Web
Hosting FAQ
Avoiding
Pitfalls In Cyberspace from About.com
Warning: possible
coarse language, sexually explicit material, exaggerations, untruths, fallacies,
lies, parody, and sarcasm ahead, hence the Disclaimer.
Having the most
spectacular Web site in the world isn't much good without a reliable, secure,
and affordable way to get that site online. There are essentially two options
in this respect. One is to set up your own server (technical, expensive,
and certain to result in many sleepless nights of rebooting), the other
is to have your site hosted on someone else's server (less technical, less
expensive, but certain to result in many sleepless nights wondering why
your host's server is down). Most people opt for the latter, so we decided
to answer some of the most asked questions about Web hosting for reference
purposes.
What's a Web
host?
A Web host is
a company or organization or nerdy teenager that runs a server connected
to the Internet and offers space on that server to people who want to put
a site online.
Isn't that
the same as an ISP?
No. Many ISPs
(Internet Service Providers) do offer Web hosting, just as some Web hosts
offer Internet connection services. Many ISPs include free Web space with
dial-up accounts, although it is often inadequate for business purposes,
while other ISPs and Web hosts provide little or no services aside from
billing your credit card regularly.
How much does
hosting cost?
Web hosting ranges
from free, for ad-based hosting like Geocities, to hundreds of dollars
monthly for a dedicated server. Note that you do not need a dedicated server
for the average pro wrestling fan site, although some hosting firms will
tell you otherwise.
My host promised
unlimited bandwidth, but they're now trying to charge me for excessive
usage. What's going on?
You read the
bold flashing text on their front page that says, "Unlimited Bandwidth,"
and not the fine print buried six levels deep in their navigation where
it says, "Conditions Apply." The conditions are that bandwidth is only
as unlimited as your line of credit, meaning that for the right price you
can have all the bandwidth you want.
Why have I
been suspended for excessive usage even though I haven't used half of the
40 Gig per month transfer limit that came with my hosting package?
They'll never
admit it, but basically, they are trying to either get rid of you or get
you to upgrade to a more expensive package. This typically happens when
a hosting company realizes that they can't possibly afford to provide hosting
at the rates they sold year-long packages for three months ago. In other
words, they finally got around to doing the math and figured out that they're
losing money.
My host was
there one minute, then it suddenly disappeared. Where did it go?
There's a good
chance that your host's parents found out that an Internet server was being
operated on their premises against their explicit orders since the "chat
room incident," and they unplugged it. Host's have also been known to go
broke and close up shop without warning. If you don't hear from them within
72 hours, contact missing Web hosts and start looking for another place
to put your site.
How come a
voting site had my host listed as one of the top five hosts on the Internet,
but they still suck?
That's because
voting sites are notoriously unreliable and are often set up by hosts themselves
to promote their own services. Many quality hosts don't participate in
voting sites, and the voting system is typically rigged, so these lists
are frequently lists of the top hosts to be avoided at all costs.
My host lost
all my documents. Now what?
Simply restore
your site from the extensive collection of back-ups you have at home.
I don't have
any back-ups whatsoever. Will my host have my site backed-up?
Undoubtedly,
your host will have a state-of-the-art triple redundant double back-up
system running 24 hours a day in an effort to ensure that several copies
of all data on the server are maintained in the event of an emergency.
So the short answer is, no.
My current
host is charging me almost $15.00 a month, but the competition is only
charging $4.95 a month. Should I switch?
Absolutely not.
You should never switch from a host you are happy with for a savings of
less than $11.95 per month, especially if your site brings in revenues
of over a thousand dollars an hour.
It takes 9
minutes and 27 seconds for my site to load. Could this be a problem with
my host?
Yes, virtual
servers, as opposed to dedicated servers, host many sites at the same time,
sharing available computer and network resources. If the host puts too
many sites on a single server, or one of the sites on the server gets particularly
busy, all the sites on the server will become slow. This is referred to
in the business as the principle of exponential lag, or "forking slowness."
The proper course of action in these situations is to contact technical
support.
Technical support
has been ignoring my calls and emails for weeks. What should I do?
Find another
Web host, or talk to their mom.
My host's email
server has been down for six days. Shouldn't they have noticed this by
now?
It depends on
how stoned they are. Some hosts are never aware of any problems until contacted
by a user. Many continue to deny that there is a problem until you replicate
it on their receptionist's computer. This ensures that they don't waste
time fixing things that aren't absolutely critical.
Related Links
Web
Hosting Information And Directories
A great place
to begin your quest for the ultimate Web host.
WebHostingTalk
Forums
Reading about
other people's experiences with hosting services can be an excellent way
to find a host that suit your needs and avoid hosts that don't.
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