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Vanilla 1.1.10 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.
Running a website [Sticky] Web hosting suggestions & questions
Bottom of Page-
Need some advice about web hosting?
Want to recommend a web host? (no spam please ;o)
Here's where to post it. -
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CommentAuthorTigerblade
- CommentTimeDec 12th 2006 edited
Dreamhost.com
Excellent rates for the amount of storage and bandwidth offered. Plans range from USD$8.00 per month (with a two-year contract) for 200GB of storage and 2TB monthly bandwidth, (both of which increase weekly) to the business plan at USD$60+ monthly. Supports PHP, MySQL, Ruby, and lots more. The company is run by some very friendly, down-to-earth people. Customer service is fantastic and very prompt. The very few times I had some sort of question about their service, my question was answered literally within hours. My personal recommendation to anyone looking for good reliable hosting.
Downside: control panel is occasionally confusing, especially at first.
1and1.com
From USD$3.00 per month through USD$20.00 per month for some very decent packages, I used 1and1.com as my host for a year before switching to Dreamhost. My switch wasn't a reflection on 1and1, I just wanted to try something different. 1and1 offers both Linux-based and MS-based hosting to suit whichever languages you need support for.
Downsides: Support is generally fairly slow to respond and slow to solve problems; no database support for the cheaper MS packages. -
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Horus network
My 3 websites are currently hosted with them, and even is the rate is a little higher than a normal hosting would be, the service given to the customer is just awesome! You can just send a mail to the technical guy of the team, and he answer you within a day or the same day with a clear and nice answer. And if you have some special needs they will do anything to please you! Here is a little bit of there philosophy taken from their website.
The philosophy of Horus Networks SÃ rl is innovative, based on ecological and human criteria within the framework of sustainable development. At present, seeing profit as the sole objective is a dead-end, which is why we have chosen to orient our policy towards developing our company in a more harmonious way. By respecting the environment and the Human.
Sustainable hosting
This one is cheaper and is also an eco one.
Here is a bit of their philosophy taken from their website:
Sustainable Hosting, LLC has been founded as a joint venture of Earthsite and Holistechnology. Sustainable Hosting is an environmentally responsible hosting company that is powered by renewable wind energy.
Hope you enjoy those two ecological hosting companies, and their great services! -
I have absolutely nothing good to say about 1and1. I originally hosted based on the fact that they advertised in Linux Forum mag. I've had to jump through hoops from the beginning. I moved my domains to godaddy (great cust. serv.) and I've had very good luck with rogem.net. They've just upgraded to new servers, and I can't beat the prices. I get emails straight from the owners and I feel like part of a family/community.
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Any cheap uk hosts around here?
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- CommentAuthorfarfromrest
- CommentTimeDec 24th 2006
I use dreamhost and love it for these reasons.
-Ruby on Rails
-Space and Bandwidth
-Price
-SSH Access
-Reliable
-PHP 5 -
I have had very bad experiences with 1and1 Hosing with multiple clients. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
Powweb Hosting
I have used them for years in the past and I highly recommend them. They are very affordable- only USD $7.77 a month (with various deals depending on the length of time you buy at one time. They have excellent customer service and tech support which is a big help when your first starting out. They currently offer 20GB of storage and over 13GB of bandwidth a day. But this number may increase as they routinely upgrade your package. I haven't had any trouble with them and I have a few clients that currently use them. -
I have noticed many recommendations for US based hosting. Is there any reason why a UK hosting is preferable for a site aimed at the UK public?
I understand some US companies do not provide .co.uk domains however that can be managed independently from the hosting. The only other reason I can think is that the location of the site affects the search engine placement regardless of the domain name. Does anyone have any experience with this? -
I'm actually looking for some hosting. I'm in the Uk and typically i've had my websites hosted with godaddy. I'd like to get some feedback on how hosting abroad may not be rcommended. Like lupal said above
location of the site affects the search engine placement regardless of the domain name.
and i didn't know this. Also can anyone recommend good hosting in the UK?
thank you
kas -
Strongly agree with the above negative comments about 1&1.com. A client had their existing domain names with them and was also paying a lot for hosting that they weren't using. When i tried to leave the leaving procedure was a nightmare. I canceled everything under them and as a result they completely screwed me over changing my domain names to 'Detagged' when i explicitly on the phone had their word this would not happen.
After 2 months of correspondence with Nominet (which cost me more money) i finally got the domains back...
After all this 2 months later 1&1.com charged my client again for hosting... The poor man in the call centre got an ear-full!
(sorry for ranting - they just make me mad) -
Hi
I have had good experirience with www.galvanize-solutions.com . They are a very cheap company but offer a lot of space and bandwidth for low money. Every account has unlimited e-mail, mysql, php scripts and all sorts of stuff. They also come with cpanelx. Please take a look at them.
P.S They are not paying me for saying that!! -
I've had a good experience with the Heart Internet Reseller package so far! Their offer looks very good on paper with almost unlimited resources for a fixed monthly fee. My sites are only small and therefore not so resource hungry, but I've been very pleased with their infrastructure and control panels etc.
I have seen on some sites that people have had a bad experience with them but I can't complain. I can white label email, webmail, hosting etc. all of which has worked fine. I had 1 or 2 teething problems but the support team were quick to respond and fix any issues.
I've used a few hosts recently and it seems the services vary enormously. When everything is more or less automated I don't understand how some people can have good experiences against others that seem so poor? -
i have been with a few hosts over time and had my fair share of good and bad experiences.
by far the best so far is a2b2 (ww.a2b2.com). i have a vps with them which i then resell to design customers. i have never had to wait any longer than 10 minutes for a responce on the support and rus (who owns it) is a great guy who really knows what he is doing.
the prices aren't bad either. -
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CommentAuthorSam England
- CommentTimeJan 11th 2007 edited
Bluehost.com awesome support awesome prices, and not bad host for the price you pay, go with them, theres a good CEO behind it.
Supports ruby and the guys really in to it, 24/7 live support (amazing), telephone support and email support with cpanel and alot of space and bandwidth. -
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CommentAuthorColourpool
- CommentTimeJan 12th 2007
I just came across http://www.mediamax.com/ it will let you host images and html, im not sure what its limitation are in terms of hosting a whole site, but you can certainly upload and view HTML for FREE! 25 gig worth. -
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Unleashed: Revised Ltd.
Great UK host - the support is fantastic, easily the best I have ever used, and I've tried Host Gator, 1&1 and Fasthosts. Quick site loading speeds and brilliant uptime. Options for PHP4 and PHP5 hosting, from £3 a month. -
I've seen a lot of bad press for 1and1.com, but I've used 1and1.co.uk for the past three years and I don't have any complaints. I have a managed server, a couple of other hosting packages, an exchange account and I always recommend them to clients (and I'd like to point out I'm not an affiliate).
However, I wouldn't recommend them if you think you may need a lot of support. Responses tend to be in the 24 to 48 hours timeframe. This has never been a problem for me as I've never needed urgent support. Another down side is that the servers are in Germany, so that does have a detrimental effect on SEO results when you have a UK specific site.
That said, there seem to be some great hosts mentioned in this thread, so I could be tempted to move :-) -
I am using two hosts at present.. for Linux Hosting, I use http://www.realvaluehosting.com
They are not very cheap, but they are quite reliable. The uptime is very nice and I have not seen any noticeable downtime as yet for last one year. I have not tried them for Windows Hosting as they do not offer MS SQL 2005 :(
For Windows Hosting, I am using http://www.hostingatoz.com . They are cheap enough but they had mails issues 3 months ago. But they were fixed and there are no issues now. You get what you pay for... they are very cheap so I don't expect 100% uptime but as I am hosting a few personal sites only... they seems to be very good :) -
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CommentAuthorelitefireninja
- CommentTimeJan 15th 2007
Any suggestions on free hosts? -
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I'm currently using hostgator's reseller package and it is working out nicely so far. For $25 a month I get enough space/bandwidth for the needs of my clients and they each have access to their own Cpanel which I can brand and (practically) make invisible that hostgator is the real host. Online chat/help is superb. Use the coupon code "iceishot" for $10 off your first month.
Cons: All sites on one IP, additional IP's are $2/month but it will be in the same C-class.
As far as free hosting goes, I don't know much but godaddy offers free (ad-supported) hosting. I'm sure there are others. -
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CommentAuthorLondonStone
- CommentTimeJan 16th 2007
Like iBaz I've been using 1and1.co.uk for almost a year now. Don't have one complain't about the service or reliability.
I guess the US Based 1and1 must use a totally different infrastructure.
I'm currently using a shared domain, and have not experienced any problems at all. For under 10 quid a month I get unlimited domains, 1000 email accounts, unlimited forwarding, 2 MySQL databases, and plenty of useful SEO extras that 1and1 keep adding to the thier control panel.
Thinking of upgrading to a dedicated server soon, more than happy to stay with 1and1 unless anyone can suggest a better uk based hosting company for dedicated linux servers. -
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I've been using ICDsoft for a few years now with about 8 websites. It's now $38 per year per site, including domain renewals, and the mores sites I get, the cheaper that rate becomes for me. They've been completely reliable, including quick heat ticket responses every time I've needed help.
The thing I love most about ICDsoft is that the more you use them, the more they reward you with better prices. -
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CommentAuthorSam England
- CommentTimeJan 23rd 2007
Dedicated servers/VPS are coming down in price now :) -
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www.ixwebhosting.com
IX Web Hosting rocks. 6.45 a month for 2 year contract with 300 gb of storage and 1500gb transfer monthly. MYsql, PGsql, php, etc. They give you 3 free domain name registrations with that package, and there are plenty of upgraded packages. STRONGLY recommend. Comparable to dreamhost. -
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CommentAuthorChris Harvey
- CommentTimeFeb 23rd 2007
I'm with LondonStone and iBax - I've used 1and1.co.uk for almost 4 years and have nothing but praise.
I should point out I'm an amateur "designer" - I've designed a website for my stepson's football team and nothing else, so my experience is somewhat different to most people on here.
1and1 helped me get up and running, things were fairly prompt. They have a host of features (spot the Marcus-like pun?) and are constantly improving the service. Features include graphics (stock pics and graphics), dymanic data (eg news/sports/weather etc), photo gallery, chat plug-in and newsletter creation.
The one negative side I have - I had an Access Database (don't laugh - I haven't got a budget for anything else!!!) serving team results; whenever I uploaded a new version of this, it was out of action for about 24 hours before magically fixing itself. 1and1 couldn't help in the slightest, saying the prob was at my end, but the error message (in German) referred to an E drive issue (I only had C and D), so it was fairly obviously their issue.
I've noted the comments on 24 hour turnaround for support, but there is a telephone number available and the staff are friendly. -
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I have noticed many recommendations for US based hosting. Is there any reason why a UK hosting is preferable for a site aimed at the UK public?
I understand some US companies do not provide .co.uk domains however that can be managed independently from the hosting. The only other reason I can think is that the location of the site affects the search engine placement regardless of the domain name. Does anyone have any experience with this?
To lupalz and others,
I am a UK resident in the US who recently found a caveat to having your UK Web site hosted by a US company. Google seems to decide whether to include you in their SERPs based on the IP of the Web site so the Google UK engine will not index US-based UK sites.
Something to think about.
Paul -
Has anyone had any experience with http://www.strato-hosting.co.uk their prices look good for what you get.
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Anyone tried Domain Gurus for dedicated servers?
http://www.domaingurus.com/dedicated-servers/ruby-on-rails-dedicated-servers.html
The prices seem good. Here is an example plan costing $60 (£31) per month.
* Dual core 64bit processor
* 1 gigabytes RAM
* 160 gigabytes hard drive
* 1300 gigabytes of bandwidth per month
If anyone has tried them then leave a comment here. -
Hi I currently have two hosting packages with 123-reg and each one has one domain on it. The website hosted or there was designed by a professional for my company. I have recently however had a go at web design myself, I have designed a wesbite which I wish to host and I wanted to use one of my exisiting hosting packages to save buying a new one.
Is it possible and can anyone please explain how, to put this new site up on a new domain (which I have purchased) but on one of these existing hosting packages? 123-reg have been useless I have called/emailed them for about the past 3 days but to no avail.
Thanks very much,
Richard -
Hi Richard,
I theory you should be able to do this .. but I've never dealt with 123-reg for hosting, only domain names.
What you would normally do is point the DNS (domain name) servers to the web host, and then configure your host to pick up the domain name in question. However, in the case of 123-reg I'm not sure if they don't do something different for their own hosting.
If you get stuck, drop me an email and I'll see if I can set you up some space on my server.
- Rich -
- CommentAuthorConnor_is_great
- CommentTimeMar 26th 2007
I usually use Amen (amenworld.com) for my hosting, there cheap, reliable and have great phone support. -
has anyone used http://www.webhosting.uk.com/ for ther VPS package... the deal looks good but at £150 PA it looks cheap. any comments?
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I have not tried them, but I always prefer paying for hosting monthly so if it does turn out to be bad you can change.
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CommentAuthorbarrymcgee
- CommentTimeApr 8th 2007
I cannot fault Dreamhost! -
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Catalyst2 in Ireland. One of the few out there with decently priced Windows hosting accounts.
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I am looking for hosting around $5.00-$6.00 for a personal blog, but I would like to be able to customize the layout, etc.
Can anyone offer hosting that offers automatic Blogs?
Or would I be better off installing my own Content Management System, such as Drupal or Tiny on my hosting service?
I am currently looking at 1&1, Dot5Hosting, and IX...
...Anyone who has used these, I'd appreciate your insight.
Thanks,
Sky -
My experience with 1and1.co.uk has been trouble free, but I've never read anything good about 1and1.com in the US!
Many hosts offer easy installs of blogging and CMS software via CPanel or whatever control panel they use.
If what you really want is a simple blogging account, you could sign up at Wordpress.com or Blogger.com. Both are free. -
I currently have a VPS for questionform.com on rimuhosting.com (Dallas-TX).
They have great support, the VPS is very fast and i will probably stick with them for my next project moneyflux.net which is entirely based on RoR. -
- CommentAuthorryanbehrman
- CommentTimeApr 25th 2007 edited
I use Dreamhost like several others here. Their support is very responsive and friendly, but I have had a few occasions where the site's gone down on my shared hosting plan, their reason being their server's "memory".To lupalz and others,
I am a UK resident in the US who recently found a caveat to having your UK Web site hosted by a US company. Google seems to decide whether to include you in their SERPs based on the IP of the Web site so the Google UK engine will not index US-based UK sites.
True, but the google uk engine only kicks in when the user clicks on the "pages from the UK" radio button on google.com or google.co.uk . I'd try find out how likely it is for a user to click on this radio button before ruling out US hosting for a UK-based site. US hosting generally offers a lot more bandwidth. UK companies still talk in gigabytes, whereas US companies talk in terabytes.
I went to a talk at BarcampLondon about hosting and for a VPS (and other types of hosting) we were recommended to look at:
-Managed.com
-Liquidweb.com
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else uses these companies? -
UK based sites also seem to get a boost in google.co.uk's non-UK results.
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- CommentAuthorkirstyburgoine
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2007 edited
I've used www.supanames.co.uk a few times now. They have a good variety of packages with your choice of .co.uk .com .net etc..
Their basic packages are cheap but have a good amount of features and their customer support has always replied to my enquiries within a couple of hours even though they warn of a 24 hour wait.
Plus they are now in partnership with www.123-reg.co.uk which is useful.
Kirsty -
Fixed IP address
If you are serious about the SEO of your site, and not getting tainted because you are sharing an IP address with sites you do not control, you should choose a host that gives you a fixed IP address for your hosting. I recommend Site5 because they offer a private IP address, lots of space and reliable support for very little money.
iDonny Productions -
Ok so i am about to sign up to a 1&1.co.uk Business account. at £7.92 per month. is there anything i should know?
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If you search the forum you will see that I and other people don't like 1and1. I bought a dedicated server from them and it didn't work, and it took ages of phoning them to cancel the account and they didn't give all my money back. Their phone lines are usually staffed by Indians, I can't understand what they are saying most of the time and they are not very helpful.
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Thanks mate. i read a lot of US users had issues I was wondering if the UK side had the same issues.
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The one host which I have had which seems to literally fly above the others is A Small Orange, I found it on Neowin and I have to say it is easily the best host I have every used.
It offers all the regular things, has a clean design, is not too expensive, and is completely trustworthy.
So it is A Small Orange who get my vote
Did I mention how fantastic the support is? And the forum? -
Can anyone recommend a good inexpensive reseller?
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CommentAuthormarcelomdsc
- CommentTimeJun 12th 2007
Hello I'm also looking for a good hosting company....so far this is what I know
avoid 1and1 hosting, haven't tried it but... http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6616_102-0.html?forumID=37&threadID=251356&messageID=2508268
avoid dot5hosting as it is my current host and it sucks.
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So as you may have guessed I'm looking for a new hosting company, so far I'm intrested in two
hostmonster and godaddy
I dont really need 300gb of storage and 3000gb of data transfer...what godaddy offers 100gb of storage and i dont remember how much for transfer is ok...
What I most care about is that the company has to be reliable and I wont have problems uploading or with non responive servers and that kind of stuff...
any suggestions? has anybody tried goddady or hostmonster??? -
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CommentAuthorLondonStone
- CommentTimeJul 10th 2007
To update you all on the previous recommendation I made for 1and1.co.uk let me tell you a little story.....
are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away was a very reliable and reasonably priced hosting company called 1and1.co.uk
(Not to be confused with 1and1.com, who sound appalling!)
To be able to keep thier cost so low, they had to cut a few corners. Thankfully they didn't skimp on hardware, so could never fault them on a server failing, or slow load times.
But they thought thier support staff was too costly. So they outsourced it to India, some very nice ladies and gents, taught to speak polite american, calling us Sir and Mam, and answering any questions we had.
Providing the question you had was on thier clipboard list of 5 things we can help with. Otherwise they would just read out the clipboard answers anyway.
Now I did encounter a small problem. Namely they closed down the email accounts for 50 domains I had hosted with them, without any warning or notification. Reason being.... suspected spam abuse from 1 account.
Abuse department is in Germany. India don't have contact number or email for them, it's in the notification email that they allegedly sent to the account they closed! They can't give out such information over the phone.
After over a week of just trying to contact them, finally got through and sorted out the problem. It was just me testing a subscription newsletter script to myself that triggered the spam lockdown!
Needless to say I have 49 irate clients who were without email for a week.
Sorry about the long post, but I thought this word of warning might save someone else the nightmare of frustration I had to endure with 1and1.co.uk. You buy cheap- You buy twice!
I've since tried a couple of other hosting companies. One was total rubbish, the other is a breath of fresh air.
I wont post up the company name yet, as I've only been with them about a month, and want to do a proper road test before I sing thier praises, so far they tick every box though. Email me if anyone does want the details beforehand. -
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- CommentAuthorryanbehrman
- CommentTimeJul 21st 2007
Does anyone using hostgator's reseller package care to give us their experiences? They seem to have what I require, but I am wondering what experiences others have had in general.