Hello everyone, I'm brand new to the whole domain-buying scene, and I have a few question and is in need of help for choosing a hosting.

Questions:
- Is there a quality difference between unix/linux and window hosting?
- When I look at hosting packages, for mysql database, sometimes they put "5" for it, but I have no idea how much space is "5 databases".
- Is it better to pick a monthly plan first to try out for hosting or should I just stick to the annual plan since it has more deal?

Review:
I have a domain that's hosted as an add-on domain at Gisol. They have a great deal but overall I find the host unreliable. I always experience downtime and the server is just slow. Their customer service is nice, but slow. There was once when I talked to their online representative, and it took them 2 days to have the "head representative" to e-mail me about the problem. And what's more, it wasn't solved. So I had to find the problem myself and solve it.
And that's why I decide to move.

This is my first time buying a domain on my own, and I am really, really lost in all these hosting companies. I just don't know who to trust. So any recommandations from you experts will help.

What I need:
my domain is fairly small, and but budget is low. Anything below $10/m will be great. (I live in Canada, so $8 USD is pretty much as $10 CND for me) I don't need much, 2G+ space and 50G+ transfer. The more the merrier, because I want room for growth. MySQL database is a must. unlimited subdomains and 2+ addon domains. Easy-to-use cpanel and good customer serive will be good since I'm a newbie. Most importantly, reliable server (almost no downtime) and fast, because almost all my sites are graphic-heavy, so a fast server will help a lot.

Thank you for all your help and suggestions!

"Is there a quality difference between unix/linux and window hosting?"

- For the layman, no. If you need ASP or .NET support, you will have to go with windows hosting.

"When I look at hosting packages, for mysql database, sometimes they put "5" for it, but I have no idea how much space is "5 databases"."


- "5 databases" means you can have 5 different databases. Space allocation is usually dependant on account size.

"Is it better to pick a monthly plan first to try out for hosting or should I just stick to the annual plan since it has more deal?"

- Never pay annually even if there's a better deal. Trust me or rather, trust the horror stories you read on these boards. :)


You want a buy a domain name on your own? Get it from a domain name registrar, I recommend namecheap.com.

As for hosting, try findmyhosting.com and do a search with your requirements and that'll help you make a shortlist of hosts to get you started. :)

You want 2GB space and 5GB bandwidth for $8, might want to consider raising budget a little if you want to ensure you get quality hosting.

Linux is generally cheaper than windows hosting, and unless you need to utilise some of the windows tools such as ASP then it isn't worth it.

5 databases means that you get 5 individual databases and should be able to store a lot there although the host might limit the max number of connections, although for a small site that shouldn't really matter.

Also I would advise against paying annaually, - pay monthly so you lose less if things go wrong.

Thanks for all the suggestions, ^^

You want 2GB space and 5GB bandwidth for $8, might want to consider raising budget a little if you want to ensure you get quality hosting.


hmm... then hosting companies like inspirenetworks are just overselling and low quality? I'm just really lost, there are a lot of cheap hostings that claim to be very reliable...