hosting and domain reg recommendations

[billbenson]

It comes up often enough that I thought I would start a hosting and domain registration thread. This is for both good and bad. Different hosts are good for different things. If you are new, you may need telephone support. For me, telephone support is rarely required. I like to send an email to report a problem. Its better than being on hold for 20 minutes.

Also, don't host at the same place you register your domain. There are a lot of scams with this. That's why I started two lists below. One for registrars and one for hosting. Actually I started three sections. One has a link for checking if your site is up. Put any other relevant links there.

If your site is down, make sure it is down before contacting your host. I have had a number of occasions where my local ISP couldn't find my domain because of DNS problems. It was accessible from elsewhere. There is a link below for checking to see if your site is up from various places around the world. Its not always your host that is the problem.

Please copy and past the list in your post, so the last post has the entire list.

Links

Check if your site is up from around the world: Alertra Website Monitoring Service (http://alertra.com/spotcheck.php)

Domain Registrars

Godaddy.com - Good registrar. Honest, but try to sell you other stuff you don't need

Hosts

Godaddy - Geared more toward the hobbyist.

cyberland-usa.com - email only support, $1.75 per month or 10.95 per month for a reseller plan. I've used them for a number of years and like them. My sites are low traffic though. I can't comment on what they can do if you have high traffic or more sophisticated server requirements.

1 and 1 - known for domain hijacking, expensive. Very large company. Don't use them.

Network Solutions - domain hijacking and expensive. Very large company. Don't use them

[KristineS]

List copied as requested. I would add Lunar Pages to the list of hosts. I host my blogs with them and have never had a problem. Liquid Web is another host. I don't use them, but I know people who do, and they're supposed to be good as well.


Links

Check if your site is up from around the world: Alertra Website Monitoring Service

Domain Registrars

Godaddy.com - Good registrar. Honest, but try to sell you other stuff you don't need

Hosts

Godaddy - Geared more toward the hobbyist.

cyberland-usa.com - email only support, $1.75 per month or 10.95 per month for a reseller plan. I've used them for a number of years and like them. My sites are low traffic though. I can't comment on what they can do if you have high traffic or more sophisticated server requirements.

1 and 1 - known for domain hijacking, expensive. Very large company. Don't use them.

Network Solutions - domain hijacking and expensive. Very large company. Don't use them

Lunar Pages

Liquid Web

[billbenson]

Kristine add recommended or not next to the list and why. That way we end up with a good list if this thread continues. Not every host is correct for every application. Backup hosts are a good idea as well.

[CADesign]

Good thread ... great timing.
I'm in the process of looking for a reasonable host.
I'll be watching as I look around.

Thanks,

Dave

[KristineS]

Kristine add recommended or not next to the list and why. That way we end up with a good list if this thread continues. Not every host is correct for every application. Backup hosts are a good idea as well.

Sorry, Bill. Let's try this again

[KristineS]

Links

Check if your site is up from around the world: Alertra Website Monitoring Service

Domain Registrars

Godaddy.com - Good registrar. Honest, but try to sell you other stuff you don't need

Hosts

Godaddy - Geared more toward the hobbyist.

cyberland-usa.com - email only support, $1.75 per month or 10.95 per month for a reseller plan. I've used them for a number of years and like them. My sites are low traffic though. I can't comment on what they can do if you have high traffic or more sophisticated server requirements.

1 and 1 - known for domain hijacking, expensive. Very large company. Don't use them.

Network Solutions - domain hijacking and expensive. Very large company. Don't use them

Lunar Pages - Recommended to me by Vangogh. Nice for people who aren't particularly tech savvy. Has install programs for popular blog programs and shopping carts.

[cbscreative]

I would second the vote for Liquid Web. We use them for this forum, so if there's a problem, you will all know it.

I've seen many complaints about 1 and 1 hijacking domains and have been told Network Solutions is bad for the same reason too. I would say to avoid these two companies.

I've heard good things and good reviews about Bluehost, and have not experienced any problems with them.

I definitely agree that you should register your domain name with someone other than the hosting company. GoDaddy is good for domain names, but not so much on hosting just as noted.

Here is one I've warned about elsewhere, but it would be good to say it again here. Beware of free domain names with hosting, or free domains and hosting with design. If the people making these offers put their name down as the owner, they own it, not you. If things go south in your relationship, you can't just take your site or move your domain. Suppose you spent time and resources promoting something you don't own. It's nice if they want to hold you hostage, but it can be a very raw deal quite similar to the domain hijacking that 1 on 1 and Network Solutions have become known for.

Hosting is definitely a volitile area, so this is a good thread to help other business owners sort through the mine field.

[billbenson]

Steve, stick a consolidated opinion in the list to copy and paste for a resource. That way the last post will have a good list for reference.

Good point. Don't use free hosts except for hobby sites.

[Business Attorney]

I saw your comment about 1&1. I have used them on some sites for several years without a hitch. I don't know about the domain hijacking, but for the package I have, they are very reasonable ($60 per year for shared hosting and that includes 2 free domains). The renewal fee for my other domains is only $6.99 a year (vs. $9.99 for my domain names registered through GoDaddy). They also have a free privacy option, versus having to pay for it at GoDaddy. Maybe some combination of packages is more expensive, but for what I pay and what I get, this is the best choice around.

More importantly, I have never seen my sites down. I can't say the same for my sites at Hostmoster, which have been down at least twice for short periods.

One thing about 1&1 - they have their own administrative panel. I am used to using cpanel on several other hosts and while there is nothing wrong with the 1&1 panel, I would prefer to have cpanel for consistency.

[billbenson]

A friend registered a domain with 1&1 as well as hosted. He had to call them to unlock his domain. They say ok, I'll transfer you to the domain department. He got put on eternal hold and then disconnected. Both 1&1 and network solutions play this game. Do a forum search and you will find a high number of dissatisfied customers. My friend had to abandon his domain.

On the other side of the coin, the big companies usually have good backup so downtime is usually good. Try to move your domain and see what happens.

[cbscreative]

I've read numerous complaints of the same scenario, bill. As long as you're happy, David, you may never have a problem, but trying to move the domain to another host could get you the run around.

[Business Attorney]

I've read numerous complaints of the same scenario, bill. As long as you're happy, David, you may never have a problem, but trying to move the domain to another host could get you the run around.

Hmm, maybe just for fun I'll move a domain from 1&1 to GoDaddy or some other registrar to see what happens.

As far as really ever needing to move the domain itself, as long as they are cheaper on their annual fee than any other registrar, I am not sure why I would need to switch registrars. I can change the name server information myself from the admin panel (and have done so on several occasions). Several of the domains for which 1&1 is the registrar already are hosted for me by other companies and the transition took minutes.

I should mention, though, that the $6.99 does come with one downside. There is no free "push" even from one account of mine to another. I have bought existing websites registered with GoDaddy, NameCheap and one other registrar I can't remember right now. Pushing the domain from one account holder to another was free in every case. 1&1 charges a small transfer fee ($6.99 for a .com). Interestingly, however, there is NO fee for transferring the domain to another registrar.

[billbenson]

They may have changed their act after a bunch of bad PR? In any case, this is a good reason not to register a domain with your host. Keep them separate and be sure you can move, unlock, etc your domain through a control panel. They certainly have played the game I described above in the past.

[cbscreative]

That could be interesting. The power of the information age prevailing and causing companies with bad business practices to change their ways. You can't help but love that.

[billbenson]

Change their ways or just act like it?

[cbscreative]

Probably the latter, but I prefer optimism. Fortunately, free enterprise is mostly self-cleansing given enough time. It's true that as one dirtbag gets pounded back into the ground, another one rises to take their place, but that's just the way the game is played.

[conniebensen]

Hi I am Connie at Network Solutions. Network Solutions does not engage in the practice you refer to here of holding domain names. ICANN, the body that governs domain registrars, put into affect a new resolution to end it. We actually blogged about it. (http://solutionsarepower.com/2008/network-solutions-encourages-icann-to-end-front-running-for-good/).

As to the friend who could transfer his domain, please let me know if we can help. This should not happen.

[cbscreative]

That's an interesting blog, and I love the colors. It also served as a reminder to me about some of the abuse going on that registrars have to deal with.

One thing mentioned that I found stood out to me is the practice of locking domain names in limbo after someone has performed a search. I have many times warned everyone who searches for an available domain name to buy immediately because this happens. As the blog points out, it can happen in as little as a matter of minutes. It's not the subject of this thread, but it's something everyone should know when seeking an available domain name.

Now I just have to wonder, how exactly is connie related to you bill? *Just kidding*

[billbenson]

a few interesting links:

Network Solutions Suddenly Opposed To Domain Hijacking (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/20/network-solutions-suddenly-opposed-to-domain-hijacking/)

NetworkSolutions Domain Name Scam ~ Scam Busters Blog (http://scam-busters.blogspot.com/2008/01/network-solutions-domain-name-scam.html)

[cbscreative]

Thanks for those links, bill, it certainly helps confirm what I have observed happening. I may not have pointed the finger at NS, but I have definitely seen the pattern and I think many others use this same strategy. The test run on your second link is especially interesting after the patterns I have seen. I've not run these kinds of tests to see who is doing what, but I have long suspected something just like this.

[CADesign]

Just a not of appreciation:

BillBenson -
Thanks for tip on cyberland-usa.com (http://cyberland-usa.com) they are very affordable and already were very helpful in resolving one small problem with my account.
They seem to have a great attitude and got back to me within a few hours ... not bad at all.

Dave

[billbenson]

I have a reseller account with them as well as several regular accounts. The reseller account is nice if you do development as you can set up new accounts and modify them as you see fit during development. It's only 10.95 per month for 700G of storage and as many sites, emails, and databases as you want. I forget how much bandwith you get.

[orion_joel]

I was not able to find any information about the reseller account on the cyberland website, or maybe i have got mixed up here somewhere. The price seems quite good for what you mention them offering as i have been using a company and paying about $30 a month for 2GB or space and about 50GB bandwidth. That is a good $240 saving a year if i could get a decent reseller account for 10.95. (I am not actually reselling, but host about 10 or so sites of my own, which is why i use reseller)

[billbenson]

They may not make that much money on the reseller (whm) accounts and don't actively pitch it on their site. They offered it to me at one point and I liked it. I've watched them grow. I started with them in 2002 ish and it was cheap, but they had leased servers. They have grown to having their own servers. I don't know if they have redundant servers, but I think they can offer you dedicated servers. For the price, they are great. If you can't afford to be down for one second, then I would see what they can do for that.

I have the owners email. shoot me a pm with your email and requirements and I'll have him contact you.