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  1. #1

    Please Recommend Good phpBB Hosting Site

    Hi,
    I have a question which I initially posted on phpBB.com, and the good folk there recommended that I post here at webhostingtalk.com

    I am looking to set up a phpBB forum on a reliable host site, with good support (if that combination of things exists).

    The host that I used for a couple of years (Forumatic.com) offered a scaled-down free plan as one of its services, but stopped hosting in late 2016, and they recommended a company called Bluehost, which I have little confidence in, after speaking online with one of their support staff.

    One of the things that I was told on phpBB.com was to not go for a host which offers one-click install of phpBB, because if/when things go wrong, it is extremely difficult for others to suggest help because of the proprietary nature of any particular site's one-click install software. This is another reason to not choose Bluehost.

    Dreamhost and Host Gator have been recommended to me, but I know nothing about the former, and I hear that - in recent years - the quality of Host Gator's support has deteriorated significantly.

    It would be great to find a host that provides a free plan as one of its services (like Forumatic.com did), but I am not impressed with the ones I have seen so far which offer free plans, and do not mind paying for hosting.

    vBulletin has various plans, but the cheapest one that I can see there is US $19 / month, which is a little expensive for me, given my modest aims for the forum. I would be happy to pay half of that price, and even happier to pay less than that.

    I do not necessarily need anything that automates the process of creating a forum and sub-forums, as the two weeks of mental mayhem that I experienced when I learned phpBB several years ago has equipped me quite well to construct and administer a phpBB site for my needs.

    However, I should also say that I am not a developer, am not that technically minded, and have no desire or need to get into learning about SQL, writing scripts and the like.

    So, can anyone here recommend a reliable, relatively cheap (fitting with what I described above), non 'one-click install' host for phpBB?

    Looking forward to any replies.

    Thanks,
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  2. #2
    Well, do you care is it shared or vps type of hosting? The thing with forums, is how they can overload your shared hosting account and you could risk suspension of account, while with vps you can control usage resource and optimize it. I know you said how you are non-tehnical person, but installing forum on vps is fairly easy even for non-tehnical person. And yes, as you mentioned , both hostgator and dreamhost are reduced in quality according to many reviews.
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  3. #3
    There is no option like phpBB Hosting. You must determine what you need at first(Shared Hosting, VPS or Dedicated Server). If you will setup and manage a PHP script, then you must learn some things(creating/updating database, getting backup and restoring etc.). I recommend to buy fully managed hosting. So your hosting provider can help you about your application problems(like fixing security issues, script errors etc.). I recommend Surpasshosting(its member of Hostdime family). Their all services are fully managed and support is fast and effective.
    domainCart - PHP / AJAX Domain and Hosting Order Script | WHMCS Alternative
    Supports 700+ domain extensions, 27+ payment gateways, multi-currency with auto exchange..
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    CMYK-Land
    Posts
    1,400
    First you picked up one of the worst hosting companies on the market. Probably searching for "best hosting" or got a link to an affiliate website what have financial gain if they manage to redirect you to one "of the best hosting companies".

    I'm afraid that @domaincart is right and it will cost you much more than 19$/mo if you need fully managed solution, e.g. server (VPS), backups, phpBB... and so on. The price will more likely be around 50-60$/mo with good hosting who will not let you down.

    If you can handle alone the forum (updates, backup, etc) then you should look for shared hosting. This will cost you much less and it should be around 35-50$/year. For shared hosting i can suggest Hostmantis, using their reseller for 2 years and so far no problems. If you decide for this hosting company then definitely go for SSD hosting as its much faster and better than "normal" shared (HDD).

    Free hosting is real in the same way as free gas, electricity... plane tickets. If you are searching how to get the cheapest hosting i'm sure you will pretty soon regret this decision. If you dont have money for two pizzas per year then stop now...
    - I often come to the conclusion that my brain has too many tabs open. -
    Failing at desktop publishing & graphic design since 1994
    .
    Pretty soon we can expect hosting companies offering "double unlimited"
    or
    "not limited unlimited with no limits".
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    375
    I/my clients have never had any problem with phpBB installed via Softaculous 1 click installer, however here is the guide for installing it manually https://www.phpbb.com/community/docs/INSTALL.html
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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    4,332
    BlueHost and HostGator is part of the Endurance International Group (EIG) which you may want to avoid as EIG has a reputation of buying and ruining hosting companies.

    As for vBulletin, I believe that their hosting service can only be used to run their own forum software and not phpBB.

    Do you know what sort of traffic are you aiming for? If you intend to start small, a shared hosting plan should be a good start but do make sure that the hosting provider offers upgrade paths so you will be able to upgrade as your forum grows.

    As for the one-click installer, most hosting providers offer it but you are free to choose not to use it but instead install phpBB manually. As far as I understand both Installatron and Softaculous Application Installers do not insert any proprietary codes so it will not result in any support issues down the road.
    [ James Lee - Cloud & Web Hosting Specialist 10+ Years WHT Veteran]

    [ Magento Performance Consultation by Magento Master ]
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  7. #7

    Many Thanks

    Hi Everyone,
    Many thanks for your replies to my questions, and many, many apologies for taking so long to getting around to responding - I had thought that I had done so.
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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    /root
    Posts
    23,981
    Quote Originally Posted by drutgat View Post
    Hi Everyone,
    Many thanks for your replies to my questions, and many, many apologies for taking so long to getting around to responding - I had thought that I had done so.
    More than 2 years is definitely a very late reply Where have you been? You found your new host?
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  9. #9
    Hi net,
    My needs for webhosting have changed a little over the past couple of years, and I realized that I was not ready at that point to move forward.

    That is not an excuse for not checking and responding to the replies here, though, and I apologize for that.

    Do you think it best that I start a new thread to pick the brains of people here about what I am looking for?

    Thanks.
      0 Not allowed!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    3,587
    a 2 year old grave dig to gain closure? I like it
      0 Not allowed!

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