Web host recommendations

Jeff Horton

Member
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4,272
Location
The Heart of Dixie
I find myself looking for a new Web Host. Just looking for some recommendations.

I am currently at Go Daddy and must say they are rock solid. But they are to restrictive on a couple of things and I do not like their control panel. Biggest gripe is they limit me to 50 (I think) emails a day. I do some marketing for my business by email and once I month I send about 200 emails. Major pain!

I have used QualityHostOnline.com for many years and still like them and still recommend them. But they have a weird SSI setup. Well it is set up wrong on the server and they don't seem to care. So I am not going back there because of the way my web site is set up.

So I find myself looking again. I need SSI and my own personal CGI-bin. And larger limits on sending emails! Good tech support too.

So what can you recommend that fits these bills?
 
I am by no possible stretch of the imagination an expert on web hosting. What I know about it you can balance on the end of a sharp chisel. Never-the-less, I have lots of opinions (ask my wife). I currently use HostMonster. They seems to have all of the bells and whistles, no restrictions, big memory, etc. (Oh, did I mention cheap?)
 
I have my personal web page on ripplehost. It is a no-frills host, meant for low-volume stuff. Still, is is VERY inexpensive.

For your situation, you could look at idologic.com and right up front I have to admit that I know the guys who co-own this company. I used to work with one of them. My recommendation is therefore based mostly on knowing the guys, rather than on specs, advertising, or reviews. They are technically competent, and know how to manage things. I did just look at the specs on their cheapest monthly plan ($20) and there is no restriction on # of emails that I can see.
 
Bluehost

Vaughn may step in and clarify but I think FWW is on Bluehost.

I also have my sites hosted there. They seem to work well and cost very little. Something like $7/month
 
I've used godaddy, yahoo, & general hosting. Yahoo was good, did not care for godaddy's control panel, and general hosting I didn't deal with enough to get a good feel for their support. I finally just hosted my site(s) from my own server and setup mail hosting through fusemail.net. Having complete control of the server was a great benefit and no additional cost. I pay about $10 for Fusemail each month. To use my own domains for mail, I just point the MX records to Fusemail's site and then use their control panel to manage as many domains and accounts as I want.
 
Yep, we use BlueHost here, I've been very happy with their support when we have needed it.

On my personal website, I am using Ace Net Inc (ace-host.net) I've had a lot of trouble with them, nothing catastrophic, but, when the contract is up, I will be moving to BlueHost for sure.

Cheers!
 
I have my personal web page on ripplehost. It is a no-frills host, meant for low-volume stuff. Still, is is VERY inexpensive.

For your situation, you could look at idologic.com ....... I did just look at the specs on their cheapest monthly plan ($20) and there is no restriction on # of emails that I can see.

I read some really bad reviews on RippleHost. But I also saw that they sold/were bought out. So that may have been during the transition? Most comments were related to no tech support and no one answering the phones/emails.

Doesn't Go Daddy have an upgrade option?

Probably but I still don't like their way of doing things. Want to nickle and dime you. Now, their service has been excellent! Just several small things I don't like. To controlling.

I finally just hosted my site(s) from my own server and setup mail hosting through fusemail.net. Having complete control of the server was a great benefit and no additional cost.

Not a option for me. My ISP isn't going to allow a server without paying for it. Much cheaper to let someone else host it for me. And I don't have to maintain it. Rather be woodworking.

Yep, we use BlueHost here, I've been very happy with their support when we have needed it.

I will give them a look. There is a lot of cheap hosting out there and thats what I really want. I don't need a lot of help, just want them to be there if I do have a problem.

I really wish Quality Host would fix this one issue. They have been perfect host other than that. I could change to my site to work on their server but I just hate to have to make it work when it should work that way it is. It really takes away the advantage of SSI when it doesn't work correctly.
 
I read some really bad reviews on RippleHost. But I also saw that they sold/were bought out. So that may have been during the transition? Most comments were related to no tech support and no one answering the phones/emails.

Ripplehost was bought by Idologic (my other recommendation) a few years ago. (not sure how many) But they maintain it as a separate identity, since it is aimed at a different category of client.

And as for the "no tech support"... that sort of is the point of ripplehost. The price is dirt cheap --- $10 per YEAR for the cheapest option, which is what I have, which includes 200MB of disk space and 4GB/month of bandwidth. But the consequence is that all tech support is via a forum. It is NOT meant for the folks who need any sort of hand holding or have other high-support needs.
 
Not to argue with you Art cause at $10 your don't expect much in the way of Tech Support. But the complaints I was reading was there was none, period. But I think that was the transition period between owners.

Speaking of cheap hosts, QualtiyHostOnline that I used to use (and may still) has a $3.95 a month plan and good (email only) support. They are surprisingly fast. I have been emailing with them all week on the SSI error. Usually have an answer within 2-4 hours which I consider good. Especially since they had to go in and create some files to test what I was telling them.

I keep thinking about what good service they have offered and keep wondering if I just shouldn't modify my site to work around that quirk in their servers. But I did look at BlueHost and other than not listing their plans anywhere on the site I liked what I saw there too.:dunno:
 
I moved my personal sites from 1&1 Internet to Bluehost, and have been happy so far. The only problem I've run into was that I couldn't get the Frontpage extensions running right, but it wasn't that critical to me, so I haven't called tech support to get it worked out. When I first moved my sites to Bluehost, I had a few glitches to iron out (all were my own error or ignorance), and the tech guy I spoke to handled me quickly and competently.

I will say that 1&1 had remarkably short wait times to get a tech support rep on the phone...it's just once you got them, they weren't much help. Bluehost may have longer waits, but when you get there, they actually do help.
 
Just wanted to say thanks to those that replied. I gave up on Quality Host. They have a problem with their Server Side Includes. They didn't seem to think it was a problem but it was huge problem for me. I did some looking and just signed up for Blue Host.

I am uploading (and uploading, and uploading) a copy of my website to them as I type. Thanks for the advice.

WOOHOO! It's finally uploaded!!
 
Well I missed this one but I use CrystalTech.com 20+ sites.

I have done a bunch of ColdFusion work with them.

They are not the cheapest, but have NEVER been down. Excellent tech support and monitoring on their part.

Have fun, a new host is always interesting as you learn to do the things you need.

Are you a PHP guy ?
 
STUMP THE TECH GUYS!! (expletive deleted)

Blue Host seems to have the same problem the other guys are having and they don't seem to have an answer either. This is frustrating!!

Bartee, no I am not a PHP guy. Pretty good with HTML but not up on scripting or a lot of the new stuff.
 
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