktop has little to do with your choice of web hosts. As long as you understand how to use your FTP or web publishing software, your can use either operating system.

But what is important is that you know what you want your website to do and what you want to offer on it. This is what will ultimately help determine the type of web hosting that will work best for you. As mentioned earlier, interactive websites usually rely on ASP, PHP, or Perl type languages.

Linux Web Hosting or Windows 2000 Web Hosting ? Make your Choice !

When it comes to Web hosting, Linux has, for some time, been widely considered the best OS for Web servers. It’s typically found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system and, as such, it’s commonly used for the demanding environment of Web and mail servers. Indeed,Most of the clients websites of aalpha NET runs on the Linux OS precisely because of this traditional stability.

The million-dollar question is what application are you looking to use for your hosting? Consider the tools and scripting languages you plan to use if you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific, then Windows is what you need.

If your site, like most web sites, is what might be termed “brochure-ware” then Linux servers are ideal. By brochure-ware I mean a site that offers the kind of information that in the past might have been provided on paper in the form of brochures, newsletters or data sheets. Brochure-ware sites will offer some interaction through enquiry forms and can certainly incorporate online purchasing and other routine e-commerce functions.

If however your site incorporates an online searchable database or interactive chat facilities then Windows 2000 or NT will be a better bet in most cases. It will cost a bit more but you’ll get that back in reduced development time and simply better functionality.

The following are the advantages of using Linux based web server compared to Windows based web server :

Stable: Linux/Unix operating systems has traditionally been believed to be very stable and robust. A web site housed on a Linux operating system will have very high up-time (of the order of 99.9%). Of course, other factors such as power supply, network admin skills, and network load etc. also matter when it comes to maintaining the system uptime.

Low cost of ownership: The Linux OS comes free of cost (or at very insignificant cost, usually cost of distribution). Also, it has full fledged server, and desk top applications that comes free along with the OS. These server applications (such as FTP, Web Server, DNS Server, File Server etc.) being free, are also very stable.

Ease of use : When it comes to web hosting, it is easy to host on Linux web servers. The process of uploading and hosting is almost same for both Linux and Windows web servers. If you want to use a Windows based tool such as Front Page for uploading a web site on to a Linux based web server, make sure that the Front Page extensions are enabled. This is only required if you are uploading using HTTP feature (http://www.yourwebsite.com) of Front Page. Front Page also makes it possible to upload a web site using FTP. You need to select ftp://www.yourwebsite.com for up loading using front page FTP option. Note that if you select “Front Page Extensions” during web site design, you must enable Front Page extensions on a Linux web server also. These days, all Linux web servers are coming with installable Front Page extensions, and this should pose no problem for hosting on a Linux platform.

You can use almost all types of file extensions (or scripts) when using Linux web server. Commonly, the following extensions are supported:

.cgi, .html, .htm, .pl, .php, .shtml, .xml, and others.

Basically it means that you can host web sites that use different types of server side scripts including .cgi, .pl, .php, and .asp (with plug-in).

Easy to move between hosts : A web site designed to be hosted on a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows web server easily, where as the reverse is not always true.

Most widely used : Linux/Unix based web hosting is most widely used compared to Windows based web hosting.

Scalability : A web site is dynamic. Usually, a web site starts with a few pages of html and grows over a period of time to suit the customers requirements. It is preferable to design a web site keeping this requirements in mind. A web site designed for compatibility with a Linux/Unix based web server meets the scalability requirement easily without making any site wide design changes.

On the downside, Linux based web server is not fully compatible with Microsoft technologies. If you are using any specialized applications or VB for development of your web site, it is preferable to host with a Windows based web server.

However if you are not sure then email me or call Teeyes Siva on 00 91 452 3105858 and I’ll help you decide by talking through the issues.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Teeyes Siva heads the Sales Operations @ aalpha NET (www.aalphanet.com) , Indias leading domain name registration, web hosting service provider. He can be reached @ siva@aalphanet.com or 00 91 452 3105858

Between Windows And Unix Interlacing Hosting?

Windows and UNIX are in celebration two divergent systems and of roaming we are referring to computer systems. A web lessor uses computers, (we shall mention to them as servers, good computers, but sometimes larger) to owner websites, and all computers voracity a operating system, thus Windows and UNIX are the operating system.

The Windows used is normally Windows NT or 2000 and of tramp as you prize Microsoft charges for it’s software, tide UNIX is an go ahead prelude operating system, this factor that the hep creators of the practice have habituated advancing the rights and anyone can use it, change, improve or do anything they want with, free of charge.

From this we instant have to wanted differences, Window hosts are additional treasured and UNIX is further reliable, owing to it as been better by thousands of unascertained people. Most mediocre you are enumeration this in pretentiousness of your computer which much usual is operates on a Windows XP, have you noticed that it sometimes, it freezes, and the lone guess is to restart it? UNIX is famously further stable, robust, time-tested, handy platform for a web server.

But Windows servers have also it’s stupendous sides, they are consistent with Microsoft applications, and really aid Microsoft FrontPage, Microsoft Access and MS SQL, they also instance advance-programming environments and mood congenerous as Active Server Pages (ASP), the http://ASP.NET framework, Visual Basic Scripts, MS Index Server, Macromedia’s and Cold Fusion.

Windows operating proceeding crave painless or no existence in lacework evolving to discharge strange temper big idea very quickly because of better graphical user interface (GUI) Software such as Microsoft’s FrontPage is specially developed for the webmaster to decrease the website development time and efforts.

Lets header grant and to UNIX, they aid FrontPage, Flash, Shockwave, Real Audio/Video, Cgi Scripts, Perl, PHP, SSH (Secure Telnet), MySQL, Web-Based Control System, Anonymous FTP, Web Site Graphical Statistics, Web-Based Email System, Miva/XML, Cold Fusion Perl, JAVA, PHP, C, C++, Miva, Shell Access and various revealed phenomenon of character drink in Telnet and SSH that provides lots of right and freedom in managing file and directories, but some of this require advance knowledge of Unix commands in order for you to customize the scripts to match your website needs.

Because of the character of UNIX, (open source) and the commonality who rapture it, qualified is on the WWW freely available software and scripts, besides bringing the market price down.

About the Author:

The author writes about a number of different topics visit Cheap Web Hosting

Help Me Choose: Linux vs. Windows Web Hosting

This article is useful for all the developers/designers, to find out right operating system to host their personal or business web sites.

This article is useful for all the developers/designers, to find out right operating system to host their personal or business web sites.

To help you choose the best operating system (OS) for your Web site to reside on, I have developed the following guide:

First let’s start with a definition of an operating system, which is the software platform on which a web server runs.

Red Hat Linux:

Linux is an excellent operating system that is well suited to meet your web hosting needs. It handles the functions of mailing, and serving up Web sites and files especially well. Additionally, there are a huge amount of free applications available on the Internet for Linux and it uses less hardware resources than Windows 2003. Whether you are a fairly experienced webmaster or new to web hosting, we recommend that you choose Red Hat Linux as your hosting platform.

Red Hat Linux is most widely used hosting platform in the world.

Microsoft Windows 2003:

Microsoft Windows 20003 server provides a suitable platform for serving up Web sites, files, and streaming media. Additionally, it integrates well with other Microsoft applications and there are a large amount of commercial applications available for this OS. We recommend you choose Windows 2003 as your hosting platform only if you are using specific applications that require Microsoft Windows to run such as Access, Cold Fusion, ASP, .Net, and Microsoft SQL.

Note: Microsoft FrontPage may be used on both the Linux and Windows platforms.

Please Note:

One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to select the same operating system for your hosting account that you use on your own computer. That is simply not true. This means you can select Linux for your hosting account if you currently use Windows 95, 98, NT/200, or XP on your own computer. We suggest that everyone who chooses a shared hosting plan, host their Web site on Linux if they are not utilizing ASP, Cold Fusion, or MSSQL 2000.

There are soo many Web Hosting providers out there in market, but I would like to recommend few of them: VIP PowerNet Web Hosting ( http://www.vipwh.com ), The Hosting Guide ( http://www.thehostingguide.com ). They are reliable and affordable web hosting providers.

I hope this article might help you choose the right hosting provider for your web site.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Internet Hosting Companies

In the big bad world of Internet hosting, if there is something that confuses a potential customer, it’s the sheer number of Internet Hosting Companies. With an endless list of hosting firms offering every imaginable service, a customer is faced with the hard choice of finding a firm that suits both need and budget.

Before choosing an ideal Internet hosting company, there are a few areas a prospective customer should look into. The most important is the support a company offers. Since websites are supposed to be up and running 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year, support round the clock is a must. Some say they do, but don’t take the word?call at odd hours or on weekends to verify their claim. Also, send an email to the firm, the response time indicates their efficiency in providing quick support.

A good Internet hosting company will have efficient and well-mannered technicians to answer all of your questions.

Another important factor in deciding on an Internet hosting company is the cost. Many companies offer surprisingly low costs but later surprise you with hidden fees. Be aware of all costs.

Value added features are another deciding factor in selecting a good hosting firm. Visit some sites hosted by the company to check them out for performance and efficiency.

Create a checklist and stick to it?it’s a smart, simple way to determine the worth of an Internet hosting company before you invest your hard earned money.

Making Money with Articles - Picking a Good Web Hosting Company

Picking a good web hosting company is important to keeping your website open and your costs down. There are many to choose from, as well as different pricing plans to look over. Depending on the amount of sites that you intend on building, you may want to consider a larger web space in the long run.

You should start with the smallest web space that you can get to test the waters, just incase niche website Internet marketing does not work out for you. You may want to add on later, so make sure that your provider offers that option.

You will want to choose a provider that has a reliable service. If your site is down or takes to long to open up when visitors are trying to get in, it may lead them to click out of your site and move on to the next one. They will also more than likely not visit in the future since they will remember their bad experience. For this reason, it is probably best to stick with a well known company who you can check reliable references on. There are many small hosting providers that offer space for as low as $.50 to $1 per month, however, you never know what you will be getting and many of them want you to pay for at least a years worth in advance.

You will also want one that has the most affordable hosting. If you can create your own small site or have one made for you, then you will probably be able to find space for as low as $3 to $4 per month. However, if you need to choose a company that offers a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) website builder, then you will probably end up paying $10 to $15 per month for the smallest amount of space. But if this is the only way that you can build a site, then it is necessary.

Some web hosting providers may also offer a deal on a yearly URL or other products when you make a web hosting purchase.

Ultimately, whatever web hosting provider you choose will depend on your individual needs and what you can afford. Hopefully you will be able to snap up a well known provider at a low price who will allow you to upgrade your service as needed.

Keith Londrie II is a successful Webmaster and publisher of free-article-depot.com a website that specializes in providing articles on a wide variety of topics. Free article Depot dot come that you can publish your own articles or obtain articles for your own use on a web site or in an ezine. Visit free article depot Today!

Linux Vs. Windows Web Hosting, Does It Make A Difference?

One of the most confusing decisions someone new to web hosting will have to make is which platform their server should be on. There are a number of different choices out there but the main two are Linux and Windows web servers. There are also a lot of sources of information about hosting, but the majority of them are tainted by the author’s biased personal opinion unfortunately confusing the issue. Having just put in some solid hours researching the topic I have come to the conclusion that in general it quite probably does not matter which server you use. For the majority of people it will be far more important to choose a really good web host than to worry about the server-type that they implement.

Microsoft developed and owns the Windows operating system. Linux is open source and generally free. This means it can often be more expensive to set up and run a Windows server. However, this fact doesn’t really affect you unless you are actually setting up a server for yourself and if you’re reading this article then I’m guessing that it’s safe to assume you’re not. This article is going to offer information for those trying to decide which hosting company to go with. The cost involved in running a server does not affect the cost of a web-hosting package as much as you may think. Despite the general opinion that Windows servers are more expensive to run, buying a Windows hosting package can often turn out to be just as cheap or even cheaper than an equivalent Linux hosting package.

Some people naturally assume that because their PC runs Windows they need to buy a Windows hosting package. This isn’t true. Access to your web account will most likely be through FTP or a control panel and both servers support these methods. The main difference is that some of the FTP commands are slightly different between Linux and Windows and some FTP programs will be designed with one or the other in mind. This means you may occasionally find that when you try and get your FTP program to do something it returns an error message, but it won’t happen very often.

Your choice of server platforms should be dictated by the use to which you intend to put it. The majority of web features run fine on both platforms including PHP, mySQL, POP3 etc. If you intend to create your site using ASP, FrontPage, the .NET environment, Windows Streaming Media, Access, MSSQL, or any of the other Microsoft proprietary technologies then you probably need to use a Windows host. There is limited support for a number of these technologies in Linux, but they can be expensive and are usually lacking in features. It is probably worth considering the fact that if you use server specific technologies and then change hosts you’ll have a much harder time of it than if you use technologies that can be run on any system. Having it run generic technologies removes the need to focus on specifics and allows you to focus on the quality of service itself.

The reliability and stability of the different platforms have been the topic of many long arguments. The main reason that Windows is seen as being insecure is that it is the most widely used operating system for home PC’s. People spend more time looking for flaws in the most common system. With Linux being the most common server type, it has a surprising number of successful hack attempts made on it. In the end the security of both platforms comes down to the competency of the system administrators. If you are security minded then you’ll do better to make sure that the hosting company is reputable and highly skilled than to worry about the server they use.

In terms of performance there’s not a huge difference between the two servers. Linux reportedly performs faster because Windows (as usual) attempts to offer an ‘all in one’ package instead of the extendable Linux implementation. You’ll generally not notice a difference but if performance is of utmost importance to you then maybe this will influence your decision.

I’ve come to the conclusion that unless you are specifically using features that are unique to one platform or another your time will be much better spent looking for a really good quality host than a really good quality server. Developers are constantly improving both Linux and Windows so they should be fairly close in terms of features, security, and reliability for a long time. It’s the people implementing them that you should be basing your decision on.

By Daniel Punch

M6.Net Web Helpers

http://www.m6.net

Daniel Punch is a writer working at M6.Net: ‘The web-hosting company for humans.’ M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience the power and freedom to develop their own part of the Internet, to share their information and connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Copyright Daniel Punch - http://www.m6.net

Windows Hosting Versus Linux Hosting - Which Is Right For You?

There are literally hundreds of thousands of netting hosting companies out there. Many of these companies adduce both Windows hosting and Linux hosting plans. Windows plans usually equivalent supplementary since of the license costs imposed by Microsoft. Knowing this, how can you discern when you ravenousness Windows hosting and when Linux hosting entrust

hoopla applicable as well or better? Keep reading to find out.

Windows operating systems are begin on relevant fancy 95% of all inherent computers in the world. With agnate a maraud dominance, Microsoft Windows is blessing of certainty to markedly deeper people looking for web hosting.

In the netting server creation though, Windows based servers are dilatory less than 20% of all websites on the internet. This is according to the late lacework server analyze from http://securityspace.com . By choosing a Linux hosting plan, you leave pride yourself in opportune company.

When finish you have to blessing Windows Hosting?

1. .NET technologies including http://ASP.net are not available on Linux platforms. If you have a website built with Microsoft .NET technologies you entrust have to round up a Windows hosting plan. In fact, if you itch ASP without .NET features, powerfully Linux hosting plans bring about not advance sustain

for it.

2. Access Databases are unitary available with a Windows hosting plan. Access runs on a Microsoft Windows meaning and cannot beat on a Linux Operating system.

3. MSSQL is an vitality shapeliness database root out by Microsoft. If you avidity an commotion loveliness database trained are some alternatives that circuit on a Linux trick but if you rapaciousness Microsoft’s MSSQL database, a Windows hosting plan will have to be your choice.

4. If you are using Microsoft’s Sharepoint services relish some of the Sharepoint disposition activate in Frontpage 2003, a Windows Hosting going is your alone choice.

What is the headway to selection Linux Hosting?

All the leading services you motive to migration an movement comeliness website are available on Linux based systems for free. Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP are over used deep to protect the infrastructure unpunctual some of the strikingly traffic intensive sites on the internet.

PHP runs larger on a Linux server than on a Windows server. Having said that, unless you are putting a trying deadweight on your PHP scripts, this consign not be noticable.

In general, Linux hosting plans are at anterior 20% cheaper than Windows hosting plans. If you don’t craze measure of the one’s thing mentioned above, Linux hosting is a shapely superior for your needs.

For Microsoft peculiar technologies, Windows hosting plans are usually your finest bet. For everthing else, Linux hosting plans leave usually sign exorbitantly well. With the appraisal capital usually mount with Linux hosting plans, Linux hosting is usually the right more useful for you.

This fantasy was written by Joe Duchesne, baton of http://www.yowling.com/ , a lattice hosting mission that offers Linux Hosting plans. Copyright 2004 Yowling. Reprint Freely as big league as you safeguard a clickable bracket traject to my website from this resource box.

About the Author:

The author writes about a number of different topics. For more information on web hosting visit http://www.cheaphostaward.info

Internet Hosting Companies

In the big bad world of Internet hosting, if there is something that confuses a potential customer, it’s the sheer number of Internet Hosting Companies. With an endless list of hosting firms offering every imaginable service, a customer is faced with the hard choice of finding a firm that suits both need and budget.

Before choosing an ideal Internet hosting company, there are a few areas a prospective customer should look into. The most important is the support a company offers. Since websites are supposed to be up and running 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year, support round the clock is a must. Some say they do, but don’t take the word?call at odd hours or on weekends to verify their claim. Also, send an email to the firm, the response time indicates their efficiency in providing quick support.

A good Internet hosting company will have efficient and well-mannered technicians to answer all of your questions.

Another important factor in deciding on an Internet hosting company is the cost. Many companies offer surprisingly low costs but later surprise you with hidden fees. Be aware of all costs.

Value added features are another deciding factor in selecting a good hosting firm. Visit some sites hosted by the company to check them out for performance and efficiency.

Create a checklist and stick to it?it’s a smart, simple way to determine the worth of an Internet hosting company before you invest your hard earned money.

Unix Vs Windows Hosting-Which One Is The Best?

This simple question is every day made by many web design newbie’s looking for the perfect hosting plan for them. It is the first thing you should decide if you’re planning to buy a web hosting plan. UNIX and Windows operating systems are the two main types of operating system platforms on which you may host your website. Each has its own set of unique features, advantages and disadvantages. The right question isn’t ?Which one is the best?? but ?Which one is the right choice for your needs??. In this article I will show you the advantages of each one and a short comparison between them. Before that, there’s something you must know, the operating system that you use on your desktop has nothing to do whit the one used by your web host to serve your webpage Many people think that if they use on their desktop a Windows operating system they have to use a windows hosting plan, that’s absolutely not true!! The same rule applies if you had developed your website with MS FrontPage, usually Unix systems have FrontPage Extensions installed.

Now let’s make a UNIX hosting overview:

Nowadays most of the web designers are choosing UNIX servers to host their websites. Everyday Windows is losing costumers to UNIX hosting and the web hosts are exploring this fact offering daily new promotions and UNIX plans. And why are the web designers choosing UNIX plans? First a short and very important advantage: the price, the web host companies usually use free editions of UNIX systems like Linux Red Hat, Linux Fedora Core or even FreeBSD operating system, this fact lower the final price for the costumer because the web hosts don’t have to pay for the server operating system. All the UNIX operating systems are under the GNU license, this means that anyone can access the source code and modify it, very important to optimize the server and resolve any problem or security issue, UNIX systems are the most flexible and stable. It’s easier to upgrade and expand. By default these servers are installed in text mode, the system uses fewer resources and dedicates all its power to the WebPages hosted. Supports Perl, CGI-BIN, PHP3, Shells, MySQL, PostgresSQL, MS FrontPage extensions and much much more.

Windows hosting overview:

Everyone knows Windows server operating systems family! It’s true that it is losing points to UNIX hosting, is true that is more expensive than a UNIX hosting plan but Windows still Windows!! And it supports some tools that UNIX cannot run. Only Windows plans support Scripting languages for dynamic content such as Active Server Pages (ASP) and ASP.NET, Cold Fusion, Active Perl and Visual C++. Only Windows hosting will run Microsoft specific applications such as MS SQL databases, MS Access Databases and IIS. (This is very important and if you’re planning to use any of those languages or applications in you website, you have to buy a Windows hosting plan!).

Now that you know the top features for each operating system, let’s compare them:

Performance:

In low-stress conditions Windows and UNIX servers have very similar performances but under high load UNIX is very superior to Windows.

Stability:

UNIX handles high server loads than Windows; UNIX systems rarely require a reboot, Windows constantly need them. UNIX can run stable much time than a Windows server and UNIX up-time is bigger.

Compatibility:

If you design and program a website under a UNIX server you can easily host it in a windows server, but the reverse is not always possible, Avoiding windows languages (ASP, ASP.NET, etc) and databases (Access and MS SQL) is the better choice.

Price:

Any server hosting a website require a operating system and licenses, Windows 2003 and applications like SQL Server costs a lot of money, on the other hand, UNIX, usually Linux, is free to download, use and operate. This make the difference between the price, UNIX hosting will always be cheaper than a windows one.

Conclusion:

Unix hosting is more stable, has better performances, is more compatible and cheaper than a windows hosting plan. I always recommend UNIX hosting. You will only need Windows hosting if you’re going to develop in ASP, .NET or VB.

Lu’s Carvalho is a professional web designer that decided with more 5 experienced web designers to start rating all the web hosts that our clients use. The result was a webpage http://www.besttopwebhost.com/ , a free web host directory, were you can find the top providers and plans reviews. If you have any question or comment, please contact me at mailto:luis@besttopwebhost.com.