What
to look for in a Web Host?
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Web designers, buy a single plan and sub-divide your storage space into
multiple domains .... one for each website you develop. It's like running
a web hosting business on a shoe-string budget. Starting as low as $2.45/month.
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To evaluate
a web host, the price is not the only important factor, the client will
need to take consideration about other characteristics.
Host's Connection
to the Internet
One of the most important features is the quality of host's connection
to the Internet. There are a bunch of variations T-1, T-3, OC-3, OC-256,
etc. (Fig 5) A company that offers a T1 connection to the Internet can
only allow 1.544 Mbps (Megabits per second) a T3 can allow up to 45 Mbps.
Then again an OC-256 can allow 13,000 Mbps, giving the ability to transfer
much more information at a higher rate of speed before getting bogged
down.
Internet
Connection Type |
Bandwidth |
DS1
or T-1 |
1.544 Mbps |
DS2
or T-2 |
6.312 Mbps |
DS3
or T-3 |
44.736 Mbps |
OC-1 |
51.84 Mbps |
OC-3
or STM-1 |
155.52 Mbps |
OC-12
or STM-4 |
622.08 Mbps |
OC-24 |
1.244 Gbps |
OC-48
or STM-16 |
2.488 Gbps |
OC-192
or STM-64 |
10 Gbps |
OC-256 |
13.271 Gbps |
Speed
Customers that are
seriously worried about speeds that a viewer can see their site, need
to consider how fast the servers are. Although bandwidth and connections
are major factors, server speeds are equally important. A server that
is a host to many sites that are being accessed simultaneously may get
bogged down. No matter how fast the connection is this can seriously
slow down a viewers speed to surf through a site. A simple way
to test the speed at which a server responds is called "pinging"
a site. This will determine how quickly a server can receive and send
back a small piece of data through the connection you have to it.
Processor speed is also important. Certain sites will make greater demands
on the host's CPU and will consequently run slower - and slow down every
other site on the server as well (Beginner's Guide, 2000). Streaming
video and audio, discussion forums and message boards, online surveys,
and high-level animation all require huge amounts of memory and fast
access to the main server. Overloaded processors can slow down a site's
transmission considerably.
Server Software
Server software can also affect a site. UNIX and Windows NT are
the most common server software environments. Advanced developers should
be aware of what applications they will be using and assess which software
environment will best suit their needs. Some hosting companies only
offer one of the two software options.
Security
Protecting a site's data from unwanted intrusions is another key
consideration for the web developer when selecting a host. The hosting
company's security protocols should be outlined. Protection from everyday
denial of service attacks and the various hacks and cracks that will
be attempted on your server is essential. The hosting company should
be responsible for upgrading and maintaining these security measures.
"The only thing worse than having no security is thinking you have
some" (Finding the Host, 2001).
Customer Service
Service is another important aspect to consider when shopping for
a host. Hosts offer a variety of customer service options. Services
offered can be 24-hour toll free number, 24-hour email help, Frequently
Asked Questions pages and help forums. The amount of help you might
need depends mainly on your experience and problems you encounter from
the server.
Reliability
Checking
out the reliability of a service is also very important. Hosts usually
have several backup systems in case something goes wrong with the main
servers. They also can promise less "down time" by backup
power systems such as a diesel generator.
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