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CharlesS · Jul 29, 2002, 06:32 AM

This web host looked inexpensive:
<a href="http://www.icdsoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.icdsoft.com</a>

They had a lot of good ratings here:
<a href="http://www.webhostingratings.com/plans/ICDSoft_ICDSoft.html" target="_blank">http://www.webhostingratings.com/plans/ICDSoft_ICDSoft.html</a>

I'm kind of nervous about them, though. What do you guys think? Are these guys worth looking into? Or should I not risk it?

Please be patient with me; I'm a complete newbie to web hosting...

Thanks,
Charles

[ 07-29-2002, 07:27 AM: Message edited by: CharlesS ]

KaptainKaya · Jul 29, 2002, 08:58 AM

99.81% uptime? and $5 a month for hosting? Sounds like a winner here.

mattmarshall · Jul 29, 2002, 12:37 PM

i dunno....almost seems too good to be true....that site is pushing icdsoft pretty hard. it's listed at the top of the directory page, listed first in reccomended cheap hosters, and is the only one with more than 20 votes. is it possible this is legit?

any other sites that rate hosters?

just to get a second opinion...

-matt

p.s. i'm eager to find a cheap host with webdav access.....does one exist?

mattmarshall · Jul 29, 2002, 01:01 PM

icdsoft does look pretty good, but don't get your domain through them:

"With ICDSoft every single new customer gets One cheap ($5) .com, .net, or .org Domain Name for as long as you remain our client."

any other "catches"? they run linux--is that less reliable than unix?

any thoughts/opinions/ideas/alternatives greatly appreciated

thanks

-matt

[ 07-29-2002, 01:30 PM: Message edited by: mattmarshall ]

CharlesS · Jul 29, 2002, 04:03 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by mattmarshall:
i dunno....almost seems too good to be true....<hr /></blockquote>Yeah, that's why I'm kind of scared of them.

BTW, I found another similar site:

<a href="http://www.freestylehosting.com/" target="_blank">http://www.freestylehosting.com/</a>

They have a couple of decent reviews here:
<a href="http://www.hostsearch.com/companyinfo.asp?Companycode=4814" target="_blank">http://www.hostsearch.com/companyinfo.asp?Companycode=4814</a>

and the people on this web board seem to know the guy who runs it personally.
<a href="http://www.webhostingtalk.com/" target="_blank">http://www.webhostingtalk.com/</a>

mattmarshall · Jul 29, 2002, 04:11 PM

man, how cool would it be if apple offered domain hosting as part of .Mac? I'd probably be willing to pay the 100 dollars then.

Raman · Jul 29, 2002, 05:04 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CharlesS:
This web host looked inexpensive:
<a href="http://www.icdsoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.icdsoft.com</a>

<hr /></blockquote>what are you looking to do? asp? php? just html? database, etc? i have a ton of web space to sell on a windows 2000 server with pop email and ms access db for pretty cheap.

Simon Mundy · Jul 29, 2002, 06:44 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by mattmarshall:
man, how cool would it be if apple offered domain hosting as part of .Mac? I'd probably be willing to pay the 100 dollars then.<hr /></blockquote>How much power do you need, Matt or Charles?

There's not a huge amount of difference to you as an end user if your hosting company uses UNIX or LINUX. They're both as likely to utilise Apache, PHP, CGI and SQL databases. And this (in my book) is a good thing. BTW RedHat Linux is quite a popular hosting OS, and it's damn quick.

Try to forget about the price for a second. The thing you should be looking for is SUPPORT! Does the company offer email/phone/AIM support? Have they got detailed FAQs and tutorials? Do they offer a demo version of their control panel so you can judge for yourself how easy it is to administer your account? It should be easy to contact your host when things go wrong, and they should take your problem as a personal challenge!

I've seen a lot of deals that range from $5 to $15 US Dollars a month, and they all seem much of a muchness. But if I were you I'd register my own domain name rather than let one of them do it on my behalf - it can save you grief down the track. Then, if you're not happy with them you can simply end the contract and move with the minimum of hassle. Make sure they offer a 30 day 'out' clause, just in case.

Other than that, happy hunting! I guess the best way you'll find a decent host is to work by referrals, but unfortunately I do my hosting from Australia and I can't really recommend anyone to you.

CharlesS · Jul 29, 2002, 06:52 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Simon Mundy:
How much power do you need, Matt or Charles?[/QB]<hr /></blockquote>I don't need much disk space (my current iDisk account is 3.1 MB, and there's some useless junk in there that I'll probably throw out), but I do need enough bandwidth to host my shareware apps (5 GB per month would be nice).

If anyone could recommend something that was good and not too expensive, it would be greatly appreciated.

Charles

mattmarshall · Jul 29, 2002, 10:27 PM

my requirements are real small.....my main interest is in having my own domain so that i'll never be kicked off my email address, as is currently occuring with .Mac.....i want to make sure this is the last time someone can bounce me at their will.

my web usage would be slight--perhaps posting pictures of the family and whatnot, maybe a small personal site....basically just simple html stuff.

that's why my main concern is cost.....i'm at the low end of things--i'll never need that high-end stuff......i doubt i'd ever use php or cgi, though i guess it would be nice to have if i want to increase my tiny html skills.

basically, email and a simple personal web site are the main needs for me right now.

thanks

-matt

[ 07-29-2002, 11:09 PM: Message edited by: mattmarshall ]

CharlesS · Jul 30, 2002, 02:17 AM

Crap, here's the most amazing price I've seen yet. How can this be?!

<a href="http://www.sonichost.net/" target="_blank">http://www.sonichost.net/</a>

They're rated highly here:

<a href="http://www.hostsearch.com/showcomment.asp?companycode=5576" target="_blank">http://www.hostsearch.com/showcomment.asp?companycode=5576</a>

and spoken highly of here:
<a href="http://www.webhostingtalk.com/" target="_blank">http://www.webhostingtalk.com/</a>

[ 07-30-2002, 02:28 AM: Message edited by: CharlesS ]

Simon Mundy · Jul 30, 2002, 05:29 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CharlesS:
Crap, here's the most amazing price I've seen yet. How can this be?!

<a href="http://www.sonichost.net/" target="_blank">http://www.sonichost.net/</a>

<hr /></blockquote>Yep. Not a bad deal. You can check out the functionality of their control panel here: <a href="http://www.ensim.com/Products/Webppliance/Linux/3_1/demos/webppliance31/site.html" target="_blank">http://www.ensim.com/Products/Webppliance/Linux/3_1/demos/webppliance31/site.html</a>

For that kind of money it's worth a try.

ilukas · Jul 30, 2002, 06:14 AM

my advice (if you choose to take it):

do not sign up for yearly hosting plans unless it's an established company, in business for at least a few years.

those companies w/ yearly plans usually depend on new clients signing up in order to stay alive, and that doesn't tend to work on the long run. <img border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" title="" src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" />

CharlesS · Jul 30, 2002, 03:44 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Simon Mundy:
You can check out the functionality of their control panel here: <a href="http://www.ensim.com/Products/Webppliance/Linux/3_1/demos/webppliance31/site.html" target="_blank">http://www.ensim.com/Products/Webppliance/Linux/3_1/demos/webppliance31/site.html</a>[/QB][ /QUOTE]

That link has some... issues. Here's a better link:

<a href="http://www.ensim.com/products/webppliance/linux/3_1/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.ensim.com/products/webppliance/linux/3_1/index.html</a>

shmerek · Jul 30, 2002, 04:09 PM

oops

[ 07-30-2002, 04:13 PM: Message edited by: shmerek ]

jaxxe · Aug 19, 2002, 11:26 PM

Originally posted by CharlesS:

I'm kind of nervous about them, though. What do you guys think? Are these guys worth looking into? Or should I not risk it?

[ 07-29-2002, 07:27 AM: Message edited by: CharlesS ]

I'm actually signed up with them. It's been just a little over a month. I have to say that I have received solid replies to questions right away. I requested additional Japanese encoding in the provided webmailer, and within 24 hours they had them up. They have just redone the control panel and will be adding even more features. I'm happy with my choice, and I too am a newbie when it comes to all of this.

Also, I registered my domain through them, but here is what the FAQ has to say:

"Who owns the domain?"

"When we register a domain for you, you are the owner of the domain name and have complete control over its content. If in future you decide to switch to other providers for some reason, you can take away the domain from our registrar also."

This doesn't go to say that there will be hassle at the end of the line should you choose to discontinue their service, but really, for the price, where else would you go except hosting on your very own machine in future?

I hope this helps.
Cheers,
jaxxe

Scoo · Aug 20, 2002, 10:51 PM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by mattmarshall:
i dunno....almost seems too good to be true....<hr /></blockquote>Yeah, that's why I'm kind of scared of them.

BTW, I found another similar site:

<a href="http://www.freestylehosting.com/" target="_blank">http://www.freestylehosting.com/</a>

They have a couple of decent reviews here:
<a href="http://www.hostsearch.com/companyinfo.asp?Companycode=4814" target="_blank">http://www.hostsearch.com/companyinf...mpanycode=4814</a>

and the people on this web board seem to know the guy who runs it personally.
<a href="http://www.webhostingtalk.com/" target="_blank">http://www.webhostingtalk.com/</a>

I emailed them with some questions, heard back 4 hours later. They seem like the real deal. I'm goin' for it.

KaptainKaya · Aug 21, 2002, 08:26 AM

I also went with FreeStyleHosting. I emailed them about transferring and about 15 minutes later, I received an email on how to do it all. Must have been when they were working, but who am I to complain with service like that? I already had a problem switching over, but 5 hours later, the problem was fixed. ***** (5 stars out of 5

)

Agent69 · Aug 22, 2002, 09:42 PM

Sorry I came to this discussion late Charles. I use PHPWebhosting and they have done a good job for me. I pay ten dollars a month.

http://www.phpwebhosting.com/

milhous · Feb 5, 2003, 03:09 AM

Thank goodness for these sorts of discussions! I just left my old provider (Hostway) and was going to sign up with Feature Price. Fortunately, their online account signup wasn't working and after doing some additional searches, it turned out that Feature Price hasn't been offering any support to its customers when they needed it. I'm glad their own web app was broken.

Now I've taken some of your guys advice and signed up with phpwebhosting.com. I hope this will work out well. I just hope they stick to what they say.

And BTW, I left Hostway not because of bad service, but because they didn't have the tools i needed to setup a php/mysql CMS. Other then that, they're a good host.

macgeekjay · Feb 5, 2003, 12:55 PM

I've been using HugeHosting.com for a while now because I need to run a bunch of sites with one using about 40GB/mo..

So I chose there Private Server option. But now I'm running into problems as they won't upgrade the PHP version running on there due to incompatibilities with some CPanel software they use. They do say they will eventually have the issues figured out, but ..... I need a solution now! The cool thing is they only charge $150/mo.!!!

Anyone else know a better Private Server out there?

THANKS

Ludovic Hirlimann · Feb 6, 2003, 04:40 AM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
This web host looked inexpensive:
<a href="http://www.icdsoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.icdsoft.com</a>

They had a lot of good ratings here:
<a href="http://www.webhostingratings.com/plans/ICDSoft_ICDSoft.html" target="_blank">http://www.webhostingratings.com/pla...t_ICDSoft.html</a>

I'm kind of nervous about them, though. What do you guys think? Are these guys worth looking into? Or should I not risk it?

Please be patient with me; I'm a complete newbie to web hosting...

Thanks,
Charles

[ 07-29-2002, 07:27 AM: Message edited by: CharlesS ]

This is what netcraft has to say about uptime on this host.
With netcraft you should be able to see who they are hosting, and how there hosting is.

macgeekjay · Feb 6, 2003, 11:46 AM

Originally posted by macgeekjay:
I've been using HugeHosting.com for a while now because I need to run a bunch of sites with one using about 40GB/mo..

So I chose there Private Server option. But now I'm running into problems as they won't upgrade the PHP version running on there due to incompatibilities with some CPanel software they use. They do say they will eventually have the issues figured out, but ..... I need a solution now! The cool thing is they only charge $150/mo.!!!

Anyone else know a better Private Server out there?

THANKS

I suppose I should be a bit more specific, huh?

I need the latest version of PHP, mySQL and ImageMagik if possible. Storage isn't usually an issue since on a Private Server I tend to get a lot. But if I had to say I'd like around 1-2GB os storage. And, of course, some sort of online control panel system.

THAT's where the problem usually lies as the PHP programs I want to use require the latest versions and the CPanel's that people use don't support the latest version.

IF anyone can point me in the best direction that would be GREAT!!!

macupdate · Feb 17, 2003, 11:35 AM

We're running a web hosting special for Mac users this month, giving you 50% off all of our shared hosting packages. The prices aren't marked. What you need to do to get the discount is use the coupon code "macupdate" when signing up. Check out our packages:

http://www.hostsolutions.com/

We're the same people that run MacUpdate (www.macupdate.com) so you know personal support, uptime, and a strong Mac-based knowledge are important to us.

-Joel Mueller

Rainy Day · Feb 21, 2003, 02:36 PM

Originally posted by ilukas:
my advice (if you choose to take it):

do not sign up for yearly hosting plans unless it's an established company, in business for at least a few years.

those companies w/ yearly plans usually depend on new clients signing up in order to stay alive, and that doesn't tend to work on the long run.

That's generally good advice. A few comments though:

Most cheap ISP's are only going to offer yearly or semi-annual plans; too costly to collect $2-$3 each month (i.e. would drive the price up)
If it's a $25/year plan, you risk very little money if they do go bust, so it's not quite the same risk as with a yearly plan with a $20/month IHP
However if they do go bust, you'll be scrambling to find another IHP ASAP
Winding down one IHP and ramping up another is always time consuming and a hassle, and often involves setup fees

I've been using a cheap IHP ($3/month) for two years now (iicnet). Six months ago they raised their rates to $4 (without telling me). Now i see their lowest cost plan is $5/month (so they'll probably try to up my rate again). The quality of their service has run hot and cold. Most of the time, fairly good, but from time to time really bad (e.g. overloaded web servers, long eMail delays). As for customer support, if you need to know how to configure Outlook Express, they're great, anything else, forget it; you're on your own. I just figured i was getting exactly what i was paying for. It's okay for hobbyist use, but not suitable for production use.

patchrik · Feb 22, 2003, 03:29 PM

Just thought I'd chime in here real quick.

So many people do not know that most (not all) of these so called "top ten" hosting sites where they do reviews, vote or recommend web hosting companies are sponsored if not wholly owned by the very companies that are on the top of the list. It's a very smart way to market. Although it is very misleading. You'll notice how some well know and very good hosting companies are not in the list even though they are great deals. Do yourself a favor and do your due dilligence.

godzookie2k · Feb 22, 2003, 10:50 PM

slowifi rules http://slowifi.com/