# what about network solutions??



## IanT (Mar 5, 2009)

Anyone ever used them?? my dad seems to swear by them...

how do you think they are priced compared to everyone else?


----------



## Guest (Mar 5, 2009)

What service(s) are you looking for?


----------



## Deda (Mar 5, 2009)

Ian, I really like Hostmonster.com - cheap and easy with all the bells and whistles.

I used Netsol when I did Little Leagues website about 7 years ago.  It was stable and worked fine, but the support was terrible if there was a problem.  That's the main reason I moved to Hostmonster.  If  I need support I can speak to a person - live - in Utah  24/7.  That's worth everything to me.  For the most part, all web hosting is about the same once you decide which features you want.  After that, it's all about the support.


----------



## IanT (Mar 5, 2009)

im thinking a site where i can run my soap biz (so merchant capabilities) + use it for my future massage therapy practice, Id love to include a small forum for my customers to contact me and share their experiences or feedback as well...

other than that .. and a load of info and stuff on soaping...i think thats it


----------



## jbarad (Mar 5, 2009)

IanT said:
			
		

> im thinking a site where i can run my soap biz (so merchant capabilities) + use it for my future massage therapy practice, Id love to include a small forum for my customers to contact me and share their experiences or feedback as well...
> 
> other than that .. and a load of info and stuff on soaping...i think thats it



So in the end you'll probably want something where you can have multiple domain names yet still have one general account to deal with ? 

Get a small reseller package  Everything you want will be included in a reseller package. 

Go here : http://webhostingtalk.com - read reviews, see what serious web geeks have to say about the various hosts and go from there 

Oh and they also have a section where you can get great deals on hosting, offers, sales, etc. from various hosting companies. It's definitely the "go to" place for all things hosting.


----------



## heartsong (Mar 5, 2009)

*x*

have you checked out www.internetbasedfamily.com  a few here on the forum has this.  i've looked at it, but not at a point in my life that i can go in that direction.

i'd like to here your thoughts on this one.

monet


----------



## jbarad (Mar 5, 2009)

*Re: x*



			
				heartsong said:
			
		

> have you checked out www.internetbasedfamily.com  a few here on the forum has this.  i've looked at it, but not at a point in my life that i can go in that direction.
> 
> i'd like to here your thoughts on this one.
> 
> monet



That's pretty high I think, considering you can build a complete website in 5 minutes using wordpress which is a free program. It's also easy enough for people who don't know much about site building too.


----------



## jenn624 (Mar 5, 2009)

Ian, avoid Network Solutions. Overpriced ($35 per year for a domain name! Ouch! around $10 - $15 annually is the norm anymore, don't pay more than that!), less than stellar support, and they have been known to do ...unscrupulous things.... involving hosting accounts.


----------



## Guest (Mar 5, 2009)

Ian if you're looking for web hosting, go with http://www.hostnexus.com.

I've been using them since 2003 (I used to run a web design biz), their hosting is top notch and they have awesome support.  They have really cheap hosting plans that allow you to host multiple domains with tons of space and bandwidth.

I'd stay away from Network Solutions, as others have mentioned they are overpriced.


----------



## IanT (Mar 6, 2009)

jenn624 said:
			
		

> Ian, avoid Network Solutions. Overpriced ($35 per year for a domain name! Ouch! around $10 - $15 annually is the norm anymore, don't pay more than that!), less than stellar support, and they have been known to do ...unscrupulous things.... involving hosting accounts.


yeah thats what i was thinking...my dad says he pays $50 a month... i was like... for WHAT!?!


----------



## angbaby4974 (Mar 6, 2009)

We use Hostgator www.hostgator.com & their support is phenomenal!  Also get tons of space, 99.9% uptime, which was an issue with our previous host, even after Hurricane Ike (they are based in Houston), our website was up, when most of Houston had no power.  They are super duper friendly & have exceptioanlly reasonable rates.  Right now they're offering one month free with coupon code HOUSTON.

I don't think I could recommend them enough!

And they have a money back guarantee!
- 45 Day Refund Period
- No Hassle
- Full Refund
- Same Day

They have a huge list of their features side by side so you can compare prices!


----------



## IanT (Mar 6, 2009)

also... in terms of GB how many do you think is acceptable to have?? how much space do you think i would need?


----------



## IanT (Mar 6, 2009)

jbarad said:
			
		

> IanT said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



also... forgive me of reeking of the noobiness... what is a reseller package?? the stuff im bringing up on this says like if you want to resell hosting to other people?


----------



## angbaby4974 (Mar 6, 2009)

A reseller is someone who doesn't actually "own" the servers, they lease space & resell it to someone who is setting up a site.  It's kind of a ripoff if you ask me.  Why would I want to spend more for the same services?


----------



## IanT (Mar 6, 2009)

so you would sort of be a 'middle man'


yeah i dont need to host anyones sites, i dont even know how to host my OWN yet lol....

too many optionsssssssssssss my brain hurts uuuugh!


ang-and you said your using their lowest priced option plan right??


----------



## jbarad (Mar 6, 2009)

angbaby4974 said:
			
		

> A reseller is someone who doesn't actually "own" the servers, they lease space & resell it to someone who is setting up a site.  It's kind of a ripoff if you ask me.  Why would I want to spend more for the same services?





Yes, but to rent your own server it's a lot more money. A good many hosts out there are resellers, you just don't know it. You don't really pay more for the same service. 

A reseller just buys bulk space and bandwidth then sells it off in smaller chunks, rarely is ever more expensive than a host that has their own servers. Even hosts that say they have their own servers are renting them from yet another supplier. 

All a reseller account means is that you have the ability to host multiple domains with one hosting account.

I have a reseller account currently. I don't host sites for others anymore ( I used to ) but I have probably 15 domains of my own that I need hosting space for. Rather than buy 15 individual hosting accounts I have one reseller account. It allows me to add as many domains as I need. I have a set amount of storage and bandwidth space to be shared amongst all my sites. How I allot it is up to me. I also have a lot more control over the backend of things than a regular hosting account will allow.


----------



## IanT (Mar 6, 2009)

that does sound pretty good... i do want to have as much control as i can... i think the other thing im going to run into is that i need one that is windows compatible because that is my OS


----------



## angbaby4974 (Mar 6, 2009)

Just because they use linux servers doesn't mean they are not compatible with windows computers.

With hostgator business pkg, you get a dedicated server, tons of space, Your Own Toll-Free Number ,Private SSL, Dedicated IP,	Shared SSL,	Agora Cart, osCommerce, 	ZenCart, Cube Cart & too many other things to list here & it's 12.95 per month.  I find that SUPER reasonable.


----------



## IanT (Mar 6, 2009)

yeah it looks pretty darn good to me...  going to give it some serious thought... aaaaaaaaagh my brain!!!!!! lol.... decisions decisions... very hard coming from an undecisive person lol


----------



## jbarad (Mar 6, 2009)

angbaby4974 said:
			
		

> Just because they use linux servers doesn't mean they are not compatible with windows computers.
> 
> With hostgator business pkg, you get a dedicated server, tons of space, Your Own Toll-Free Number ,Private SSL, Dedicated IP,	Shared SSL,	Agora Cart, osCommerce, 	ZenCart, Cube Cart & too many other things to list here & it's 12.95 per month.  I find that SUPER reasonable.



there is absolutely no way you're getting a dedicated server for $12.95 per month.

You're getting a dedicated amount of space and bandwidth for you, but the absolutely cheapest dedicated server I have ever seen is about $80.00 a month and that is completely unmanaged, no control panel, no nothing. You have to install and buy the licenses for all that stuff you mentioned.

this is the link to hostgators dedicated server page : http://www.hostgator.com/dedicated.shtml

Hostgator offers a dedicated IP address for $12.95 but in reality, that's just a sales tactic, there's really nothing special about a dedicated IP.

Hostgator is however a good hosting company, but like many hosts out there, they're really not telling you everything LOL Unlimited space and bandwidth never really means unlimited. It only means unlimited up until the point they think you're using more than your share.


----------



## angbaby4974 (Mar 6, 2009)

You're right on the dedicated server part.  Sorry miss typed what I was trying to say.  

At any rate, we use TONS of bandwidth & storage, & have NEVER been charged anything more than what we signed up for.  I seriously doubt that even the best soap selling site out there will use more than they are willing to give you for that price.


----------



## Guest (Mar 6, 2009)

Ian:  as far as hosting goes, most hosting plans already offer more than enough space and bandwidth.... what you want to look for is a company that offers great support and has a good hosting service (minimal downtime, quick loading times, etc).  

Reseller package -- to give you an example, when I was doing web design, I paid $45/month for a reseller package which allowed me to host multiple websites -- I would charge my clients to host their sites and make a nice profit in the process.  You don't need this 

For domains, go with GoDaddy.com -- less than $10/year for a domain.

If you need some direction, feel free to PM me -- I've been doing this kinda stuff for 10 years and would be happy to offer you some guidance and help you get the best deal for your needs.


----------



## jbarad (Mar 6, 2009)

> At any rate, we use TONS of bandwidth & storage, & have NEVER been charged anything more than what we signed up for. I seriously doubt that even the best soap selling site out there will use more than they are willing to give you for that price.



I agree completely !!

A normal site operating at normal levels won't ever go over what a host considers "too much"

If you grow though, and get busier and busier then it's different. It also depends on what type of site. A standard site even with a shopping cart isn't too resource intensive unless you're bringing in GOBS of heavy traffic. A forum or something of that nature is though, and hosts tend to frown on one client using more of their CP resources, memory resources than what's fair.


----------



## angbaby4974 (Mar 6, 2009)

We have forums, a gallery, & a standard site set up on our hosting package.  And we're using the "baby gator" pkg. We are a WAY busier site now than when we first signed on with them.  Our traffic grows every month, which is awesome


----------



## jbarad (Mar 6, 2009)

angbaby4974 said:
			
		

> We have forums, a gallery, & a standard site set up on our hosting package.  And we're using the "baby gator" pkg. We are a WAY busier site now than when we first signed on with them.  Our traffic grows every month, which is awesome



 Great ! Nothing more satisfying that seeing your sites grow


----------



## IanT (Mar 6, 2009)

i cant wait until mine grows like that lol

ok so if im working on low budget and want to eventually have my biz site, a few forums, as well as a few personal sites..what would be my best option?


----------



## jbarad (Mar 6, 2009)

> ok so if im working on low budget and want to eventually have my biz site, a few forums, as well as a few personal sites..what would be my best option?



Go with that 12.95 hostgator account. It will suit your current needs at a good price


----------



## IanT (Mar 7, 2009)

yeah i think i might go with the biz plan


----------

