OK, so this is the umpteenth request, most likely--but I'd really like to get some good input from people who have used the services.

I would like to ask about reliable web hosting services who offer:

* POP3 accounts: 25 to unlimited
* Disk space: 200MB or more
* Data transfer: 4GB/mo or higher
* At least a few FTP accounts and MySQL Databases
* CGI and PHP
* low setup fee
* $20/mo hosting fees or lower
* Halfway decent documentation
* Decent support: Phone or Email, but reply within hours; not form-letter replies, but good advice or true fixes to problems.

Am I asking too much? Maybe... I used to use AITcom.net, but after nearly two years of decent service they went haywire on me--then I noted they overbilled me by $100. And their bad support drove me crazy, and their secret switch to 6-month contracts ticked me off. Then I read on web host lists about the horror stories people have, and well...

I just switched to Aletia.com, seeing mostly good reviews. However, their documentation is practically nil--directions as to how to set things up were fragmentary at best, and often times their support people point me to forums or search engines to find out what to do. To set things up it seems you need to know how to run things on a server already. Their support seems OK, but is on-and-off--sometimes they are good, but sometimes they are vague or slow. Their AIM contact--a great idea--went off the air for days, just when my problems hit; when they came back they pleaded AIM difficulties, and said they would have to work on my problem for several days as their own ISP was crappy. Not too encouraging. Most worrying is that CGI scripts--even ones they recommend--work spottily at best, and I need things to work well 99% of the time. I'm not sure I want to leave them (their hosting plan is pretty darn good), but I gotta have reliability.

So, what are your experiences? What stories do you have? Who should I try out, who should I stay away from?

Thanks for all your help.


Tokyo

Apixhosting.com's "silver" account has what you need. I use them and their support is great. Here's a link to thier silver account page. http://www.apixhosting.com/plans/silver.html

you gotta love loyal customers that take the time to set up a blank page on your server simply to promote your services at web hosting talk......:rolleyes:

Ventures Online seem to constantly get good reviews. You can look at their plans at:

http://www.venturesonline.com/hosting/virtual-hosting.html

For under $20, you should be able to get the features you are looking for. Good luck with your search.

Hi, I'm using F5Hosting (http://www.f5hosting.com) and have all the features you're needing, for the price you're looking to spend.

I can tell you from experience the support is fantastic, the servers are fast and have never had any downtime or problems.

Good luck,
Michelle

I've never used these guys, but InetFlex (http://www.inetflex.com) seem to offer quite a bit for $20/month, like multiple domain support.

Originally posted by Foo-Dawg
I've never used these guys . . . . .:eek:

I have been in the internet for long but I have found the following hosts that I use and they are great at support and server uptime.

Venturesonline.com
Very Nice Staff! Great Prices too!

APHosting.com
Alot of features for cheap pricing. Fair Support.

Tera-Byte.com
I use them for mods linked to my site on VO.
Alot of bandwidth for low prices!

Originally posted by Michelle69
never had any downtime or problems.


That is a bold claim to make. Any evidence to prove that?

As already suggested:

Ventures Online (http://www.venturesonline.com)