Selection of hosting company

Ok, you have your web site built and are now confused as to all the choices you have in order to find a home for your site. It is good to make a right choice the first time, because if you have to move to another hosting service, it will cost you time and you will lose some of your valued customers due to the downtime setting up with another web host.

You will also have to pay set up and hosting fees for a new account.

Here are some basic things to consider when choosing a Web Hosting Service:

1. Speed and reliability of the servers and hardware

Make sure they have a high-speed connection (preferably T3 or higher) to the Internet.

*Effective Bandwidth Management – opt for unlimited bandwidth for your site.

*Backup Systems – good hosts will have back up systems in place to guard against power failures, which will cause you to lose data and customers.

2. Features

Compatibility with existing Software and SkillsIs

your host’s server, software and support services compatible with the skills and software you are using? For example if you are using FrontPage to create your site, make sure they have FrontPage extensions installed on their server.

Some of the basic features of a hosting service should include:

Domain name registration
At least 5MB of allocated space
Unmetered bandwidth
Free Technical Support
POP3 E-Mail Accounts
Email Forwarding
Email Auto-responders
Email Aliases
FTP Access
FrontPage Support
Own CGI-Bin Access
Free Perl, CGI
Server Side Includes (SSI)
Password Protection
Reseller/referral program
30 day money back guarantee

Flexibility and room for growth – Keep in mind the future needs of your web site. If the traffic to your site explodes, or in the future you may need a database solution then your host must be able to accommodate the changes.

Quality of their support services
Quality of existing customers – ask for any BIG current customers that are hosting with that service.

Opinions of existing customers – ask for any testimonies of existing customers to get feedback from them concerning reliability and support.
Stability – you do not want your hosting service to go out of business (like what happened to many of the free hosts) and leave you stranded. Check how many years they have been in business.

Support and Responsiveness – Make sure you can contact them 24/7 by phone or email. Test the quality and efficiency of response by sending them an email pertaining to some question you may have before you sign up.

3. Types of Hosting Services

Free Hosting:Free sites are for people whose sites are small and do not expect much traffic.

Pros It’s Free For small non business sites

ConsNo usage of domain namesLimited technical supportUnreliability of servers, softwareLimited web space, technical supportHost may shut down due without notice

Virtual Hosting: (also known as domain or shared hosting).This is the most popular and cost effective form of hosting.

Pros Low cost Great for the average business sites Good technical support

ConsMultiple sites on serverSometimes slow updatesLimited security and control due to the large number of sites on 1 serverUse your own domain name (www.yoursite.com)

What can you expect to pay?

Expect to pay $5 - $50/month for a small web hosting package of 20-50MB of allocated space for your site. This will be enough for up to 20 pages with a few graphics on each page. You may find less expensive ones if you are lucky.( isitebuild.com/sitehosting.htm). Most small web sites use only 2-3MB. Make sure you can upgrade your hosting plan, should your site expand.When you sign up for a monthly service, there is usually no fixed length contract, so you can terminate your contract at any time. Your commitment is month to month although you often will get a discount if you sign up for 1-2 years.If you follow these basic guidelines, you will have a reliable, efficient and satisfying hosting service that will contribute to the success of your business for many years to come.

selection of domain name

Every professional business should be keeping up with the demands and needs of its customers, if it is to survive. One ofthe essential tools of any business these days is to have aprofessional web site. This begins with choosing and registeringa domain name that will clearly identify and brand your businessonline for many years to come, so you need to choose wisely.

How to choose a domain name

1. If you want your web site to have an added advantage in thesearch engines, think of a domain name that includes keywordsvisitors would search for in the main search engines.

2. Make a list of all the possible names that would suit yourbusiness (i.e. isitebuild.com contains resources for buildingyour own web site or getting one built). Use www.nameboy.com forresearching domain names. NameBoy will generate domain namesbased on the keywords you enter. If the dotcom name you want isnot available, create a longer name that describes your businessor use names that include hyphens (i.e. ihost-websites.com)

3. If possible, keep your domain name short so it is easy tospell and easy to remember. Take into account someone mayremember the name but forget there is a hyphen in it – you thenmiss out on those potential customers.

4. If the dotcom name is not available, try the other newabbreviations such as .BIZ .US,.INFO, .TV. These are not aspopular as .COM, however you may get closer to the name youwant. How to register a domain name1. Any company that sells domain names must be registeredand accredited with iCann - The Internet Corporation forAssigned Names and Numbers (http://www.icann.org).You can get a domain name for under $10 from Godaddy.com.Read carefully what’s on their site as you go through theregistration process. It’s easy to inadvertently sign up for other services you don’t need.

What is the DNS system?

It is the computer action of changing domain names into numeric Internet protocol (IP) numbers which enables computers to locate web sites and e-mail. If you haven’t chosen a Web Host, then park your domain namewith your domain name registrar (this is a temporary location tostore your domain until you are ready to have it hosted).

How to transfer a domain name.

There may be several reasons why you would want to transfer:

Renewing Domain NamesThere is a good chance that you could save money on domainname renewals by transferring them to a different registrar.Check out the prices from different registrars at NewRegistrars.com.

Before renewing a domain name, make sure you know whichregistrar the domain name is actually registered with. WhoIsQuery.com is the only WhoIs known that handlesthe CORE registrars as well as the ICANN ones. -

You parked your domain name and have now found a Web Hostto upload your site to.

-You are not happy with the service or are paying too much foryour current web host and want to switch to another.

1. If you are transferring your domain name to another web host,download (copy) all files to your computer from your old host. Sometimes files may be stored on your host but not on yourcomputer, so doing this will ensure you downloaded the whole site.Keep a copy of your files on the old host, while you transfer to another host, so you won't experience any downtime of your web site.

2. Open a new hosting account.

3. Change the DNS (domain name system) or Name Server information on the current domain name to the new hosting company name servers. You can find this information by going to the domain name registrar(the place where you registered your domain name).Your domain will take some time (24-72 hours) to propagate overthe Internet, before it appears on the new hosting company servers.

4. Upload all files to the new host.

5. Amend and test your web site. Check that all files have been uploaded from your computer and that your web site appears exactly as it did before.

6. Cancel the previous hosting account when you are satisfied with the transfer of your domain name to the new host.

A Great Tip for registering several domain names.

Since domain names are so cheap these days (they used to cost $35/year), you can afford to own severaldomains. Each domain can have its own web site. Mostsmall sites use less than 5MB of hosting space, so you couldhost several sites for a small price. What are the benefits of doing this? Linking each of these web sites together and submitting them tothe search engines will increase your sites search engine rankings.It will also broaden the places visitors can access your business. Generating a continuous traffic flow leads to more sales. You have now implemented and solved one of your crucialmarketing strategies.

Install a CGI Script in Website

You may have delayed cgi script installation due to the apparently complexprocess. Well, I avoided it also for several years, however if you want toincrease your web site's interactivity it's a necessity to know how to do it. It's not hard to learn and you don't have to be a programmer.

What is CGI ?

Common Gateway Interface or CGI is a program that can interact with an html form on your web site, and processes the results on your server usinga cgi script. The result generated is a dynamic web page. The cgi script iswritten in a language called PERL ("practical extraction and reportinglanguage").

Uses of CGI Scripts

CGI scripts are most commonly used for creating user interaction with an htmlform on your web site. Other uses include: autoresponders, shopping carts,counters, mailing list managers, ad management, surveys, polls, discussionboards, content management, calendars and click tracking. There are 100s of free cgi scripts that can be found on the Net. Just do a search on Google for "free cgi scripts" or visit the resources at the end of this article. We will create an html email form to collect the name, email address and comments of subscribers using a secure cgi formmail script. An automatic confirmation will be sent and the results of the email form will be passedon to your email address.

Steps to installing your own cgi script

. Check that your web host supports CGI - your web host will have a cgi-binfolder installed on the server. The cgi-bin is a special directory in the server where all the files which require security are kept. This is where you will upload your cgi script once it has been modified.

2. Download the cgi script - this is a secure cgi formmail script. Spammerscan't access and harvest your email address from this script.

3. Read the documentation that comes with the script - this will give you athorough understanding what changes you need to make to have it work correctly with your web site and server. It will also provide you with someexamples.

Editing your script

4. Open and edit your cgi script using notepad (don't use an html editor as thiscan create errors).

5. Remove the html tags from the script (at the top and bottom).

6. Change the path to perl to: #!/usr/bin/perl -wT (this is the first line of the script to be edited).

7. Edit the script - the bolded section of the cgi script shown below, are the other minimum fields to fill out in the script. Replace the fields in the script you downloaded with the bolded fields in the script below.

Add-On Domains -web hosting space

Is it possible to host two or more sites with two or moredomains on the same hosting account? You may want toregister and market another domain name but don't want topay for another hosting account. The best solution is tocreate an add-on domain.

What is an add-on domain?

An add-on domain is a new domain that is added on top ofyour main domain. It creates a sub directory within yourmain web hosting directory but can show a different website. The add-on domain collects the information from thesub domain directory using the same space and bandwidth asyour main account, however it won't have its own cpanel(web hosting manager).

Add-on domain benefits.

1. Create multiple domains/websites on the same web hostingaccount.

2. Save money and web space by using one hosting account instead of several hosting

accounts.

3. The add-on domain shares all the same resources (disk space,bandwidth...) with your main

site.

4. The add-on domain has its own FTP manager, site stats, cgi-bin which is created

automatically.

5. Upload all pages, images, scripts, forums etc to your add-on domain directory.

6. Access your add-on domain using several web site addressesi.e.http://www.SiteB.com,

SiteB.SiteA.comhttp.SiteA.com/SiteB

7. Promote several web sites within one hosting account with their own set of keywords.

How to create an add-on domain.

1. Register your new add-on domain with a domain nameregistrar.

2. Point the DNS (domain name sever) informationof your new add-on domain to the same DNS of your web host.

3. Allow 24-48 hours for the DNS to propagate over the Netbefore uploading your files.

4. Log in to your cpanel (web hosting manager) and scroll to add-on domains.

5. Fill in these three fields:

AMD Processors

Intel vs AMD servers. Which processor is best for a web hosting server?If you go to any dedicated server provider, you will see server offers for both AMD and Intel processor based servers. So which one is better for your website or web hosting company? This question is hard to answer because it is dependent on a lot of variables; but I will try my best to give a decisive answer.AMD and Intel have always been in close competition over the last decade. Whenever Intel was winning, AMD would catch up and overtake Intel. After awhile Intel would catch back up with AMD and overtake them. A competitive market at it’s finest! Anyway, back in 2002-2006 if you would have asked me which I thought was better, I would have said AMD. However, since Intel released its Core2 based processors, I will have to go with Intel for the time being. That is for now…it’s only a matter of time before AMD releases its next generation processor to take back its claim.Over the years I have purchased dozens of servers in all kinds of configurations – dual core AMD, single core AMD, dual core dual proc AMD, single core Intel, dual core Intel, etc. Even though I give raw server processing ability and power to Intel, AMD still has some advantages.AMD: better Low – Medium end servers – Best bang for the buckIf you have outgrown your shared web hosting plan or your VPS plan, it is time to upgrade to a dedicated server. The only problem is that there is a big price jump between VPS and a dedicated server. For that reason, I suggest that you start out on a Single Processor AMD server. The price for AMD based equipment tends to be lower which in turn lowers the monthly cost of the server. A comparable low end Intel machine usually costs $30-50/m more than your low end AMD server. AMD also has advantages on certain process types. For instance, AMD can run Java based applications better than the comparable Intel server.

Intel – High End Servers – Raw Power houseOut of all the high end web hosting servers that I have purchased, my dual proc dual core Xeon servers have always outperformed my high end AMD Opteron servers. When it comes to raw power and data/number crunching, Intel takes the cake. Compared to Opteron processors, Xeon processors have a much larger processor cache. This higher CPU bandwidth allows the machine to process more at a quicker rate than the comparable AMD. For this reason, Intel can run MySQL, Email, PHP, and other services faster than the AMD. Since these services are usually the center of most hosting businesses, I think Intel makes the better web hosting server. I also think that Intel servers are slightly more reliable than AMD because the other hardware in the server is usually perfected for Intel based processors. AMD is a smaller company so other hardware vendors spend more work and effort perfecting their hardware for Intel based machines.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor

So Many people are confused what exactly the difference between Intel Core 2 Duo Processors and Between Intel Pentium D or Intel Dual Core processors….I would try to explain from a END user point a view rather not going in to details architecture over view…The Simple facts are,All Core 2 Duo Processors are Dual Core Processors..All Pentium D Processors are Dual Core Processors..All Intel Dual Core Processors are Dual Core Processors

Pentium D is nothing but 2 Prescott Processors side by side… runs very hot, not a good OverClocker…

Intel Core 2 Duo processors are next gen processors from Intel on 65 nm platform… developed from Ground up with new Architecture called Core… so they are whole new Processors just Jump like Pentium 2 to Pentium 3 or Pentium 4… Expect one Core 2 Duo Lowest End Processors like E4400/E4300 taking up and beating Intel Pentium D 3.8 GHz ones with ease … runs damn cool and super over clocker…

Intel Dual Core Processors are just launched striped down version of Core 2 Duos.. there are 2 in Market for Desktop range, E2140 runs at 1.6 GHz with 1 MB L2 and 800 MHz FSB and E2160 with 1.8 GHz with same specs of E2140…. these are not Pentium D rather they are same batch like Core 2 Duo based on the new Core Technology…. they perform same like Core 2 Duos but they were launched with a very low price to counter the market of super low cost but high performer AMD X2 range line up to AMD X2 4000….

Duel core processor-Intel

Difference Between Intel core 2 duo vs Intel dual core vs Intel Pentium DMany people are confused what exactly the difference between Intel Core 2 Duo Processors and Between Intel Pentium D or Intel Dual Core processors….

would try to explain from a END user point a view rather not going in to details architecture over view…The Simple facts are,

All Core 2 Duo Processors are Dual Core Processors..All Pentium D Processors are Dual Core Processors..All Intel Dual Core Processors are Dual Core Processors…Pentium D is nothing but 2 Prescott Processors side by side… runs very hot, not a good OverClocker…

Intel Core 2 Duo processors are next gen processors from Intel on 65 nm platform… developed from Ground up with new Architecture called Core… so they are whole new Processors just Jump like Pentium 2 to Pentium 3 or Pentium 4… Expect one Core 2 Duo Lowest End Processors like E4400/E4300 taking up and beating Intel Pentium D 3.8 GHz ones with ease … runs damn cool and super over clocker…Intel Dual Core Processors are just launched striped down version of Core 2 Duos.. there are 2 in Market for Desktop range, E2140 runs at 1.6 GHz with 1 MB L2 and 800 MHz FSB and E2160 with 1.8 GHz with same specs of E2140…. these are not Pentium D rather they are same batch like Core 2 Duo based on the new Core Technology…. they perform same like Core 2 Duos but they were launched with a very low price to counter the market of super low cost but high performer AMD X2 range line up to AMD X2 4000….

So for those who are looking for the next cool thing for their desktop computer and price is not a huge issue, this would be your best choice, but go for the lower end Pentium D.

Network Adapter Driver Set- INTEL

This release includes software and drivers for Intel(R) PRO/100, Intel(R) PRO/1000, and Intel(R) PRO/10GbE adapters and integrated network connections.What's New in This Release Support for Microsoft Windows Vista*- Support for iSCSI Boot- Support for Microsoft Windows Server* 2003 Service Pack 2- Limited support for PCI Express adapters on Itanium(R)-based systems- Linux and FreeBSD support for the Intel(R) PRO/1000 PT Quad Port LP Server Adapter- Support for the Intel(R) 82562GT 10/100 Network Connection- Improved adaptive interrupt moderationThis CD does not contain software or drivers for Microsoft Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, Windows Me, or IBM OS/2. The most recent software and drivers for these operating systems can be found on the Intel Customer Support website at http://support.intel.com/support/network/sb/cs-016238.htm