hi everybody,

i'm a total newbie when it comes to this sort of thing, so i need some recommendations on a good hosting service. i don't want to create anything huge and i'm not going to be selling stuff, so i just want something that's a good deal and reliable. i've heards millions of horror stories so i don't want to just jump in blindly.

alex
susokukan@mail.gr

<< please avoid making posts like these... -kunal >>

You should do a search in this board, there are a lot of useful information in here.

Alex:

I've been lurking here for a long time, (but only recently registered...) and it seems to me that using this forum, the best way to find a suitable host goes something like this:

1. Make a list of what you really want/need in a host
2. Make a list of potential hosts
3. Search here for posts about each of those hosts (no, I wasn't trying to rhyme... really! ;))
4. Got it narrowed down yet? Pick two or three, and send off email with specific questions. Response time counts, as does accuracy and relevancy of response. No extra points for "pretty" stationary in Outlook.
5. Search again on your finalists - if at all possible, read at least six months worth of posts to see what kind of problems they may have had, and more importantly, how they fixed them.

It's all research -- a bit time consuming, and not very glamorous, but it will pay off in the end!

Good Luck!

I have to agree with Dustbunny. It is all about gathering information.
But sometimes too much info can be very confusing and diffult to make a choice.

Try to make a list of hosts and narrow it down to 3-5. Then You may ask for an advice in this forum.

you can also search hosting directories.

for examples
hostsearch.com
webhostdir.com
hostindex.com
tophosts.com

any many many other ..

here is the complete list and then follow exactly what dustbunny said

http://www.oingo.com/topic/9/9724.html

What you deffo. need is good support. If you are a newbie.
A good FAQ, Good Guides, very detailed and of course a good support responce time.

Regards

Craig

as far as hosting directories go i prefer ispcheck.com

You might want to use a host that can give support via instant messaging so they can guide you through using ftp, setting up e-mail etc..

One of the things that I find most important is a detailed online manual that REALLY explains things. It should tell you what, where, how, and why for all the features that are available on your site. This is especially important for newbies because newbies are not yet familiar with the terminology. Tech support can't help if a newby doesn't know enough to form a question in the first place.

Most of the hosts I've checked out have woefully lacking manuals. Even the ones which have an online manual may not have one that's worth a hill of beans. I've even seen some who don't plainly post the path to perl and sendmail. Everyone who uses a cgi script needs path information, but newbies also need to know what permissions are, how to set them, and why.

When I was a newby I was aggravated, frustrated, and sick and tired of paying for hosting even though I was not able to upload my site because the host would not plainly offer the information I needed to know before I could upload. I would ask a question and get an answer that seemed to be completely in left field. Then I found tridentnetworks.com and finally understood that it wasn't my fault that I couldn't get my site online. My first host, who was also my ISP, was simply not doing his job as a host.

I've never seen a better online manual than the one Trident has. There are hosts that will beat them on price, features, and bandwidth allowance, (That's why I moved.) However, while I was there, they were a rock solid host with good speed and uptimes and few can compare when it comes to newby support through their manual. So I'd suggest that even if you can't afford them, at least check out their manual so you can see what a good one looks like.

I hope that some of the hosts here take a look too.

~Sorceress~

Try to stay away from deals that seem "too good to be true." Most often, they are.

I recomend Aletia ( www.aletiahosting.com ). They are a great company and have great prices, but more importantly, they have an amazing support staff. They have helped me many times via AIM and now their new forum! Anywho, said advice is great, and good luck finding a host.

I think you should take a look at ********-isp.com plans they seem pretty good

Hi susokukan,

My first web host two years ago was NetMegs.com (http://www.netmegs.com/). This is a small company with a very responsive, capable, courteous tech support. I still use them for one of my sites that don't require a lot of features.

Net Megs doesn't promise you the world for nothing, but they deliver what they promise - consitantly. As a newbie that was just learning about cgi scripts, SSI, stuff like that, they were very patient and helpful. The main thing for me is, I like being treated like a valuable customer, and I like stability. You will get that with Net Megs.

I'm not affiliated with ANY web host -- I'm just feel indebted to Net Megs for putting up with my newbie questions for so long so I'm going to plug for them when I can. :D