With thousands of web hosting companies
to choose from, finding a reliable one at reasonable prices can be a real
challenge. How can you tell if a great looking web site is run by two
guys with a few computers in the basement? Below, I've listed several
of the hosting providers I've used and found reliable. There's also a
few that my colleagues have used and recommend:
Budget Hosting (Free
or Inexpensive)
Generally running Apache on Unix boxes. Most are
great for basic web sites. All of them offer domain registration, e-mail
and various amounts of space and bandwidth. Because offers change frequently,
check the links to find out more specific information. Don't expect much
by way of advanced features, like application server (ASP, ColdFusion,
PHP) or database support, though many features can be added for additional
fees.
ArisHost
free hosting with $15/year domain registration
Catalog.com
free hosting with $35/year domain registration
Hypermart.com
free webhosting without your own domain and inexpensive
plans if you do purchase a domain name
Mid-range to Premium Hosting ($17/month
to $2000+/month)
For the most part, all of these services can run
Apache on Unix or IIS on Windows NT/2000. Application Servers (ASP, ColdFusion,
PHP) and database support (Access, SQL Server, MySQL) are offered with
most plans. These are reliable providers for basic web sites up to very
large sites. Most offer shared hosting (many sites sharing one server
at a low cost), dedicated hosting (one site per server at a certain price),
and other options like co-location. All of them offer domain registration,
e-mail and various amounts of space and bandwidth. Because offers change
frequently, check the links to find out more specific information.
Hosting.com
Unix/Apache and Windows 2000/IIS plans from $24.95
to $199 (higher for dedicated/co-location plans)
Verio
One of the largest hosting providers with a wide
range of plans to suit just about every need starting at $24.95 and reaching
into the thousands.
ValueWeb
A long-time provider with plans starting at $19.95
Interland
One of the larger hosting providers with a wide
range of plans to suit just about every need starting at $16.95
Intermedia.net
A solid solution from $24.95 running exclusively
on Windows 2000. It gives you a great deal of control, especially if you
are using ASP, Access and/or SQL Server.
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