Beware of Inferior Webhosts...

What Every Web Site Owner Should Know Beware of Inferior Webhosts... If the provider does not have enough bandwidth your site will load slowly. If the provider does not have redundant connection your site will not load if there is a problem with the Internet connection. If the provider does not have adequate security; your site may get hacked. *This is not always the cause of hacked sites. See the chapter on security. If the provider’s security is too restrictive your Web applications may not work properly. If the provider does not have adequate backup; you could lose the site altogether, so make sure you have your own. These are just a few of the possible calamities that can happen.. After the blood, sweat, tears and money that you have gone through to get your site up, a smoothly running Web host will make all the difference. Hopefully, you will just pay the fees and never have to worry about the host. You will know you have a good Web hosting company if you never have to think

ALL HOSTS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

What Every Web Site Owner Should Know ALL HOSTS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL Now that you know a little bit more about Web hosting, it is time to think about actually choosing a Web host. Services offered range from simple web hosting with no features, to comprehensive packages including templates, a marketing plan, search engine submission, and more. Sometimes this can be confusing for a prospective Website owner. Too many choices can lead to what may not be the best decision. Therefore, one of the most important things to consider is reliability. Regardless of what else is offered, or how great the deal is, if your Website is down half the time, it’s not worth it. After reliability, email is probably the next critical feature you should consider. Before you sign up with a hosting company, you can check to see if their mail servers appear on any black lists (Just visit my Website to find out how to do this.). Additionally, most Web hosts offer protection against spam. It will also allow you to add email addresses that you want to make certain you receive email from to a white list. Spam filtering is a balancing act. The higher the security, the less spam will get through, but the greater the probability that legitimate email is filtered along with the junk mail. Depending upon how important you consider your email, will determine your “comfort level” regarding spam filtering. Personally, I prefer a Web host to allow all non-virus email through. I can configure my own spam filter.

Do It Yourself Webhosting?!? Ye Be Warned

What Every Web Site Owner Should Know DO IT YOURSELF WEB HOSTING? YE BE WARNED... (Web Hosting Pt 03) Eventually, you will hear or read somewhere that you can enable the Personal Web Server (PWS) and run your own Web server. You might be thinking “Gee, can save a few bucks and host my site for free”. While this is true, and may even seem easy, this is a huge endeavor if you want to do it properly. TURN BACK NOW, WHILE YOU STILL CAN! If you are still determined to run your own Web server here’s a few things to consider: Security: with millions of hackers, viruses, Worms, spyware packages, and other Internet threats, security is a paramount. While this applies to all computers; it is even more vital for a Web server exposed directly to the Internet. Web servers are extremely vulnerable simply due to their accessibility. Additionally, they have certain ports that need to be open to communicate with other computers. To deal with security, you will need a good hardware firewall, properly configured. Furthermore, the server must be set up properly with no exploits that could allow a hacker, worm, or other malware access. You will also need to monitor the security logs for any suspicious activity on a daily basis. DNS: if you’re going to run your own web server then you will need to run a public DNS server, or find a third party service to run your DNS zone for you. This is beyond the scope of this book Static IP address: you will also need a static IP address so that your domain name will consistently resolve to your Website. As we discussed before an IP address is what networks use to locate and identify other networks, computers and other Internet enabled devices. A static IP is usually more expensive than a dynamic IP. The difference between a static and a dynamic IP is simply this; a static IP never changes it is always a particular dress such as 68.183 dot 185.191 versus a dynamic IP that will change either periodically, or every time you turn on your computer. With this being said it is possible to run a Website with a dynamic IP address by using a third party company, however I do not recommend this approach. Software: It's expensive and obsolete by the time you open the packaging... Mail server: assuming you want to receive e-mail through your domain (i.e. you@yourdomain.com) you will need to install and configure a mail server on your computer and all the goes with it. By doing this you are enabling the service on your computer called SMTP (simple mail transport protocol). By turning on SMTP you have just open yourself to becoming an unsolicited e-mail relay server, better known as a spam zombie. And in properly secured and configured SMTP server will allow anybody on the Internet to use your computer to send e-mail. Even worse than that, with a few easy to get programs available widely on the Internet, they can even make these emails appear to be coming directly from you. Maintenance: When the server goes down guess who gets the calls and guess who you get to call... If this isn’t enough to scare you off, and you are determined to run your own Website, then I hope you’ll visit my website www. EverMoreTech.com. I have some tips and tricks as well as more detailed and in-depth instructions and advice to do this properly. However, I reiterate, it is cheaper be easier, more secure, and less of a headache to simply by hosting services. I personally run my own web hosting business and we’ll be happy to host a Website for you at a reasonable price.

Web Hosting Pt 03 Advanced Hosting Features

What Every Web Site Owner Should Know Beyond the Basics (Web Hosting Pt 03) There are many other more advanced web hosting options and features that you may need. Your Webmaster should know which features he will require. Chances are he will have a Web host that he uses routinely. By using a single Web host he will be familiar with the control panel and features of that particular provider. This will save time and prevent issues regarding compatibility. On the other hand, he may be a reseller (which is common) and have a vested interest in selling you the most expensive package you can afford. As long as you know what you are getting into you are in good shape. A little knowledge can go a long way to save you money in this business. In any case, a few questions up front can go a long way to making your Website a success. If you simply ask him if he has any special needs or preferences, if he has a Webhost that he has good experiences with and if he is affiliated with that Webhost. WHADDYA MEAN “WHAT ‘S MY PASSWORD?”... WHAT PASSWORD? From time to time, a Website owner wants to transfer a Website from one company to another. Frequently, the owner does not have the registrar or the FTP login information. The Registrar login information is needed to administrate the domain name and the FTP login information is necessary to transfer the files to and from the Web host. Usually, this is not a problem. However, if the original Webmaster can no longer be contacted, there can be trouble. There can be no transfer until account access has been restored. If the owner is not listed as the administrative contact, proving ownership of the domain name may be difficult. In most cases it can be squared away, but it is rarely fun and easily avoided. All you have to do is write down your information in the “Important Info” Appendix at the end of this book. Bottom line —Make sure that you are listed with the registrar as the administrative contact and you have all account information BEFORE you need it and keep the login information in a safe place. MAKING THE CHOICE Choosing a Web host is an important step and should be done carefully. If you choose a substandard service your Website may be unacceptably slow and/or unreliable. The quality of Web hosting services varies a great deal depending on the provider. A Web host provider can range from a person with startup hosting business consisting of a Web server in their garage, running Windows 98® on dial up, all the way up to Billion-Dollar-Companies running state-of-the-art data centers and everything in between. There are pros and cons either way. Smaller hosting companies are typically less reliable, while large hosting companies are generally too restrictive and it can be difficult to work with/around their security. Hopefully, you will find a host that offers great services without being too restrictive. If you visit my website www.EverMoreTech.com I have included a list of reliable web hosting providers, what they offer, and a tool in which you can compare them. You’ll also find updated lists of the type of hardware that should be expected from any decent web host. This will include how much how much bandwidth and how much web space is the average offered. HEY LOOK, IT’S A CLUE! Beware of Inferior Webhosts... If the provider does not have enough bandwidth your site will load slowly. If the provider does not have redundant connection your site will not load if there is a problem with the Internet connection. If the provider does not have adequate security; your site may get hacked. *This is not always the cause of hacked sites. See the chapter on security. If the provider’s security is too restrictive your Web applications may not work properly. If the provider does not have adequate backup; you could lose the site altogether, so make sure you have your own. These are just a few of the possible calamities that can happen.. After the blood, sweat, tears and money that you have gone through to get your site up, a smoothly running Web host will make all the difference. Hopefully, you will just pay the fees and never have to worry about the host. You will know you have a good Web hosting company if you never have to think about it after you make your decision

Web Hosting Pt 02 Web Hosting Features Demystified

What Every Web Site Owner Should Know Web Hosting Features Demystified When you are searching for a Web host and comparing the different features offered, there are some terms used to describe the different features offered. Understanding what these terms mean and what your needs will likely be, can save you a considerable sum of money later on. I realize that a lot of this stuff is about as exciting as watching paint peel, but you will be glad you did later. Most average sites don’t require more than one or two Gigabytes of Web space (This will undoubtedly change in time). Buy the least expensive plan that offers the features you need. If you find that you need more, than it is usually a simple matter to request an upgrade to a better plan. Websites that offer high quality video, audio, photos, graphics, or have excessive traffic will use more resources than an average site. Sites that accept credit cards will need SSL to provide secure payment transactions. Corporate sites may need a dedicated server. Business may want to use co-location etc... In order to launch a successful Website you will need to keep your start up and operating costs to a minimum. Future considerations such as marketing, maintenance, and redesign can be costly. Assuming the hosting services you choose are adequate for your needs, the less money you spend on hosting the better. I mention this because there are many hosts that will charge top dollar for a level of service you do not need. Don’t get cheap, unreliable service, mind you, just be away that you don’t need to overpay. The more money you can save on hosting, the more you will have for other aspects of your site. Some basic web hosting features you need to be concerned about: Web space –This determines how much content you will be able to store on your site. Bandwidth –This is a measure of the data you can send over your site per day/week/month. Server performance –Faster machines mean better performance... Backups –Are the servers (and your Website) backed up daily? Access –Do you have the access you need? In most cases a simple control panel and FTP access should do the trick Support – Is there a toll free number? Is the support 24/7? Streaming videos, podcasts, webinars, or other media –Support for streaming media may be an additional add-on, or included in a premium package. SSL –Security Certificate necessary for ecommerce sites. Physical Security –does the facility have 24/7 security? When you are searching for a Web host and comparing the different features offered, there are some terms used to describe the different features offered. Understanding what these terms mean and what your needs will likely be, can save you a considerable sum of money later on. I realize that a lot of this stuff is about as exciting as watching paint peel, but you will be glad you did later. Most average sites don’t require more than one or two Gigabytes of Web space (This will undoubtedly change in time). Buy the least expensive plan that offers the features you need. If you find that you need more, than it is usually a simple matter to request an upgrade to a better plan. Websites that offer high quality video, audio, photos, graphics, or have excessive traffic will use more resources than an average site. Sites that accept credit cards will need SSL to provide secure payment transactions. Corporate sites may need a dedicated server. Business may want to use co-location etc... In order to launch a successful Website you will need to keep your start up and operating costs to a minimum. Future considerations such as marketing, maintenance, and redesign can be costly. Assuming the hosting services you choose are adequate for your needs, the less money you spend on hosting the better. I mention this because there are many hosts that will charge top dollar for a level of service you do not need. Don’t get cheap, unreliable service, mind you, just be away that you don’t need to overpay. The more money you can save on hosting, the more you will have for other aspects of your site.