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One of the most important decisions you'll make for your business Web site is selecting which Web hosting service will display your Web pages to the Internet. So, what to look for?
Size of Pipeline. The host computer is
connected to the Internet backbone typically by T1 and T3
lines. A T1 can carry up to 1.5 mbs (megabits per second),
while a T3 can carry 45 mbs. Small ISP hosts sometimes have
ISDN connections to the Internet, or "fractional T1"
connections (part of a T1). Look for T3 if you can, though a
T1 isn't close to its maximum capacity. The expense of
installing an adequate pipeline to the Internet is the chief
barrier to setting up your own Web server computer in your
office; telephone and other charges are pretty stiff, unless
they can be shared with other businesses. Another alternative
to explore is "co-hosting" your computer at an ISP's location
to take advantage of his connection to the Internet.
Number of clients per machine. Ask how
many business clients are assigned to each of the ISP's
computers. (Don't be surprised to find out that many good ISPs
use fast Pentium computers rather than something more exotic.)
You may not learn too much by asking this, but you do learn if
the ISP has any policy limits at all.
Space. ISPs usually assign you a
certain amount of space on their computer. 5 MB is plenty of
space for the Web pages and graphics for most business Web
sites. I once jammed nearly 800 files and graphics into 5 MB.
But ask if mail, log files, and system programs are counted in
the 5 MB; these can sometimes take up considerable space. Web
hosts which include mail and log files in the count commonly
offer 15 MB minimum.
CGI-bin Access. Business accounts need
to be able to reference programs in a cgi-bin directory, which
includes a cgi program which generates the e-mail message sent
out by Web page forms. So long as a good forms-to-email
program is available in the host's main cgi-bin, that may be
all you need. If you or your Web site developer need to write
custom programs, though, you'll need your own cgi-bin
directory. But here's the problem. Most Web hosting ISPs allow
FTP access to a cgi-bin directory but not Telnet access. This
can significantly slow down programming development time. If
you don't have Telnet access, for example, you won't be able
to compile any programs written in C or C++. You have to rely
on the ISP's technical support to do that for you -- when he
gets around to it. ISPs say that limiting Telnet access helps
them keep out hackers, which is true. But if it is at the cost
of getting your Web site working, the cost may be too high.
Ask: "Do you allow us Telnet access to a cgi-bin directory?"
Virtual Hosting. These days nearly
every ISP offers what is called "virtual hosting" or a
"virtual domain." This allows you to have your own domain name
such as http://www.yourcompany.com rather than use your ISP's
domain name with a subdirectory designating your site, such as
http://www.isp.com/yourcompany/. You definitely want virtual
hosting. Sometimes an ISP will offer something called a
"vanity domain" such as http://yourcompany.isp.com. Don't
bother. Pay $100 to register a real domain name, and consider
that an investment in marketing your company on the Web.
E-Mail Aliases. Once you have a
virtual domain, ask your ISP how many e-mail addresses you are
allowed. Many ISPs allow you to set up multiple "aliases" such
as sales@yourcompany.com or info@yourcompany.com. Also ask if
different aliases can be forwarded to more than one e-mail
address. For example, I have a client with partners in Germany
as well as offices in California, with e-mail aliases for each
of them. For the smaller business, you probably don't need POP
(Post Office Protocol) e-mail boxes on your Web hosting site.
The POP e-mail box you have with your local access ISP is
probably enough. But larger businesses may want to have
multiple POP e-mail boxes at the Web hosting ISP.
Dependence. How free are you to choose
another Web hosting ISP if this one doesn't work out? If your
Web site developer provides hosting, what kinds of contracts
lock you into using those services and for how long? So long
as your name is listed as the "Administrative Contact" with
InterNIC, you can transfer your domain to another ISP, though
your previous ISP can slow down the process unless he
cooperates. Make sure your Web site developer isn't listed as
the Administrative Contact or it may be more difficult to
switch to a new developer if the need arises.
How many hours a day are technical support staff available?
How quickly do they respond? How much help do they provide? If
you need 24-hour technical support -- and larger companies and
high-traffic Web sites do -- then expect to pay substantially
more. People are much more expensive than machines
Author: by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson |
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