Article available for reprint: godfreyh@irieisle-online.com ==================================================== Hosting of web sites has essentially become a commodity. There is very little distinguishing one hosting company from next. Core plans and features are same and price is no longer a true determining feature. In fact, choosing a host based on cheapest price can be more expensive in long term with respect to reliability issues and possible loss of sales as a result of website downtime.

Selecting a host from thousands of providers and resellers can be a very daunting task, which may result in a hit and miss approach. But although hosting may have become a commodity, one distinguishing feature that you must always look out for is reliability.

At heart of any hosting company's reliability is redundancy. This ensures that if a problem exists at one point, there will be an alternative which ensures continuity as seemlessly and transparently as possible.

Most hosts do employ redundant network connections. These are high speed pipes that route data from server to your web browser. But, redundant 'multiple web servers' have been extremely rare and very expensive, requiring costly routing equipment which has previously been used only in mission critical applications of Fortune 500 companies.

However, a very neat but little known Domain Name Server(DNS) feature called 'round robin' allows selection and provision of a particular IP address from a 'pool' of addresses when a DNS request arrives.

To understand what this has to do with server reliability it's important to remember that Domain Name Server (DNS) database maps a host name to their IP address. So instead of using a hard to remember series of numbers (IP address) we just type in your web browser www.yourdomain.com, to get to your website.

Now, typically it takes at at least 2 to 3 days to propagate or ‘spread word’ of your DNS info throughout internet. That's why when you register or transfer a domain name it isn't immediately available to person browsing web.

Up Time and Reliability You'll want to make sure that your web site is accessible. Ask your web host whether he quarantees a certain percentage of uptime. Many web hosts will guarantee your web site to be available 99.5% of time. Ask about hardware used, connection, and what safequards are in place to minimize downtimes.

Reasonable Price Your web hosting company should offer you a reasonable price for services and flexibility in payment methods and schedules. Look for hidden costs when comparing prices. You will find that some web hosts charge a setup fee. Don't rule out a web hosting company just because of this expense. Some of best companies charge a setup fee to help in covering cost of having high quality technical support available.

Bandwidth Some services give you a small limit on amount of material that can be downloaded from your site each month and charge you large amounts when that limit is exceeded. Some offer huge traffic allowances for same price. You may not need more than a hundred MB a month now, but why put yourself in a position where you have to move when your traffic takes off? Plan ahead and allow for growth. Make sure you have at least 1 GB of data transfer. Always stay away from web hosts that say that they offer Unlimited Bandwidth Because there is NO SUCH thing called unlimited bandwidth

Disk Storage Space Look for a web host that offers sites of 100 MB or more. This may sound like a lot, but will give you room to grow. Some web hosts offer 20 to 50 MB of space and charge as much as hosts offering 100 MB or more. They then charge you $5 to $10 more a month for every 10 MB you add on when you discover you need more space. This doesn't necessarily make them a bad web hosting service, but it is something to consider when comparing prices.

Server Speed You want a server that is reliable and fast. There is a free tool available that allows you to evaluate this before making a decision. Net Mechanic will measure speed of access for all facets of access (network speed, DNS lookup, connect time, download time, and absence of timeouts). The download time statistic is most important single item to compare. Collect your list of candidate hosting services and run side-by-side tests of all candidates. Sample during peak and non-peak times for optimal comparison.

Basic Features Lots of features is another measure of a good web host. Some web web hosts will offer only minimal features and then charge a monthly fee to add on any new features.

Multiple Domain Names If you have more than one domain name,You can host them using one web hosting account.Some web hosting companies may charge you extra cash for this kind of service.Others will not charge you. You only need this, if you have more than one domain name.