Comments on: How to choose a web hosting provider http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider Website advice for delightful weirdos Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:44:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Catherine Caine http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-6518 Catherine Caine Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:11:00 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-6518 Ouch! I'm glad I could help. Good luck with finding good providers in future - btw, it's a year on and I still really like DreamHost. Ouch! I’m glad I could help. Good luck with finding good providers in future – btw, it’s a year on and I still really like DreamHost.

]]> By: roy http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-6517 roy Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:47:00 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-6517 Thanks Catherine. This is a great primer. I've tried hosting 3 times before - each time going for the cheapest provider, getting crap uptime and ended up canceling (and losing my money). Thanks Catherine. This is a great primer. I’ve tried hosting 3 times before – each time going for the cheapest provider, getting crap uptime and ended up canceling (and losing my money).

]]> By: Catherine Caine http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-56 Catherine Caine Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:35:06 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-56 You are EXCELLENT at questions and that's a good one!<br><br>It matters, sort of. Most of the time, the difference between data travelling from another continent is milliseconds, especially if you're using broadband. If the majority of your users are on slow dial-up, it might matter a few seconds, but probably not more.<br><br>Support matters, if you need phone support and they only offer it in their business hours... I don't fancy the idea of getting up at 3am to make an international call ($$$!) for tech support!<br><br>All that being said, our webhost is in the US and we're in Australia. We expected that a large number of our customers would be northern US, so that was fine, and I prefer to log support tickets rather than call anyway. <br><br>The only problem we've had is an hour's outage when the big link between Australia and the US was down. You are EXCELLENT at questions and that's a good one!

It matters, sort of. Most of the time, the difference between data travelling from another continent is milliseconds, especially if you're using broadband. If the majority of your users are on slow dial-up, it might matter a few seconds, but probably not more.

Support matters, if you need phone support and they only offer it in their business hours… I don't fancy the idea of getting up at 3am to make an international call ($$$!) for tech support!

All that being said, our webhost is in the US and we're in Australia. We expected that a large number of our customers would be northern US, so that was fine, and I prefer to log support tickets rather than call anyway.

The only problem we've had is an hour's outage when the big link between Australia and the US was down.

]]> By: shanam http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-55 shanam Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:54:35 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-55 Oh, look at this post! Right after I emailed you, too. <br><br>B/c I'm *really* good at newbie questions, here's mine: geography matters to some extent, right? Like, you'd want your web hosting company to be perhaps not local but within your country/chunk of the country at least, right? Oh, look at this post! Right after I emailed you, too.

B/c I'm *really* good at newbie questions, here's mine: geography matters to some extent, right? Like, you'd want your web hosting company to be perhaps not local but within your country/chunk of the country at least, right?

]]> By: Tweets that mention How to choose a web hosting provider | Be Awesome Online -- Topsy.com http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-10 Tweets that mention How to choose a web hosting provider | Be Awesome Online -- Topsy.com Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:02:39 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-10 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Catherine Caine, Catherine Caine. Catherine Caine said: @tom_mckay Hey Tom, I wrote an article on that very topic recently! http://bit.ly/250rei [...] [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment's server IP (208.74.66.43) doesn't match the comment's URL host IP (74.112.128.10) and so is spam. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Catherine Caine, Catherine Caine. Catherine Caine said: @tom_mckay Hey Tom, I wrote an article on that very topic recently! http://bit.ly/250rei [...]

[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment’s server IP (208.74.66.43) doesn’t match the comment’s URL host IP (74.112.128.10) and so is spam.

]]> By: Twitted by CatherineCaine http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-9 Twitted by CatherineCaine Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:53:41 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-9 [...] This post was Twitted by CatherineCaine [...] [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment's server IP (94.23.51.159) doesn't match the comment's URL host IP (87.98.139.183) and so is spam. [...] This post was Twitted by CatherineCaine [...]

[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment’s server IP (94.23.51.159) doesn’t match the comment’s URL host IP (87.98.139.183) and so is spam.

]]> By: Catherine Caine http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-8 Catherine Caine Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:47:28 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-8 Oh, that's a fantastic question! And I've realised I don't have a good answer. There <strong>are</strong> signs that a server is overprovisioned: memory ballooning, CPUs maxed out for extended periods, network usage at bandwidth capacity... ... but the hosting providers are <em>really unlikely</em> to answer questions about that sort of thing. I know we wouldn't. All you can really do is mention that you've heard some hosting companies put too many customers on a server and pause dramatically, giving them a chance to incriminate themselves? Catherine Oh, that’s a fantastic question! And I’ve realised I don’t have a good answer.

There are signs that a server is overprovisioned: memory ballooning, CPUs maxed out for extended periods, network usage at bandwidth capacity…

… but the hosting providers are really unlikely to answer questions about that sort of thing. I know we wouldn’t.

All you can really do is mention that you’ve heard some hosting companies put too many customers on a server and pause dramatically, giving them a chance to incriminate themselves?

Catherine

]]> By: Catherine Caine http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-5453 Catherine Caine Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:47:00 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-5453 Oh, that's a fantastic question! And I've realised I don't have a good answer. There <strong>are</strong> signs that a server is overprovisioned: memory ballooning, CPUs maxed out for extended periods, network usage at bandwidth capacity... ... but the hosting providers are <em>really unlikely</em> to answer questions about that sort of thing. I know we wouldn't. All you can really do is mention that you've heard some hosting companies put too many customers on a server and pause dramatically, giving them a chance to incriminate themselves? Catherine Oh, that’s a fantastic question! And I’ve realised I don’t have a good answer.

There are signs that a server is overprovisioned: memory ballooning, CPUs maxed out for extended periods, network usage at bandwidth capacity…

… but the hosting providers are really unlikely to answer questions about that sort of thing. I know we wouldn’t.

All you can really do is mention that you’ve heard some hosting companies put too many customers on a server and pause dramatically, giving them a chance to incriminate themselves?

Catherine

]]> By: Cass http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-5 Cass Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:38:33 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-5 If I'm asking a hosting provider how they manage resource sharing on a shared web server, what should I be looking out for in their answer? I am not a technical person, and don't want to look really stupid if I don't understand what they're talking about. =) If I’m asking a hosting provider how they manage resource sharing on a shared web server, what should I be looking out for in their answer?
I am not a technical person, and don’t want to look really stupid if I don’t understand what they’re talking about.
=)

]]> By: Cass http://www.beawesomeonline.com/how-to-choose-a-web-hosting-provider/comment-page-1#comment-5452 Cass Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:38:00 +0000 http://www.beawesomeonline.com/?p=112#comment-5452 If I'm asking a hosting provider how they manage resource sharing on a shared web server, what should I be looking out for in their answer? I am not a technical person, and don't want to look really stupid if I don't understand what they're talking about. =) If I’m asking a hosting provider how they manage resource sharing on a shared web server, what should I be looking out for in their answer?
I am not a technical person, and don’t want to look really stupid if I don’t understand what they’re talking about.
=)

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