Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

nredman · Feb 27, 2005, 01:27 AM

so i registered a domain with godaddy and now i am looking around for a good host. but i am trying to figure out how much i need for diskspace, monthly transfer...etc...etc. it is just going to be a personal site so i dont see it getting a ton of hits or anything. can anyone shed some light on this. anyone with a small personal site about how much do you need? diskspace isnt a huge deal but how much bandwidth per month do you use? thanks alot guys

sambeau · Feb 27, 2005, 08:01 AM

Will your site have downloadable Movies? MP3s? Full-size image downloads? Flash games?

Are you going to write articles that regularily get linked to by Slashdot?

If the answer to all these questions is no then pretty much any host will suffice.

If the answer is "maybe - if I ever get round to it" then any host will probably do.

If the answer is yes to any then you might want to consider a premium service. Look around and compare bandwidth allowance. Movies and MP3s soon eat through bandwidth.

Big Mac · Feb 27, 2005, 11:11 AM

sambeau has the right advice. A basic web server package is adequate for even larger sites. Web hosting has also gotten substantially cheaper in recent years. But you may not even need a host. If you're only going to have a low-profile personal site, almost any computer with a broadband static-IP connection can be a fine server.

OptimusG4 · Feb 27, 2005, 11:34 AM

www.totalchoicehosting.com has some really cheap prices ($4/month starting out). I've had them for 2 years now with no complaints. They have very reliable servers and are extremely fast in responding to questions and problems.

Big Mac · Feb 27, 2005, 12:38 PM

Thank you, Optimus, that's another great point that I meant to bring up. There are some really inexpensive hosts out there, and some are good while others apparently suck. Some providers promise a lot of features for a low price, but if you read the chatter about the company you'll often find that there are a lot of complaints about things like downtime. Choosing a web host can be difficult. There are a large number of companies out there with varying features and prices. Various sites do rate hosts, which is where you'll find important feedback on certain providers from satisfied and dissatisfied customers. But there is no authoritative source providing good, objective reviews on them.

When looking for a host, I consider the following points:

1. Reliability: to the extent I can determine it; one of the factors that helps me determine level of reliability is the professionalism of the site and access to customer service

2. Features: hosts will display a panoply of features, but look closely at things like bandwidth (and the possibility of charges for overages) if you think there's the possibility of high hit rates

3. Security: it may not be a significant concern if you don't have a high-profile site, but if you do you'll need to think about security. And I am not just referring to crackers and other technical challenges.

nredman · Feb 27, 2005, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by sambeau:
Will your site have downloadable Movies? MP3s? Full-size image downloads? Flash games?

Are you going to write articles that regularily get linked to by Slashdot?

If the answer to all these questions is no then pretty much any host will suffice.

If the answer is "maybe - if I ever get round to it" then any host will probably do.

If the answer is yes to any then you might want to consider a premium service. Look around and compare bandwidth allowance. Movies and MP3s soon eat through bandwidth.

no movies or mp3s, possibly images but probably not full size. blog and various web pages. i got my domain from godaddy...do any of you guys suggest themfor hosting or should i find a different host?

OptimusG4 · 02:04 PM

There are a ton of webhost providers I would go with beyond the one that registered your domain. I registered mine with godaddy as well but decided that third party host was a lot better.

With Big Mac, I agree completely on what to look for in a web host. My decision basically boiled down to price and professionalism with the site as well as the support people. Their responses are quick and professional and my problems are resolved within 4 hrs at the most. There is a topic somewhere in this forum about what provider we prefer so I would look for that and then go from there.

edit: here's the link: clicky

nredman · Feb 27, 2005, 03:33 PM

Originally posted by OptimusG4:
There are a ton of webhost providers I would go with beyond the one that registered your domain. I registered mine with godaddy as well but decided that third party host was a lot better.

With Big Mac, I agree completely on what to look for in a web host. My decision basically boiled down to price and professionalism with the site as well as the support people. Their responses are quick and professional and my problems are resolved within 4 hrs at the most. There is a topic somewhere in this forum about what provider we prefer so I would look for that and then go from there.

edit: here's the link: clicky

yeah i have read that thread a few times...who do you use? if i can ask

OptimusG4 · Feb 27, 2005, 03:43 PM

Personally, I use TotalChoice Hosting. Been with them for about 2 years now actually

Big Mac · 08:43 PM

Originally posted by nredman:
no movies or mp3s, possibly images but probably not full size. blog and various web pages. i got my domain from godaddy...do any of you guys suggest themfor hosting or should i find a different host?

Godaddy is a major player on the Internet, and it seems to be reliable. I only use Godaddy for domains, so I don't know much about their hosting. It would likely be convenient for you to go through Godaddy since they're your registrar. On the other hand, since your hosting needs are modest, Godaddy may be overkill for you.