Hidden Costs of a Cheap Dedicated Server


There are many web host that offer dedicated server. The advantages of having a server exclusively reserved for you are widely known, in terms of customization, bandwidth, memory, storage, whatever traffic the hosted site may have, but at the beginning this option was nothing but very expensive and restricted to wealthy clients.After a little while, some companies thought that it would be a great deal, to give users with a tight budget the opportunity of renting a cheap dedicated server. But… is a cheap dedicated server really cheap? Unfortunately, in most cases, it’s not.

Finding the right web hosting for a determined purpose is not an easy task. The variety is so immense, that the offer of a cheap dedicated server might be tempting.It is important to notice that frequently what is supposed to be hosting cost is not actually hosting cost. Many corporations offer very low cost servers, but hide tricks which can lead the user to fall into a trap. People argued that they found out some services where not included, when they were billed by the end of the month, with astronomic prices for basic usage of control panels, an essential feature of dedicated servers. What happens afterwards is that the client must wait until the contract is over with the subsequent waste of time and, of course, money.

There are some paid services with cheap Dedicated server, these are called hidden cost which increase your bill.

How to spot hosting hidden server costs?

The most important thing to do is to read the terms of use and service thoroughly, to find out specifically what kind of software is included, which hardware is implemented and whether the possible license fees for managing the control panels are included in the final price, as they are crucial to customize the features of your dedicated server.

Carefully read all the features of server before sign up.

In general, dedicated servers’ providers may offer different types of managed server support and several levels of administration services: Fully Managed, where customers are completely hands-off; Managed, where customers may perform specific tasks; Self Managed, where customers provide most operations and tasks on dedicated server; and Unmanaged, where there is little to no involvement from service provider and customers provide all maintenance, upgrades, patches, security and everything else that is needed. so Unmanaged server are cheaper then managed one.

As a general rule, the finest web hosting providers ensure redundant systems that will decrease the number of potential data or connectivity errors, which allows them to be able to guarantee higher uptimes. However, some web hosting companies offer additional redundancy for a fee, and if you choose to go with one of these offers your cost will definitely be increased.

Keep in mind that these are only some of the aspects to consider when choosing the right cheap dedicated server; sometimes cheap ends up being costly, and if you take the time to double check what your web hosting company has to offer at first, you will definitely save yourself a lot of headaches later.

Website Monitoring for Beginners


When it comes to website monitoring beginners have a lot to learn. However, the basics aren’t so difficult to learn about network monitoring so a beginner can really learn the necessities fairly quickly. Some of the basics are provided below-

First of all, when you are looking for a network monitoring service you want to find one that will notify you immediately of any problem that I detected. This type of monitoring service will save you a lot of downtime because the problem is detected immediately allowing restoration to occur more rapidly.

First, your HTTP should be monitored so that if any unauthorized changes are made you will know immediately. The same goes to ensure that a valid response code is running. Multiple pages should be monitored for best results. HTTPS should also be monitored to ensure they are secure. You want your PING to be monitored as well as it will ping your web site IP address to make sure all is well. The same goes for POP3 server monitoring and SMTP. FTP monitoring is also very desirable.

Make sure that the website monitoring service you choose does not simply notify you of problems via email. You may not be in front of your computer to deal with the situation immediately. Choose a network monitoring service that will notify your email, cell phone, and even your Instant Messaging service to ensure you get the message as promptly as possible.

Database hosting


Hi,
Nowadays I have listen the word database hosting. What is database hosting.

Advance thanx for any help.

In order to fully understand the meaning of database hosting, we should be familiar with the terms database and database host. A database is an electronic information warehouse. It is the collection or compilation of data in rows and tables, organized in a manner that can easily be searched and retrieved through a computer.

A database host, on the other hand, is a type of dedicated server that will be utilized to run or manage a database application. The server can be used solely for the database or in conjunction with a website.

Database hosting is simply using a dedicated server to run database programs. Such programs are tasked to set up a database and help integrate different computer applications, whose aim is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of business management and operations.

Who to select a database hosting provider ?

It is very important to ensure that the database hosting company you are going to choose has the software and technology that is needed to meet your storage requirements. If you intend to automate your business process, you should also look into the ability of the database hosting company to provide your integration needs.

What benefits from database hosting ?

In some Business functions like stock inventory, accounting services, procurement database web hosting is very useful. However, business functions that will benefit most from database hosting are those that require storage and easy access of a huge amount of data.

Examples of business functions that will greatly benefit from database web hosting provider are the Information Management and the Customer Service Management systems. Both functions are dependent on the proper storage and easy access of information. An efficient and effective customer service management system would help find prospective customers and keep strong business relationships with existing clients.

Windows and Linux hosting


With the two Windows and Linux hosting, the decision whether to launch the website using Windows based or Linux based web hosting plan is a difficult decision to make especially for the first time users. Which would be the most ideal plan for them?

The difference between the two – Linux Hosting and Windows web hosting – is not known to many. With cost being an important consideration, some people are of the opinion that the Windows based plan would be highly expensive as compared to a Linux package. But this is not true, as with a little bit of survey one may be able to find a Windows web hosting package that may be equivalent to the Linux package or even less in terms of pricing.

Without any kind of technical background most people are under the impression that since their personal computer is Windows based the ideal one would be the Windows based hosting plan but it is not true.

The gap as regards the differences in the use of Windows based hosting package and the Linux based web hosting package has only narrowed over the years and today there are hardly any differences that exist between the two. Linux, although has been in the web hosting industry for longer than Windows and has a whole lot more experience to its account.

Therefore, the decision regarding which web hosting package has absolutely no relevance to the operating system that is being used on your system. Some differences that do exist between the Windows web hosting plan and the Linux web hosting are elaborated below so as to facilitate decision-making.

1. The Features That You Need To Use:
2. Speed:
3. Security
4. Reliability

Linux has been a favorite with the online servers due to its high reliability factor. It has quite a few features of the Windows and Unix operating systems. A 99.9% rate of reliability makes it one that would not give way and not crash leaving you in the middle of nowhere. Windows may have been used a little less as it cannot really match up with Linux in case of the reliability factor.

Windows, being a popularly used operating system for most home PCs has come under close scrutiny and so it proves to be one negative point for Windows. Linux is the commonly used type of server and therefore it has been hacked on more number of times. But even if security is the important factor under consideration it is the hosting company that should be closely scrutinized for its skill levels rather than trying to analyze the merits and demerits of the server that they use.

It would be advisable to use the Windows hosting plans in case you decide to make your website using the Microsoft proprietary technologies. The Linux web hosting plan may not be very suitable for it as it does not offer much support to these technologies.

The decision regarding which web hosting platform one would use is ultimately depends on the features and the service that one is looking at. Thus, one should concentrate on making the website one that truly projects your image and then go through the pros and cons of the two web hosting plans- Windows and the Linux web hosting plan- and make the final decision on the basis of what you are looking for in a web hosting plan.

Money Saving Tips


Tips for saving money while availing a hosting service plan:

Step 1: Instead of pouncing upon the web hosting plan that appears first, it is always better to shop around to find out whether the same is available with another company providing similar services. Comparison-shopping saves money, and online searches are probably the best way for finding the best web hosting plan.

Step 2: Often people tend to pay more as service fees if they are not computer savvy, the reason being the setup issues. Certain companies offer a free setup service; therefore, instead of paying a great bottom line price and an enormous fee up front to establish the service, a free setup sounds logical.

Step 3: Set up and monthly maintenance fees are pretty straightforward; what create the trouble are the hidden costs that these so-called cheap inexpensive web hosting service companies belt-out later. A careful consideration of the options in a web-hosting package reduces the costs, and in case services are required in addition to web hosting, there are companies that are capable of combining all possible Internet services that a person may require.

Step 4: When all the points have been verified, it’s time to know the company that offers the most competitive price and a plan that fits most the needs. Some of these companies qualify for everything apart from server down time, which means less revenue for the owner of the website. Thus, if one truly wants to minimize costs with a web-hosting package, saving a few dollars is probably not worth the reputation of the business.

PPPPP – Building a Successful Website


Anyone who has been in business for any time knows the meaning of PPPPP. It is the mantra that a person should learn early in their lives to be successful.

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance (PPPPP) is a simple yet elegant reminder that one must invest time to plan projects. The more time spent planning, the more successful the results.

Building a website is a perfect example where the 5P concept works very well.

If the keywords for the topic of your website use are very popular and it will be very difficult for you to get listed on a search engine results page higher than number three, you are dead from the start.

To properly plan, you need a keyword research tool that helps you evaluate the various keywords of interest so you can isolate a niche where the competition is not too fierce. This will allow you to carve out your area of expertise and succeed.

The best web host will supply this keyword research tool to you as part of the web hosting fee. Do not settle for less.

Switching to Hosting Providers Without Downtime


How To Switch Hosting Providers Without Downtime?

Firstly there is this one important thing you need to remember, DO NOT TERMINATE YOUR EXISTING HOSTING ACCOUNT until the very last step. You may be very unhappy with your current hosting but it is essential that your current hosting account remains active until you are 100% sure your site is all operational with the new hosting provider.

If you follow the steps below you should be able to transition from one host to another without any downtime to your web site.

Create A New Account

Firstly you need to choose your new hosting provider, once you have chosen that provider sign up for the chosen hosting package and once the new account is setup you can move on to the next step.

Backup All Your Files From Your Old Account

This is a relatively simple process, but can be time consuming depending on the size of your web site. Go to your old hosting account and download all the files via FTP, and backup any databases in use. Remember that you cannot cancel this account yet even though you have backed up all your files.

Upload All Your Files To Your New Account

Once you have backed up your files on your old hosting account, it is time to go to your new hosting account and upload the backups via the new hosts FTP.

Create Your Mail Accounts

To avoid losing any of your email when you later change your domain name server addresses, it is imperative that you now create all the same email accounts that you had with your old hosting provider in your new hosting account. Once this has been done, all email addresses on the new account should match the email address on your old account.

Checking of Your Files and Links

Now it is time to check all the pages of your web sites and verify that all links are working correctly on your new host. To do this you will need to create a temporary URL to the web site. A quick and easy way to do this is to create a sub domain of another URL and point it to your new web site by the way of mirroring. Any good web hosting provider should provide you with the ability to create temporary a URL so you can test your new site.

Changing Your DNS (Domain Name Server)

If you are now certain that your files have all been uploaded correctly and the links within your site are working correctly, you can change your DNS (domain name servers). Your new host should have provided you with their DNS settings. If they have not, contact them and ask what addresses should be used for your domain name. Usually the addresses will look like this, ns1.domainname.com, ns2.domainname.com.

The place to change the DNS addresses is whoever your domain name is registered with. If you registered the domain name through a registrar, you will need to login to their control panel and change the DNS servers there. If it was registered with your old host, you will need to login to their control panel and change the DNS entries there.

Wait For DNS Changes To Propogate

After you have changed your DNS (domain name servers) you will need to wait between 24-48 hours for your domain to propogate across the internet. During this waiting period your site will still be served from your old hosting account, as the DNS propogates your site will be served from your new host. Once the propogation has completed all requests to your domain will be served from you new host.

Cancel Your Old Account

Make sure you wait at least 48 hours for the domain name to propogate, and make sure that your domain name is resolving to your new hosting account before cancelling your old account.

Final Words

By following these steps you should now have successfully transferred your web site from your old host to your new host without any downtime.

Web Hosting Uptime


What Is Web Hosting Uptime And What Does It Mean For You?

Web hosting uptime is a measurement of the time a computer server has been running, the longer the web hosting uptime the better the service (usually). Uptime is important to not only web hosting companies, but to any person or company that has a website, because if a website is down it could hurt a personal company’s reputation as well as the reputation of the web hosting uptime guarantee. Web hosting companies strive for a 99.9% uptime, which means that there would be less then 2 minutes of downtime a day.

Factors that impact a web hosting uptime are sometime unavoidable, but many companies strive to prevent downtime. Downtime can be classified in three ways: planned downtime which is caused when a server is updated or upgraded, semi-planned downtime which is caused when software companies find a security breach and a patch must be put into place, and the worst is unplanned downtime which can be caused by an overloaded server, a software/hardware malfunction, or malicious software.

Uptime guarantees made by web hosting companies are based off of past information. Web hosting uptime can be monitored and maintained a few ways. There are services that provide 24/7 monitoring. Large web hosting companies have their own departments that monitor their servers. A loss in web hosting uptime can be prevented by having a redundant server to fall back on in case the primary server goes down. For a planned single server change this method may be practical for a larger company, but the costs implied for an additional server in a smaller company or providing this for multiple servers in larger companies can be impractical. Unplanned downtime would also keep this method from working well.

For consumers, researching web hosting uptime can prevent a package from being purchased from a web host that has a lot of downtime. There are websites that track a company’s web hosting uptime and provide reviews on the company freely for review. Other places to look for information are on forums either provided by the web hosting company or on web hosting review forums.

If your website does experience downtime you can contact the technical support or customer service department to see when your site will be restored. Understand that no web hosting company can have a 100% uptime guarantee. If your website experiences too much downtime switching to a different company with a higher and better web hosting uptime may be your only option.

Service is King in Web Hosting


If you are an Internet business owner, you definitely have a website. Where you choose to maintain that site makes a big difference. You can’t afford to trust your Internet business to just any web hosting company.In my opinion Service Is King. what u think?

Yes, Service Is King. No one can dispute the fact that server speed and reliability, upgraded hardware and software and web hosting features are all important. After all, these are the features that will determine how fast your Internet business will be able to grow and expand. You don’t want to have to change web hosting companies in the middle of the game. Ideally, you want to stay with the same web hosting company for as long as you own your business. It just makes life easier.

These days, it is hard to find a web hosting company that focuses almost entirely on customer service. Yet, if you are able to find one of them, you will have hit the jackpot! A web hosting company that specializes in customer service is very valuable to you. Why? Because their aim is to keep you happy as a customer. This means that they will answer your calls promptly and provide you with the very best service. Additionally, because their focus is on you, the customer, this means that they want your business to succeed as well. It is in their best interest to make sure that they are providing you with the tools that you need for your business to be successful. Instead of trying to sell you a cookie-cutter web hosting package that has been sold to hundreds, perhaps thousands of businesses, they will listen to your needs and be able to customize a web hosting package especially designed for your business. In addition, they will:

* Provide customer support 24/7
* Give you real-time access to their server status
* Give you a money-back guarantee
* Assist you with moving your website from another web hosting company
* Have a toll-free customer support phone number
* Consult with you on customized solutions for your busines

One important aspect of web hosting that people frequently overlook is the service. Yes, price matters, but service matters even more. Low prices won’t mean a thing if your website is down. If your site goes down, you lose sales – it is as simple as that. Also, when you have an Internet business, time is money. You don’t want to waste time waiting for the web host to provide you with that much-needed support. Every minute, hour or day that you have to wait for answers is another day that you could have spent doing what matters most – providing service to your customers and increasing your bottom line.

Switch from a shared host to a dedicated host


How do you identify whether it’s time to switch from a shared host to a dedicated host?

There are 3 main indicators to stay alert for:-

Speed

If the traffic streaming through your shared server is slowing down your customers’ pace as they browse your site (or your employees, if an in-house site), it may simply be time to look for more unencumbered shared hosting. But if you’ve tried several shared hosting providers with the same results, then it may be time to remind yourself how impatient the average web surfer is. While you’re jumping from shared host to shared host trying to save a buck, your customers are jumping ship. Your ability to respond promptly and effectively to customer transactions and inquiries cannot be overemphasized either.

Reliability

The limits to your control are nowhere more apparent than in the areas of reliability and security. It’s not simply that problems can arise: problems do arise. It’s the nature of the biz. And if you don’t have unlimited access to your own operating system, software and database apps, etc., there’s not much you can do when one arises.

Customizability

If your company is growing fast, you’re going to be changing many aspects of your web presence along with it. You may regularly need to tweak your disk space and bandwidth and experiment with using different applications to better serve your changing needs. On a shared host, upgrading in such a way usually involves leaping from one “package” or “plan” to another. These packages are generally preset and may or may not serve your immediate needs. They may be riddled with programs you don’t yet need, for example, yet lack in the one singular program you do. Or the next leap up from your current plan has way more disk space and bandwidth than you need at the moment. With a dedicated server, you can make changes incrementally, step forward, step back, heck, step sideways if you need to — and when you need to.