Which Web Host is right for you? Written by Shawn Si
There are thousands of Web Hosting Companies out there and counting. How do I choose ideal plan for my Web Site? The key here is to understand what your Web Site’s needs are. Once you know what is required, you can eliminate many options. These are most important points that you need to focus on:Determine requirements of your site. Choosing an Operating System. Choosing between SHARED and DEDICATED solutions. Determine which hosting company is better. So, what are requirements of my site? Answer all following questions. If there is any question that you do not know answer to, try to work with your Web Designer. If you do not have a Web Designer, try to ask any Web Hosting Provider. If you do not understand any of terms, see Web Hosting Terminologies at http://www.sirunet.com/WebHostingTerms.com. •How much Disk Space does your Web Site require? •How much Monthly Transfer (Bandwidth) do you need? •Is a Database required? If so, what Type of Database is required for your site? •What Scripting Languages does your web site use? •Does your site require Servlet Technology (Server-side scripting language)? •If so, What Servlet Technology does your web site use? Some of questions above may have approximated answers. Try to do your best and it will help you when choosing your hosting provider and plan. Most of sites out there need less than 100 Megabytes (MB) of disk space. Notice that one Megabyte is equivalence to eight Megabits, so do not be fooled by numbers. If your web site is not for heavy media downloads, in most cases you do not need more than 10 Gigabyte (GB) of Monthly Transfer. There is an equation that can be used to calculate your bandwidth: Monthly Transfer = Monthly Visitors x Average Hits per Visitor x Average Page Size Unless you have a web site hosted already, otherwise it is impossible for you to determine site’s monthly visitors and average page hits per visitor. So lets put this aside for now. There are many types of databases. The most commonly used database types are MYSQL (Windows & UNIX), ODBC (Windows), and MS Access (Windows). By knowing what type of database you use, it will help you decide which Operating System to go for. The most popular Scripting Languages are CGI and Perl. While most of web hosting plans include these as standard features, you do not have to worry too much here. Note: some Free Web Hosting plans DO NOT support scripting languages. Choosing a Web Host with Servlet Technology is very hard because it is not commonly supported and even for those who say they support it, they do not have sufficient technical support. The most commonly used Servlet Technologies are Active Server Pages (ASP) and Java Server Pages (JSP). While JSP is best supported in both Windows and UNIX environment, ASP is currently well supported only in Windows. Although Sun Java System Active Server Pages do work on UNIX environment, it is still in testing stage; as of July 2004.
| | The Top 15 Essential Ingredients of Every WINDOWS HOSTING Plan (Package)Written by Teeyes Siva
First things First. Why would you like to have Windows Based Hosting when there are Linux packages for cheaper rates ? The answer is – it depends on what application you are looking to use for your hosting. Consider tools and scripting languages you plan to use – if you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific, then Windows is what you need. Clear…? Now let’s proceed with essential ingredients of any Windows Hosting Plan. 1.ASP Support – The clear reason why you chose a windows plan is to use Microsoft Specific Languages. Active Server Pages, Microsoft's technology to enables HTML pages to be dynamic and interactive by embedding scripts. Check all windows hosting plans and make sure, host doesn’t charge for this extra.2..NET Support – ASP.net is next generation of Microsoft's Active Server Page (ASP), a feature of their Internet Information Server (IIS). ASP.net is different from ASP in two major ways: it supports code written in compiled languages like C++, Visual Basic, and Perl, and, it features server controls that can separate code from content, allowing WYSIWYG editing of pages. Most of hosts give this feature free of charge while few charge extra. Go for it if you really need it. 3.CDONTS - CDONTS stands for 'Collaboration Data Objects for Windows NT Server' and it’s a Messaging Component comes along with Windows NT/2000. A windows hosting plan without this is Incomplete. This provides you easiest solution for your messaging thro’ your website ASP pages, provided you have SMTP support. 4.DATABASES – Microsoft Access 2000 Database is supported by all windows hosting plans. This will do if you are a starter. For experienced campaigners, MS-Sql is a must have. This is an advanced feature and most of hosting companies charge extra. The control for Databases must be provided in Control Panel. Check that. 5.DATABASE Connection – DSN or DSNless Connections, whatever case may be, please check if host has provided option in Control Panel to create/manage DSNs. (Data Source Name). If DSNs are NOT allowed, ask for Connection String for DSNless connections. 6.ASP Components – Apart from default components, there are loads of third party software. Check list of such components that host provides. ASP Upload, ASPImage, Dundas Mailer, ASPjpeg, ASPEncrypt are few popular components. At times you may require to have your own components (DLLs) installed. This is provided by most of hosts, but after DLL undergoes a complete test in server environment. This does not come free.
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