Tag Archives: dedicated server

Is HostGators Hosting Service A Good Choice For Newbies?

HostGators hosting services are frequently recommended as they are one of the top hosting companies. There are located in Texas but have customers throughout the world. Founded in 2002 they have grown to the point where they host four million domains.

A range of hosting packages are on offer starting with basic shared hosting and including reseller hosting, virtual private server hosting and dedicated server hosting. This means that there is an upgrade path as a site gets busier and that HostGators service is good for personal and business users.

It should be noted that until you get to the dedicated server level HostGators service is Linux based. Generally it is best to go for Linux unless there is a particular reason to use Windows based hosting (such as having a site developed that uses Microsoft technologies).

HostGators entry level plan is available from $4.95 per month (which requires payment for 36 months upfront). However, one key attraction of HostGator is that they do actually allow monthly payments, at a higher price, and you can still cancel at any time.

Like most hosting companies these days HostGators packages include resources such as bandwidth, disk space, email accounts etc. on an “unlimited” basis, which at least keeps it simple. The only limitation of the entry level plan is that only one domain can be hosted.

Most new users of hosting are seeking a service that:

* Is user friendly – HostGators service offers cPanel with Fantastico which makes it was to install software such as WordPress.
* Is always available – a 99.9% uptime guarantee is provided, some maintenance is always required so no host will offer 100%. Whilst maintenance is generally undertaken at night local time this can occasionally be at inconvenient times in other parts of the world.
* Loads pages quickly – In my experience this is no problem with HostGator.
* Provides excellent support – This is an area where HostGators reputation is good and my own experience has been very positive. They offer support 24/7 by phone, chat and email. This may not seem like a top priority to a new user of hosting but I can tell you from past experience how frustrating it is to have problems and be unable to get proper support.

HostGators service meets the above criteria and I would recommend it to new users. I have noticed that HostGator seems to be the choice of many internet marketers and if it is good enough for them.

Is HostGators Hosting Service A Good Choice For Newbies?

HostGators hosting services are frequently recommended as they are one of the top hosting companies. There are located in Texas but have customers throughout the world. Founded in 2002 they have grown to the point where they host four million domains.

A range of hosting packages are on offer starting with basic shared hosting and including reseller hosting, virtual private server hosting and dedicated server hosting. This means that there is an upgrade path as a site gets busier and that HostGators service is good for personal and business users.

It should be noted that until you get to the dedicated server level HostGators service is Linux based. Generally it is best to go for Linux unless there is a particular reason to use Windows based hosting (such as having a site developed that uses Microsoft technologies).

HostGators entry level plan is available from $4.95 per month (which requires payment for 36 months upfront). However, one key attraction of HostGator is that they do actually allow monthly payments, at a higher price, and you can still cancel at any time.

Like most hosting companies these days HostGators packages include resources such as bandwidth, disk space, email accounts etc. on an “unlimited” basis, which at least keeps it simple. The only limitation of the entry level plan is that only one domain can be hosted.

Most new users of hosting are seeking a service that:

* Is user friendly – HostGators service offers cPanel with Fantastico which makes it was to install software such as WordPress.
* Is always available – a 99.9% uptime guarantee is provided, some maintenance is always required so no host will offer 100%. Whilst maintenance is generally undertaken at night local time this can occasionally be at inconvenient times in other parts of the world.
* Loads pages quickly – In my experience this is no problem with HostGator.
* Provides excellent support – This is an area where HostGators reputation is good and my own experience has been very positive. They offer support 24/7 by phone, chat and email. This may not seem like a top priority to a new user of hosting but I can tell you from past experience how frustrating it is to have problems and be unable to get proper support.

HostGators service meets the above criteria and I would recommend it to new users. I have noticed that HostGator seems to be the choice of many internet marketers and if it is good enough for them.

Running a Dedicated Server – Part I

Running dedicated servers is never easy, and you will undoubtedly have quite a few settings to sift through if you want to give your users the best experience possible. That being said, how CAN you improve the overall user experience? The first thing you will need to do when setting up any dedicated servers is take a look at the control panel and set up the necessary items. For instance, if you are planning to use this server for public webmail then you may wish to configure the webmail server on the box.

You will need to look around of course and become familiar with the different aspects of your server, and once you do, you will be ready to configure some of the more complicated items. For instance you might move on to the FTP, and the great thing about renting dedicated servers is that the hard part is already done. All you will need to do is configure your FTP password and add users if necessary.

Nameservers should also be configured whether they are being hosted remotely or on the same box. Note that running your own nameservers can actually be quite beneficial to your company as a ‘Whois’ will make it seem as if the company is larger than it is, especially if it is using its own name servers.

Configuring backups is another very important part of your dedicated server, and the option should be sitting in the control panel. These backups will in most cases be recorded to an outside location, but in some cases the backups will actually be stored on the dedicated server in a separate partition. Either will work, but no matter what, make sure your server is performing automatic backups at least once per day. This will ensure that the site stays up and running no matter what!

There are many more aspects in running your own dedicated server of course, and they will be addressed later on. What you need to know right now is that while you have accepted a huge responsibility, it is one that may very well help your company grow into a success. A dedicated server appears more professional, mostly because it is, and it will draw more customers to your website.

You may start with a simple shared hosting plan of course, but it is the eventual goal of any company to move toward the dedicated package. Yes, a dedicated package is going to be more expensive, but there are a few distinct differences. For example a dedicated server will provide you with root access whereas a shard package would give you no such thing. The logic behind this is that you can feel free to disrupt your own experience is one thing, but disrupting the experience of others is certainly unsound. This is decent logic, and it will undoubtedly save many different user experiences whether they are on the user end of your website or on the admin end.

If you’re ready to make a difference in your bui9sness then you’re undoubtedly ready to take advantage of the dedicated server options. Dedicated hosting will open up all kinds of new possibilities for you, some of which are still very much unseen. You never know what might around the corner!