Free Webhosts

June 4th, 2011

It’s insane how many people today have their own websites and blogs, and possibly even more nuts how inexpensive web hosts are. Almost twenty years ago publishing and hosting a website was a major expense, and generally only large corporations had websites. But what once costs thousands of dollars years ago, now typically costs around $10 a month for a decent web-host. Creating a website or blog has even become very easy to setup. So easy in fact, that grade schools have recently begun to use blogs as more interactive method for students to exercise and improve their writing skills.

Over the last five years or so free web-hosts have even started to become extremely popular. Free web-hosts are awesome for people who are just starting in web-design or cannot afford to pay the monthly fees for one of the larger hosts. Even though free hosts may seem appealing there are many draw backs, and many reasons why you should move your site to a paid web-hosting service.

First off, the free web-hosts do not openly say that they own your website and rights to the content that is on your site, but they do. By reading the terms of agreement it will explicitly state something regarding how the free web-hosting service owns the rights of any material uploaded to their servers. Another major problem with free hosts is that they load your website up with a many ads. Of course this is how they make the majority of their income, and why they are able to provide a free service. But why should you advertise for someone else and not be paid for it? After all, the visitors that click on their ads were visiting your site because they are interested in your content, so should you be getting paid?

One last thing that really bothers me about free hosts is the fact that you are required to use subdomains of the host site. By this I mean you don’t really have your own domain name on its own because it contains the url of the host site. A subdomain looks something like this: http://yourdomain .hostdomain.com. This looks terrible and it’s usually ridiculously long.

Being a web or blog developer can be a great way to make money, but unfortunately some internet advertising networks and affiliate programs do not allow memberships to people who use a free hosting service. My advice is to just purchase a decent website service from a good host, but if you cannot afford to pay for a host at the moment no worries; just start off with a free host.

Learn how to increase website traffic and how to increase website ranking for your website or blog that’s hosted for free. There are some advertisement networks and affiliate programs that allow members to use free hosted website. If you can get enough traffic going to your website you should be able to make enough money through advertisements to purchase a domain and affordable hosting service. Once you move your site to the “real” hosting server, it’s easy enough to have the traffic redirected from the free hosted site to your new site with just a little html.

So basically avoid using free web hosting services if possible. I only discussed a few of the key reasons as to why they should be avoided. With a little of hard work and effort you may even be able to get your new professionally hosted site listed on google page one.

What Are Web Hosts?

June 17th, 2010

If you are new to the internet or thinking about creating your own web site you may need some help with the internet ‘lingo’. There are many new words and terminology used when talking about the internet and the many uses, subjects and variables surrounding the internet and it’s uses. Today, I wanted to explain what web hosting companies are for those who are unfamiliar with Web Hosting.

Web Hosts are companies that provide web hosting services. This means that they host web sites.
Let me explain – When you build your web site, it needs to live somewhere. Somewhere that all the people around the world who use the internet, and are looking for the information or products that your web site contains, can access it. This is what a Web Host Service does. It provides you with somewhere to store all your files for your web site. Somewhere, where your web site can be connected to the internet in a way that people can access those files – just as you are now accessing and looking at the files for this web site as you read this article.

Web hosting companies have large banks of very powerful computers (called servers) that are linked together and contain lots of hard drive space. When your web site is hosted by one of these companies, it will normally share a computer hard drive with lots of other websites also (unless you have a very large site and pay a whole lot more money for your web site hosting!). Web site hosting companies (if it’s a good company!) do a great job of storing your website, making it available to the world as well as keeping it safe and secure.

There are hundreds or maybe even thousands of web hosting companies around the world, with different web site hosting plans and different pricing structures and you can host your web site with any one of them – you are not limited to a web hosting company in your country.

Some web site hosting companies do a much better job of providing a good hosting service than other companies. Some of the problems that can be encountered with a not so good hosting company are things like site downtime, billing errors and unfair or unwarranted closure of web sites.
If your web site host has too much down time for whatever reason, it can really affect the number of visitors to your site. You know yourself that if you attempt to go to a site and can’t get to it, you’ll go somewhere else – often forgetting that you were going to visit the original site in the first place. If you’re trying to make money from that site, that can have a huge impact on your success!

I’ve also read in forums of customers have huge problems with various hosting companies with all sorts of issues ranging from being over charged, to emails not working, to their web sites being closed for some reason that the hosting company seems to think is valid! And some of these companies are very difficult to get answers from, or have problems resolved.

Always do a bit of research when it comes to finding a host for your web site. Look for recommendations and testimonials before making your decision on web hosts!

If you’re looking for more internet marketing for beginners information, visit www.makerealmoneyonline.biz

Find out realistic things to know in the sphere of one way links – please go through the webpage. The times have come when proper info is really only one click of your mouse, use this chance.

Hosting Is Very Cheap

June 7th, 2010

Even if you aren’t sure what to do, cheap domain and web hosting choices can be found everywhere. It may be tempting to go with the first web hosting vps and shared site in your search results, but that shouldn’t be the case. Acquiring ample disk space, setting multiple email accounts for yourself and your employees, using large bandwidths, benefiting from safe security or even having the ability to create more than one domain name are all wonderful advantages to quality cheap domain name and
web page hosting websites.

Some of the cheapest web hosts sites boast with promises they don’t always keep; they sometimes maliciously find ways to profit without providing the services they originally said they would give.
The term of reseller hosting is, you can divide the storage and bandwidth of your web hosting account. With this you can run multiple website and even exchange those hosting package to other users. Primarily you can buy this from web hosting provider in a lot package and it allows to resell to your clients. Also you can bye reseller hosting package from existing user of hosting company. For example. Someone already using hosting service and your are buying from him/her. Almost every looking for cheap web hosting solution and this service one of them.

So if you decide to go with this service, you will find there is two types of hosting service, one is Linux reseller hosting and second one is Windows reseller hosting. The choice is yours, which one you like most. This is complete business house for you multiple website, it allows you to manage all domains under one single account. For this web hosting companies provide control panels like WHM Reseller panel on the Linux plan and the Plesk Reseller panel for windows platform.

Also this is the best option for those hosting companies who are just starting off. Usually hosting companies never stop for overselling. As a reseller, you are able to configure your own account limits and you can set the prices you charge. You also would be able to set up new accounts, suspend accounts, upgrade them & set the DNS for your end users. This enables reseller to start immediately their online business without too much cost.

Many web hosting companies offers cheap reseller hosting packages. Nowadays this service become so popular and many people who belong with in small businesses are hugely accepted the benefits of this hosting service. Also this is good option for those who still standing with shared hosting.

Some main advantages of these plans offer that normal shared hosting plans do not are 1) a larger bandwidth, 2) more disk space on the server, and 3) unlimited web addresses linked to the hosting plan.
Always choose your next host from visiting webhostingmasters.com

Virtualize Desktops In Your Office

May 23rd, 2010

IT managers today are facing more viruses, security threats, security updates, and data protection issues than ever before. Maintaining a large amount of desktop machines one by one is time consuming and very expensive. Windows licensing is also expensive and upgrades can be a nightmare (Windows XP to Vista).

What if there was a solution that would remove the need for maintenance on physical desktop computers and placed them in a virtualized environment? Virtual Desktops Infrastructures (VDI) deserve a real look for SMB’s in todays Software virtualizing desktop computers is becoming commonplace for most large companies. Virtual Desktops are housed in a data center on large servers utilizing NAS for backing up. Users connect through a dummy terminal or thin client loaded on to an already existing desktop computer. No expensive desktop is required as the server is doing all of the processing. The local dummy terminal or thin client can even be a linux computer reducing costs.

The experience is identical to having a physical computer sitting on their desktop. Employees would not even know their ‘computer’ was located in a data center miles away.

Virtualization has many benefits, but the most relevant are:

Security Updates – Can be pushed out at once to all VDI’s
Data Security – Housed in Data Centers and not physical machines in office
Maintenance – Reduced man hours
Same Desktop even when traveling
Cost Savings

Reduced Power Costs
Fewer Software Licenses
Management Efficiencies

Accessible Anywhere
VDI can also be accessed from the road, employee home, and from customer location. This provides a uniform platform that saves money on laptops and other expensive ‘Remote PC Connection’ type software that would still be physical. Employees can be more productive by having all of their files and information on an VDI no matter where they are in the World.

Reduced Deployment Time
Another time consuming issue with maintaining a physical desktop is provisioning of new equipment. A solid Web Hosting company will be able to provide some solid systems. VDI’s can be provisioned in minutes eliminating the need to order a customized employee desktop or laptop computer. No need to call Dell and wait a week and pay several thousand dollars. IT will then need to configure the computer for the new employee and secure it. In addition, a backup solution may be required adding even more time to the process. VDI’s can be configured in advance using a template. Based on the job role of the new employee, IT can deploy a VDI in minutes based on this specific function, all configured and ready to go.

Backups
Backing up desktop computers for critical systems can also be easily handled under a VDI solution. Backing up to an NAS can be automated and care free. VDI has another advantage over local backups – they are offsite in a secure environment. Most data centers now employ fire suppression, APC power, and diesel generators, and on duty security guards. This would cost a normal business hundreds of thousands of dollars to emulate.

We Suggest
If VDI sounds like something your company should explore, we have performed a bit of research on the matter and suggest researching FindMyHost.com for a solid VDI provider.

Visit their Virtual Desktops web site and you will find resources such as a calculator to factor in your cost savings by employing a VDI solution.

Thinking Of Using Your Hosting Account For Backup? Think Again

May 15th, 2010

Keeping your data backups onsite can be risky. If there’s ever a fire or a robbery, you could lose both – your backup copy and your master copy. Of course, shipping your backup tapes or DVDs to an off-site location every day can also be inconvenient.

That’s why so many people today are choosing to send their backup data, over the internet, to an off-site storage facility.

Given that Web Hosting prices are so cheap, it can be tempting to use your web hosting account as an online file storage or backup device for your home computer. After all, you can now get unlimited disk space and bandwidth for as little as four dollars per month.

But before you start uploading the entire contents of your hard drive, there are a few things you need to keep in mind…

Check the fine print in your hosting contract. Most Web Hosts have explicit clauses prohibiting the use of your web server as an online backup device.
If you upload copyrighted materials to your web server, you face the risk of having your account suddenly terminated without notice.

Is privacy important to you? Then you need to consider that files stored on your server can also be potentially accessed by nosy strangers online. This exposes you to the possibility of identity theft and privacy breaches.

Because FTP doesn’t support block-level incremental uploads like an online backup service would, your backups will take forever to transmit. This could also slow down your internet connection and cause problems with your ISP.

This method of backup only supports a single “point-in-time” file version. If you accidentally save over an important file or get a virus, you’ll have no way of recovering your data.

In recent years, a lot of new specialized online backup companies have appeared on the market. There’s such a wide range of price points and feature sets that you’re bound to find something that’s just right for your particular requirements.

In fact, many web hosts today also offer online backup solutions in addition to their regular website hosting services. If you do a bit of research, you might even be able to get a special deal by bundling this software with your web hosting subscription.

This is a much better and safer alternative to the do-it-yourself approach.

Article Provided by Storagepipe Solutions. They provide email archiving and online backup software for businesses of all sizes. Storagepipe also offers reseller programs that allow web hosts to offer their own white-label online backup solutions.

For a complete list of suitable online backup and web hosting providers, please visit FindMyHost.com, an online research and review panel that objectively grades all web hosting companies. Only approved hosts are allowed in to the database. Search consumer web hosting reviews and much more.

Ten Easy Steps To A New Host

May 14th, 2010

1. Find a new host and don’t rush into anything.
Assuming you haven’t committed to a long-term hosting contract you can start looking for a new host at any time. When you are ready to move, don’t rush to give your money away only because the host’s website looks trendy or they are having a promotional offer. Instead, be sure to do research website hosting at places like FindMyHost.com and internet forums. Another good indicator of a host’s credibility is to check out the type of clients they are hosting. Be sure to check that the host’s IP addresses are not listed on Spamhaus, SBL, and other blacklists to avoid dealing with a company that hosts spammers. DNSStuff.com has great tools for verifying that a company’s IP addresses are clean. To get the company’s IP address, you can usually just ping their website and use that IP address in your research. If the host’s IP’s are blacklisted, chances are your outbound e-mails from your e-commerce store won’t ever get to your customer. Your e-mails to your customer will probably never make it either.

2. Make a full backup of your existing system.
You should be doing this at least a few times a week already, but if you haven’t now is the time to make a backup. This means that you should segment your backup checklist into the following categories:
Downloading all your source code from your web directory to your local computer.
Making a MySQL dump from your current host, using the command line or the backup tool in phpMyAdmin.
Don’t forget to export or save your SSL certificate if you have one. You should backup all associated SSL files, particularly the “csr” and “key” files, otherwise you may have to pay for a certificate all over again.

3. Take inventory of installed modules, plugins, and extensions.
Having the right plugins is just as important as having your data and there is a possibility that your application may not work if modules like curl, gd, imagemagick, and other popular PHP extensions aren’t installed.

4. Open an account with the new web host and install your application.
In this step you should upload all your source code and import the database to the new host.
Upload your files and import the database. Make sure the permissions of the folders on the new host match the permissions on the old host (i.e. 777, etc.)
Make sure to save all the login credentials about your new host in a secure place.
Modify your configuration files to point to the database at the new host provided in the control panel or your welcome e-mail.
If you have an SSL certificate which needs to be installed, do it in this step. You may get warnings about the domain and the certificate being invalid, that’s alright because you haven’t pointed your domain to the new server yet.

5. Test your application until you feel comfortable that it works properly.
Check things like error logs to make sure you aren’t missing any modules. If you are, refer to the initial plugin list you made and install or request the extensions before switching over to the new host. If applicable, make sure to place several orders to confirm that your shopping cart works.

6. Setup your e-mail boxes on the new host.
If you are using Gmail as an external MX server this step should not affect you. Otherwise, add all the e-mail accounts you need, set the passwords, and store them in a secure place. You should also test e-mail connectivity by specifying the IP address of the POP/SMTP server of your host to make sure you can send and receive e-mails.

7. Set a switch-over date and time and make sure your team is available for the migration.
This step is an important planning step because it prepares you and your team for the transition. By setting a firm date and time you’ll reduce your cost, time, and stress because you won’t be running and searching for people on a Friday night.

8. Point your DNS to the new host’s DNS servers.
If you’ve switched hosts in the past, you probably already know that this is done through the registrar of your domain name. In some instances this can be your old hosting company, but more frequently it’s GoDaddy, Register.com, 1and1, or others. Don’t forget to take into consideration that DNS settings take time to update. In light of this, you may want to replace your default page (like index.html or index.php) to point directly to the new IP address. Alternatively, update your default page to say that the website is currently down for scheduled maintenance, or if your website has no backend database, leave the old website up and running so the transition is seamless for your customers.

9. Test your site for a week on your new host before terminating your old plan.
Although you may pay for an extra week, the wait is well worth it in case something goes terribly wrong. Confirm that the site is running properly and without error for up to one week. If you run into problems or things start to break, you will be able to move back to your old host immediately so that you do not experience extended downtime.

10. Cancel your old hosting plan.
Some will argue that this is the easiest step in the process, however, you may prove them otherwise. Like any other establishment, Web Hosting don’t enjoy losing customers even if they are at fault. Don’t fall victim to extended sales pitches such as:
“We’ll give you an extra month or two for free if you stay with us.”
“We’ll waive your previous balance if you stay with us.”
“Hold on a minute, my manager says I can upgrade you to a better plan at no extra charge if you stay with us.”
If you still have doubts make sure to remind yourself of all the reasons you are moving hosts: terrible support, constant down time, slow network, packet loss, billing issues, bad hardware, takes forever to set up an account, etc.

Summary: Be skeptical of anything a new host promises you. Larger Web Hosts may cost more money and may care less about losing your business. On the other hand, they may have better support infrastructures, equipment, personnel, and networks. If you aren’t sure about which host to select visit www.findmyhost.com to view a list of certified web hosting providers. Have a website that is complex or do not know how to perform the migration? We recommend hiring an independent professional like Dan Khasis at www.dankhasisllc.com to assist with the move. Dan is available 1-212-201-0714 for a free 30 minute consultation.

Parallels Website Hosting Review

May 14th, 2010

Parallels Summit 2010 enabled Hosters to get up close to Parallels engineers and learn more about Parallels products. Held at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami, attendance was strong and included many of the top Web Hosting companies from the United States and Europe. Industry experts provided detailed information on potential growth for Hosting companies to consider. Parallels enabled attendees to get up close and personal with Parallels software engineers to ask questions and also demo current and future releases of software. Hosters could also get certified on Parallels products at the Summit so they can provide better support to their customers. Hundreds of vendors also attended and showcased how their products work cohesively with Parallels software offerings.

Parallels, Inc. is a privately held company based near Seattle, Washington that develops desktop, server virtualization, and web hosting operations software. Over the years, Parallels has acquired some of the most popular control panel platforms available to Web Designers and Web Hosts. SWsoft’s acquisition of Parallels was kept under wraps until January 2004, two years before Parallels desktop software received widespread popular acclaim.

Parallels has turned arguably in to a small monopoly. Consumers in the Web Hosting industry have expressed concerns that mass acquisitions of hosting control panels by one company will drive up pricing and reduce competition thus resulting in less feature rich control panels. Thousands of Web Designers and Web Hosts have staked their businesses on some of the products Parallels has swooped in and purchased.
Quite simply, Parallels has acquired all of the quality control panels that were in the market with exception of cPanel. Only cPanel has the features and polish that Parallels Plesk has. Major hosting companies such as iPower and BlueHost use skinned versions of cPanel for their shared hosting platforms. Other control panels leave a lot to be desired in the feature and reliability departments and are not an option for most Web Hosting companies.
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One can assume Parallels tried to acquire cPanel. To date, cPanel is still not under the Parallels flag.

Brief history of Parallels acquisitions:

2003 – Yippi-Yeah! E-Business GmbH (makers of Confixx) and Plesk?
2004 – Parallels (SWsoft and Parallels operated independently until 2008).?
2007 – Positive Software (H-Sphere)?2008 – ModernGigabyte, LLC (ModernBill)?
2008 – WebHostAutomation Ltd developers of HELM Control Panel

PARALLELS PLANS FOR ACQUIRED CONTROL PANELS?Control panels such as Helm, H-Sphere, Confixx, and even ModernBill have been brought in to Parallels very recently. Web Hosts who utilize the products acquired by Parallels want to know what Parallels future plans encompass.

Web Hosts still using these platforms are wondering what they can expect from Parallels in the way of support, upgrades, and security patches. Hosts with hundreds or thousands of customers are also wondering about possible migrations if support for their chosen platform is dropped.

Do they need to convert over to Plesk as soon as possible? Can Parallels help in migrating their customers off the old legacy control panels to Plesk?

Most Web Hosts know what a pain and nightmare migrations can be when you are dealing with thousands of accounts. Compatibility issues, billing, automation, and downtime are all concerns.

Hosts who decide migration is too large a product or too expensive may choose to remain on Helm, Confixx, or H-Sphere. In this case, Hosts need to know if they can expect timely security updates and new feature updates.

During a recent trip to Parallels Summit 2010 in Miami, FL, I posed a few questions to Parallels upper management concerning all of these acquisitions, name changes, and future plans in the hopes concerned Web Hosts and Web Designers understand the product life cycle of their respective platforms.

Parallels Q & A?I sat down with Parallels’ Craig Bartholomew, Vice President of Panel Products for a Q&A session.

Q: What is Parallels end goal for legacy products such as Helm, Confixx, and H-Sphere?
?A: Parallels’ end goal is to have satisfied customers. Many hosters have built their Hosting businesses around Helm, Confixx, or H-Sphere and Parallels wants to see these hosters grow, prosper, and offer more services over time.

Q: Will any new development be done on Helm, Confixx, or H-Sphere??
A: There is a dedicated team of developers working on Helm, Confixx, and H-Sphere. They prioritize customer requests and work on meeting the needs of the customer base.

Q: What can current users of legacy software expect in the way of security updates and patches?
?A: The development team does patches and updates – including hotfixes in the environment of the hosters on critical issues.

Q: Does Parallels have an end-of-life date set for any of these legacy platforms? If so, is there a timeframe you can share with us for each??
A: Hosting is a service business, and hosters need confidence that they can keep their service running without stoppage and risk. Parallels has no end-of-life date for any of these hosting systems.

Q: Will Parallels help migrate Web Hosts from Helm, Confixx, or H-Sphere to Plesk? If so, what are the costs associated with this?
?A: Parallels is offering free Transfer Assistance for any customer who wishes to move to the new Plesk 9.5. Parallels has issued new License Keys for Plesk 9.5 to qualify Hosters for this free service – which will only be available for 9.5. This release is hotfix-capable and provides greater security with PCI Compliance.

Q: Does Parallels have any plans on acquiring other control panels or virtualization companies??
A: Parallels is always interested in companies with strong technologies built by intelligent people and used by loyal customer bases.

I also posed similar questions to Serguei Beloussov, CEO and chairman in a one-on-one meeting. Serguei said to expect security updates and patches. However all new development involving new features had been stopped on Helm, Confixx, and H-Sphere. While this is comforting on some levels that security updates will still be released, it is clear that future features will come only on the Plesk platform.
Serguei said Parallels focus was now on improving Plesk, Virtuozzo, Parallels Billing, and Site Builder and not on legacy products. He encouraged consumers to convert over to Parallels new product lines to ensure they would get the latest technology improvements.

As Craig Bartholomew mentioned in the Q & A session, security patches and updates would be released as needed. This is indeed reassuring to Web Hosts who have made the decision to remain on platforms other than Plesk.

Furthermore, those who wish to migrate will receive free assistance from Parallels when moving to the new release of Plesk 9.5. While migration is never an easy task, having a company such as Parallels offering free migration assistance is a good option for large and small web hosts with limited time or budgets.

Every cloud has a silver lining?Some may argue that acquisitions are all about gaining market share and not improving the product. Some may also argue that Parallels is guilty of buying their competition only to force customers in to their product line. The truth is Web Hosts still have alternatives with cPanel, Direct Admin, and other billing control panels on the market.

Good news for Parallels website hosting products is that for the time being, Parallels plans on supporting all acquired panels. Support and security updates will be maintained for the foreseeable future. New features for Helm, H-Sphere, and Confixx are stopped.

There will always be those who are unhappy with choosing a platform only for it to be discontinued, purchased, or phased out. The up side for panels acquired by Parallels is that there is a very strong desire within Parallels to turn out top notch software with features and automation as key components.

Christian Henning?
FindMyHost.com