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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    What Type of Web Hosting is Best For You

    I wrote and posted this on GoArticles.com, so no, I didn't steal it from there.

    Are you confused with all of the different types of web hosting? Do you know which type is best for you? This guide will try and help you to find out which type of web hosting best suits your needs and budget.

    First of all, here are the different terms that will be discussed:

    Shared hosting
    Reseller hosting
    VPS (virtual private server)
    Dedicated server
    Colocation

    What is shared hosting?
    Shared hosting is the most common type of budget web hosting. You are hosted on a server with different websites, that you share the server with. One abusive site can slow down the whole server, and on an unsecured server, a malicious user can gain access to your files. The number of sites hosted on a server depends on the web host, and the size of the plans. Users on shared servers often experience slow speeds, due to overselling. Many shared server web hosts oversell their servers. Overselling is assuming that most users will not use up all of their resources, so they put more users on a server than it could hold if every user used up all of their alloted resources. This isn't too big of an issue if web hosts know what they're doing, and oversell responsibly. Shared hosting can start very cheap, as low as a couple dollars per month, but I suggest going with something a little more costly.

    What is reseller hosting?
    Reseller hosting is very similar to shared hosting. Reseller hosting takes place on a shared server. The difference between shared and reseller hosting is that with a reseller account, you can create shared hosting accounts. Depending on the host, you can create an unlimited number of shared users, but of course you cannot use more space and bandwidth than you are alloted. With reseller hosting, you can start your own web hosting business, give hosting away to friends, or make many accounts for yourself. Overselling can still be an issue with reseller hosting, because you still share the server with other resellers and shared hosting users. Reseller hosting usually costs a little more than shared hosting, starting at around $15-20.

    What is a VPS?
    A VPS is a virtual private server. Also known sometimes as a VDS, or virtual dedicated server. A VPS is very similar to a dedicated server, except that you are still sharing the server with other users. However, with a VPS, you are in an isolated environment. Each VPS user has its own partition of the server, and therefore an abusive user does not effect other users on the VPS. You get root access to the server, and can install your own software. You also have the ability to create reseller accounts. With a VPS, you can do everything that shared and reseller hosting users can, as well as complete control over your slice of the server. VPS costs more than shared and reseller hosting, with usually starting around $40 a month. I can recommend PowerVPS.com with firsthand experience, I am very happy with them. Their lowest price for a cPanel VPS is $44.50 a month with 10GB storage and 150GB bandwidth. I also recommend (without firsthand experience) LiquidWeb.com, which starts at $60/month with 20GB storage and 200GB bandwidth.

    What is a dedicated server?
    A dedicated server is very similar to a VPS, except that you get the full server. You get full root access and complete control over it. With a dedicated server, however, comes a lot of responsibility. You need to make sure that the server is fully secure. A managed server means that the company you are getting the dedicated server from will manage it for you, but the amount of management that you receive depends on the company. If you are interested in a managed server, you should ask the host ahead of time about the amount of management that they will provide. You can also outsource the management. There are numerous companies out there that you can outsource the management to. The one I've seen with the lowest price that has good reviews is FastServerManagement.com, which is priced at $29.99 a month for full management. I've also read some good things about Rack911.com, but they cost more. You can always manage it yourself, but if using a Linux server you will need a lot of Linux experience, or with a Windows server there are a lot of security flaws that need to be fixed. If managing it yourself, I recommend getting a security scan on your server done to ensure that it is fully secured. For the hosting provider, I recommend ThePlanet.com, a very large hosting company which owns 2 datacenters in Texas. They offer servers with a minimal amount of management starting at $199.99 a month (or sometimes more, when they're not on sale). They also have a cheaper product line of servers, starting at $99/month, at ServerMatrix.com. You may also want to look at Ev1Servers.net, which starts at $99 a month, or LayeredTech.com, which starts at around $60/month. You could always also do a Google search for "dedicated servers" and get lots of other results.

    What is colocation?
    I won't go to much into depth here, because I have no experience with colocation. With colocation, you own a server and you pay a datacenter to host it for you. They will provide the space in the datacenter, bandwidth, IP addresses, etc. Some hosting companies that offer colocation provide on-site staff, but others will require you to have your own staff.

    This wraps up my summary of the different types of web hosting. I didn't recommend any shared or reseller providers because there are so many out there, and I have more experience with dedicated server and VPS companies. I recommend going to WebHostingTalk.com to read reviews about different web hosting companies. I didn't recommend any colocation providers because I have no experience with any. I hope that I did a good job explaining all of this.
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2003
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    The vast majority of people that might find this post even remotely useful would be looking for a shared hosting environment, but after reading your thread I'd be scared ****less to purchase one....

    What an incredibly poor explanation of shared hosting! I stopped reading after that so can't really comment on what comes later, but if it's anywhere near as pertinent as the beginning of this thread you should have flushed it rather than post it.

    You ask the question, "Do you know which type is best for you?", but then fail to provide an answer. Where in that pile of dog doodoo do you address the purpose and needs of the reader's site(s)? You don't. Your newbie readers will likely leave this thread with less of an idea of what they need than when they came in.....

    Good job.
    It's time to kick back, pop in a From Autumn to Ashes CD, and relax.....

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    1,141
    Originally posted by CactusCounty
    The vast majority of people that might find this post even remotely useful would be looking for a shared hosting environment, but after reading your thread I'd be scared ****less to purchase one....

    What an incredibly poor explanation of shared hosting! I stopped reading after that so can't really comment on what comes later, but if it's anywhere near as pertinent as the beginning of this thread you should have flushed it rather than post it.

    You ask the question, "Do you know which type is best for you?", but then fail to provide an answer. Where in that pile of dog doodoo do you address the purpose and needs of the reader's site(s)? You don't. Your newbie readers will likely leave this thread with less of an idea of what they need than when they came in.....

    Good job.
    That was pretty rude, but okay.

    I just reread the part about shared hosting, and I admit, I kind of forgot to mention the positive aspects of it, since I was so caught up with writing what was wrong with it.

    I was simply summarizing each type of web hosting, I wasn't telling people which kind to go with, so I didn't need to answer the quest "Do you know which type is best for you?" The point is for the reader to decide on their own.

    I really think that you came off terribly rude. You may not like my tutorial, but you don't need to call it a pile of dog sh*t, which you did. Feel free to post criticms, this is a public forum, but you really don't have to be so rude about it.
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2003
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    My Old Kentucky Home....
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    I'll be the first to admit that my post was a bit on the harsh side, but my opinion of your "tutorial" remains the same. In your opening you state that "[t]his guide will try and help you to find out which type of web hosting best suits your needs and budget", but towards that end you've failed miserably.

    You didn't define shared hosting, but rather you defaced it. There is nothing inherently wrong with the concept of shared hosting in itself, and all of the issues that you present are problems with the host rather than with the shared environment. If your views are based on personal experience then perhaps you've made some bad choices in hosts.....

    Rather like the victims of PowerProWeb did.
    It's time to kick back, pop in a From Autumn to Ashes CD, and relax.....

  5. #5
    It's a fair criticism, though - it does a good job of detailing the pitfalls of shared hosting, without providing a more comprehensive overview of what is actually involved - or the benefits. So it's an unbalanced account, and therefore of less benefit to readers.

  6. #6
    Well a nice attemp.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    1
    Thanks HostingInsider. Though there are some criticism about your tutorial, don't worry about it. I am not here to discuss about the criticism as CactusCounty may be right from his view.

    I am a newbie myself and found your tutorial very useful, exactly kinda what I was looking for to start with. As you said, I might be kinda able to decide myself now.

    Please advise me on the following: I am planning to sell some of my products online targeting only sydney-siders (initially) on a very small scale. But still will need SSL as I will be accepting credit card payment.

    From your post I have an idea to look for some of VPS providers. I can do a bit of coding in JSP, so thought of utilising it and doing everything myself. Now what else should I know.

    Thanks in advance.

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