Good Web Hosting Companies [Archive]

EricNau

Oct 9, 2005, 10:13 PM

Hi Everyone.
I'm looking for a good, and cheap web hosting company for my church. I was hoping for maybe less than $10 a year? It's a small church (maybe 200 members, tops), so it wouldn't need to be able to support thousands of visits. Maybe a hundred or so per month. And, just in case "Web Hosting" is not the right term, I need something that would get me a url, and then I could just FTP my website onto thier server.

Also, a different question...
What is "Mac OS X Personal Web Sharing"? Does it cost money, ow does it work?

robcts

Oct 9, 2005, 10:24 PM

Less than $10/year? I doubt you will find that unless it is a shady company.

A Small Orange (http://asmallorange.com/services/hosting/) has a "Tiny" plan for $30/year which seems perfect for you.

EricNau

Oct 9, 2005, 10:39 PM

I found several places that offered a plan for about $10 a year, they they seemed to be pretty good, they had a whole list of awards and other stuff. I just don't really know what to look for in a comapny.

ZoomZoomZoom

Oct 9, 2005, 10:42 PM

Cheapest and non-shady looks to be the right way to go. I'm using a more costly plan from surpasshosting, but they have cheaper ones. Their customer support is incredible, and they definately have my trust. Price for the cheapest plan is $48 a year. Add in a domain for about $10 a year, and it's just about $60. $5 a month would be well within your budget, and you'll have enough space for a very long time. 2GB of storage and 30GB of monthly bandwidth.

I can also donate space to you/your church if you provide your own domain. I can add on up to 3 domains to my hosting plan, and I have plenty of space to give out. I'd normally charge since add-on domains are limited, but I'd be happy to donate one to a church. Only thing would be that you can't access cpanel, but you'd still get all of your basics like FTP. If you're interested, just send me a PM or something.

xparaparafreakx

Oct 9, 2005, 10:44 PM

I don't remember how much GoDaddy is but it is really good.

ham_man

Oct 9, 2005, 10:48 PM

Less than $10/year? I doubt you will find that unless it is a shady company.

A Small Orange (http://asmallorange.com/services/hosting/) has a "Tiny" plan for $30/year which seems perfect for you.
Get that. ASO is a great value for the price. Don't cheap out and get poor service to save less than 2 dollars a month. That is what? The price of a bag of chips and a Coke. Go with ASO.

robcts

Oct 9, 2005, 10:51 PM

Get that. ASO is a great value for the price. Don't cheap out and get poor service to save less than 2 dollars a month. That is what? The price of a bag of chips and a Coke. Go with ASO.
Yup, really good company with fantasic support. :D

EricNau

Oct 10, 2005, 12:11 AM

This Orange Place looks good, even though they don't use Apple servers :p
Thanks for the help!

edesignuk

Oct 10, 2005, 03:39 AM

This Orange Place looks good, even though they don't use Apple servers :p
Thanks for the help!Anyone that wants to be cost effective won't be using Apple servers (not for just web hosting) :eek: ....anyway, just chiming in another strong recommendation for ASO, been with them for some time how and they have been nothing short of brilliant.

Chacala_Nayarit

Oct 10, 2005, 07:06 PM

Jazzy Host gives more disk space and traffic than ASO, and costs about one dollar more per month then the Small Orange package if paid by the year.

5GB space, 50GB traffice, cpanel and fantastico: Check it out! (http://jazzyhost.com/hosting.html)

capsLOCK

Oct 10, 2005, 07:50 PM

Before you buy anything, look around at free hosts. not all are crappy. I found one that gave me 1 gig space and 50 gig bandwidth for free (he had a CS server).

sierra36

Nov 4, 2005, 08:05 AM

Hi!

I was wondering if anyone knows about Meccahosting company. They sounded pretty nice on the phone but I wanted to double check with anyone who might had experiences with them.

Thank you.
:D

applemacdude

Nov 4, 2005, 08:10 AM

I like ASO too

dornoforpyros

Nov 4, 2005, 09:06 AM

yeah man don't cheap out with $10 a year. I realize it's a church but for $10 who knows how secure it's going to be, you might wake up one morning to discover your wonderful little website has been replaced with gUy SmIl3yS pr0n & w4R3z!!!11!!!1!

:p

Doozy

Nov 4, 2005, 01:52 PM

You can't go wrong with ASO they are a great company.

The Mac OS X Personal Web Sharing feature is an apache webserver. If you turn this feature on you can access your webpages from the internet using your IP address~username. It works fine if you have a static IP but if you have a dynamic IP you will need to figure it out before you can access the pages. Can be a kinda a pain. You will also need to set up DNS if you wanted to use a domain name. I don't recommend hosting a website using this feature, but it is cool to play with.

If your interested I have a domain name hosting plan for $15.00 a year. Includes the cost to register your domain name.

http://www.doozyhosting.com/domain-hosting.php

I will upgrade the account to 50 megs of disk space for free.

radiantm3

Nov 4, 2005, 01:53 PM

A lot of people are switching to dreamhost. I got on board about a month ago. They are very nice. Good pricing, feature-full, and your bandwidth and disc space go up on a weekly basis. Definitely worth checking out.

maya

Nov 5, 2005, 11:06 AM

Which company would you people go with:

1. ASO

2. DreamHost

I am comparing at present. :)

...seems ASO is better. :)

steveedge

Nov 5, 2005, 11:57 AM

Just click on my web address below. Fat reliable professional hosting, and personal service.
Thanks,
steve@cafeedge.com

Les Kern

Nov 5, 2005, 12:13 PM

GoDaddy.com
I was sceptical at first, by 4 bucks a MONTH for 1GB of storage, 500GB of bandwidth, 500 e-mails... My new company is just getting started, and this was one hell of a deal for me.
http://www.coachstat.com

3rdpath

Nov 5, 2005, 01:28 PM

another satisfied ASO user!

great tech support, forums and prices.

EricNau

Nov 5, 2005, 01:47 PM

another satisfied ASO user!

great tech support, forums and prices.
ASO sounds like it has very satisfied users, I guess I'll give them a try. It's more than my church wanted to spend, but too bad for them. :o

radiantm3

Nov 5, 2005, 03:12 PM

Which company would you people go with:

1. ASO

2. DreamHost

I am comparing at present. :)

...seems ASO is better. :)

Not sure if it matters, but a lot of the well known web designers use dreamhost. :) It's more or less just assurance that they seem to be quite reliable.

Just to name a few (that I can remember):

www.simplebits.com
www.mezzoblue.com (he did csszengarden.com)
www.shauninman.com
www.domineydesign.com

theappleguy

Nov 6, 2005, 07:18 PM

ASO sounds like it has very satisfied users, I guess I'll give them a try. It's more than my church wanted to spend, but too bad for them. :o
Yes, ASO seems to have a good repuation on these forums. Two others I would recommend would be TJR Networks (http://www.tjrnetworks.com) and Myacen (http://www.myacen.com). :)

the next reviva

Nov 9, 2005, 08:06 PM

www.dreamhost.com

get the basic plan (4.8gb, free domain)

normally $9 a month, use code "777" to get a years worth of hosting, and domain registration for $9.24

put in referal code "mattklein" and I'll giev you a special bonus!

EricNau

Nov 9, 2005, 09:22 PM

Thanks everybody...right now everything is still going through "the system" but I should have it up and going someday :p

Will Cheyney

Nov 10, 2005, 09:30 AM

Servage.net (http://www.servage.net/?coupon=cust10343) is brilliant. For just £5 a month, you can get 330 GB of monthly bandwidth, 7.5 GB of webspace, unlimited email accounts and a free domain name. What's more, if you quote my customer reference number when signing up, you'll get 2 months free hosting and 500MB of extra web space!
My customer reference number: CUST10343 - incase you are interested.

They are fantastic. Superb customer and technical support.

Phatpat

Nov 10, 2005, 10:05 AM

I've been very happy with ASO.

Godaddy is looking really nice now though. 5 gigs of space + plenty of bandwidth for under $40 if payed yearly. Only problem is no cgi, which I kinda need. Still tempting, if just for the massive space.

atari1356

Nov 10, 2005, 10:08 AM

Vizaweb is also very good. They have a starter plan (http://www.vizaweb.com/plans.php) that's about $35 a year - and comes with a control panel that allows you to install free addons like a blog, forums, picture gallery, etc.

I've been a happy user for over a year now.

littlejim

Nov 10, 2005, 10:32 AM

I've had no dealings whatsoever with GoDaddy and have no axe to grind with them but ...

The guys over at Macdesktops.com (http://www.macdesktops.com/) have recently had a nasty experience with GoDaddy :

http://macdesktops.com/weblog/2005/10/18/godaddy-screwed-me-back-online-soon/

jaseone

Nov 10, 2005, 11:25 AM

$6/GB for overage on bandwidth? :eek: with overage automatically charged? :eek: They should at least notify you when you are getting close to your limit and again once you've reached it, but $6/GB? That is just insane! The standard is more like $0.50/GB and good hosts will notify you when you are approaching it and again when you've reached it so you can make arrangements for extra bandwidth to be provided.

GoDaddy seems more like a mass market host that doesn't care too much about providing quality services to attract customers but instead snares as many people as they can while they sign up for domain names through them and don't really care too much about retaining your business as there is always another sucker out there to take your place

EricNau

Nov 10, 2005, 04:51 PM

radiantm3

Nov 10, 2005, 05:44 PM

http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/dreamhost-web-hosting

Ok, you get the point.

asif786

Nov 10, 2005, 06:04 PM

Not sure if it matters, but a lot of the well known web designers use dreamhost. :) It's more or less just assurance that they seem to be quite reliable.

Just to name a few (that I can remember):

www.simplebits.com
www.mezzoblue.com (he did csszengarden.com)
www.shauninman.com
www.domineydesign.com

not sure about that list; i know shauninman.com is hosted at (mt)mediatemple - maybe he moved to (mt) recently :)

Personally I use mediatemple.net (http://www.mediatemple.net) and they're great. expensive though - perhaps overkill for your needs.

I also use ASO - and they're awesome. Fantastic, quick replies all the time. Great servers & services. Highly recommended :)

radiantm3

Nov 10, 2005, 06:29 PM

not sure about that list; i know shauninman.com is hosted at (mt)mediatemple - maybe he moved to (mt) recently :)

Personally I use mediatemple.net (http://www.mediatemple.net) and they're great. expensive though - perhaps overkill for your needs.

I also use ASO - and they're awesome. Fantastic, quick replies all the time. Great servers & services. Highly recommended :)

Ah he must have moved. :) Yea lots of those guys use mediatemple.net, but they are pricey.

Phatpat

Nov 10, 2005, 07:39 PM

One of ASO's most appealing characteristics when I describe it to others is the support. It's fast, easy, and truly helpful. I feel like they actually WANT to help me.

EricNau

Nov 10, 2005, 07:55 PM

http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/dreamhost-web-hosting

Ok, you get the point.
Wow, I can tell you really like DreamHost.
Fact is, it's more expensive than the others, and I don't need the storage. In fact, at the moment I could get away with 10 MB, it's a very simple HTML website, the most I could ever see myself using is 100 MB. So really, I'm looking for the cheapest reliable place I can find. ;)

I've taken three classes on Web Creating: the first two were basic hand coded HTML, and the third is going more into design and using Editors (Adobe GoLive). So everything I'm doing right now is still very basic.

EDIT: is that your website?

radiantm3

Nov 10, 2005, 08:42 PM

Wow, I can tell you really like DreamHost.
Fact is, it's more expensive than the others, and I don't need the storage. In fact, at the moment I could get away with 10 MB, it's a very simple HTML website, the most I could ever see myself using is 100 MB. So really, I'm looking for the cheapest reliable place I can find. ;)

I've taken three classes on Web Creating: the first two were basic hand coded HTML, and the third is going more into design and using Editors (Adobe GoLive). So everything I'm doing right now is still very basic.

EDIT: is that your website?

No, that's not my site. I'm very happy with dreamhost so far. And I'm coming from a host that gave me free hosting. :) (A friend owned it)

maya

Nov 10, 2005, 10:14 PM

mintlivedotcom

Nov 10, 2005, 10:48 PM

I just switched to PowWeb and found they have awesome service, including a chatroom with employees to get quick answers. I signed up during their "buy two year, get two years free" promotion (runs every so often).

Check out the specs...

https://powweb.com/

One of my sites in development: http://babydvd.net

EricNau

Nov 10, 2005, 11:03 PM

amacgenius

Nov 10, 2005, 11:28 PM

I highly recommend one of three hosts (I've used or are using all three)

1. Eleven2 (http://www.eleven2.com) (Really nice guys, good support.)
2. Dreamhost (http://www.dreamhost.com/rewards.cgi?amacgenius) (Sure you've read enough about them in this thread.)
3. HostGator (https://secure.hostgator.com/cgi-bin/affiliates/clickthru.cgi?id=genius&campaign=amgcomission) (Great service, and good support.) (The one that currently hosts my 1 yr old blog)

maya

Nov 11, 2005, 12:51 PM

How long is that offer around?

This offer is still active. :)

buckuxc

Nov 13, 2005, 11:18 PM

hey all,

Not sure how to word this question, but I'm working on a project to create an open access journal specializing in publishing the scholarly work of undergraduate students. I'm sorta the go-between guy for the humanities people that don't know the web really and the web people who don't deal with the humanities dept. The web developer we've contracted to work for us, another student, has a background in using ASP, while my background (which is VERY novice) is php and dealing with Movable Type, WordPress, and mySQL db's.

Is there any webhost that allows processing of php, python, etc and ASP? Does ASP work with mySQL?

A Small Orange looks great, as well as a few others, but they don't say anything about ASP.

er...wait...this Servage company does, but comparatively...it looks REALLY good for not a whole lot of money. What are the details? How can they afford soooo much space and bandwidth and what not for not a huge price? It seems too good to be true...?

bigandy

Nov 14, 2005, 10:15 AM

i'd take a look at www.phpwebhosting.com. i've used them for two years, and they're great.

plus they don't cut you off if you don't pay one month, great for a student :rolleyes: despite the fact it's only $9.95 / month.

i couldn't recommend them more. plus their helpdesk are damn useful and always answer quickly!

njmac

Nov 14, 2005, 10:35 AM

To get the church started, you might want to consider getting a blogger (http://blogger.com) account. Its free, simple, immediate. I know that it is not a website, but you could post pics, easily update each week or as often as you liked. There is almost no learning curve, and its 100% free. You could have church members subscribe to the site, other people (if you enable it) can make posts also.

No web design skills needed
free
easily updated
nice templates

I did one for one of the groups at our church, but am abandoning it because the group is just too small to need its own website... but the example is here (http://mom-to-mom.blogspot.com)

EricNau

Nov 14, 2005, 05:53 PM

theappleguy

Nov 14, 2005, 07:29 PM

Is there any webhost that allows processing of php, python, etc and ASP? Does ASP work with mySQL?
You will need Windows if you want to run ASP. Most hosts that people have linked to in this thread are running Linux. This is the better option unless you specifically need ASP .Net etc. I'm pretty sure ASP can interact with a mySQL DB but check on the mySQL site. :)

Will Cheyney

Nov 15, 2005, 11:20 AM

Yeh, I don't think you can have one host with ASP and PHP support. It's either or.

pianodude123

Nov 16, 2005, 06:31 PM

I know a really good host, and it has fantastic customer support as well as apple servers. It is backed up and battery backed up too.

Although the prices on the main homepage may seem higher than what you are looking for, I know the owner very very well, and I could probably get you hosting, with unlimited bandwidth for around $15/year...the domain you would have to register seperately though...he would give you a subdomain though free! username.gwtall.com

here is the link:

http://gwtall.com

It is really professional and cheap!

PM me if you are interested!

mraila

Nov 16, 2005, 06:45 PM

Just wanted to say that after reading through this thread today I decided to open an account with A Small Orange.

They seemed more user friendly. DreamHost had just too much stuff to sort through. It was overwhelming. They also require a contract of 2 years to get the good rates and to avoid set up fees. Small Orange was quick and easy. Pleased with customer service so far too. I'm paying $5 a month with no set up fees and no contracts. Doesn't hurt to try for that small a commitment...

steveedge

Nov 20, 2005, 01:01 PM

Massive amounts of bandwidth and space are only good IF you need AND use them. Most sites rarely use more than 50 to 75 megs of hard drive space and never get anywhere close to using maximum bandwidth.
There are some exceptions, a photographer with a huge portfolio, or a musician with a lot of sound files might need and use that much space.. or a store with 5,000 items.
I have found though, that most small business, artist and other project sites only use a fraction of their space and bandwidth.
The real test for a hosting company is prompt personal service, reliability, and the actual web services they provide, that are included with each account.

nichos

Nov 26, 2005, 08:54 PM

I went to sign up for ASO, have we "macrumored" them?
Shared hosting orders are temporarily disabled while we wait on a server order from Sun to arrive. We expect orders to resume by next week once our new systems are installed.