# Domain name and hosting!



## zabby (Dec 11, 2003)

Hey... I just finished a website with limited knowledge of HTML I have using Notepad...
Now how do i upload my site to the net???
This is the 1st time i have done it on 'trial and error' method!
So I want to know if i can upload my site for free???
Is it possible??? How do i do it????
Can you please suggest me some sites for uploading!!

Is it possible to get a domain name for myself...???like www.myname.com!!!!
How do i get it??


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## soccermba (Feb 12, 2004)

Well if you just want to have your page on the net, you can go to www.geocities.com and sign up for a free webpage, I think you get like 25MB of storage space on there. If you want to have your own domain, the best place I found was www.godaddy.com, they have really cheap rates there, I think they have something like $7.95 for one domain for the next 10yrs or something like that. At this point, setting up your own domain, gets a little over my head, if you are not using a Linux system. I have never done this on a windows machine. Good luck, I hope I was able to help out.


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## bassetman (Jun 7, 2001)

Once you have a domain host and a Registrar for your Domain Name, your Host should give you the numbers you need to use. Then you login with your registrar and follow their directions for changing (or better yet gave it to them right away) your location.
Its really not hard, but most could use some hand holding the first time! 

Welcome to TSG soccaermba and zabby, if I haven't said welcome before!


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## MustBNuts (Aug 21, 2003)

Also, don't forget, as a newbie you may want to check out your own internet provider - most offer free web space for their members. It's free and their site will usually have instructions on how to do it.

MBN


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## CyBerAliEn (Nov 25, 2001)

To register a domain, you need to go to a registrar. Some recommendations:

http://www.godaddy.com
http://www.register.com
http://www.networksolutions.com

Depending on the registrar and such, it will cost anywhere from like $8 to $50 a year to register a domain. Though be wary if your able to get it less for $8 (likely a scam), and if it is around $50 also be wary (likely someone is trying to take advantage of you for being "computer illiterate"). You should be able to do it between $8 to $20. Though as can be noted, some places do have higher prices for whatever misc. reasons.

You will also need a web hosting (the place that actually holds your files and all that online). As recommended, most ISPs give you free space. Contact your ISP to see if they provide it.

If not, I would highly recommend you take a look through, post at, etc the following forum before choosing a paid host.

http://www.webhostingtalk.com

For a paid host, you'll probably start out with a plan that is ~$10 a month. If you need/want more space/bandwidth/features, the price per month goes up. Also a great bit of advice: DO NOT signup on a yearly contract or pay yearly with ANY host. A LOT of hosts pop up and don't last longer than a few months. You don't want to pay for a year and end up losing several months worth cause your host goes under.

Good luck getting your site online!


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## AbvAvgUser (Oct 3, 2002)

$10 a month, I guess is pretty steep. It is possible to get something for as cheap as $20 a year. That gives you a 25mb account. That is what I have been providing to my clients. Its a starter package with max 5 mail messages, unlimited forwarding addresses and some other features.

If you want to have a look at the features in detail, let me know. I can arrange for a demo account.

So when you go to a paid host, see to it that you get at least that much, if not more.


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## CyBerAliEn (Nov 25, 2001)

$10 a month is by far not expensive for hosting.

Hosting that you get for $20 a year is only ~$1.66 per month.

One, you should not signup with any host for a yearly contract. You always want to go monthly. If you don't care about the high likely hood of losing your money, then go ahead and go yearly. I paid yearly with a host in August of one year, and by December I had to leave them because they were going under. I lost over $280 in prepaid months. And this was by far no small company either. They were hosting websites for Disney and other large corporations. These smaller hosts that offer hosting plans that come out to less than $3 a month have always ended up going under within a few or several months.

Sorry for the above part AbvAvgUser, but a lot of new comers into getting hosting usually get screwed their first few hosts because they're misguided and worry nothing but about the bottom line (IE, what's the cheapest host I can get). 

But to clarify a little; ~$1.66 a month is pretty adequate for what AbvAvgUser is offering, as the specs of the account are pretty realistic for the price (at least the amount of web space is). How much bandwidth do you offer on that plan?

But you should be really worried about the ~$1.66 plans that offer 1gb of webspace and 10gb of bandwidth, etc.


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## AbvAvgUser (Oct 3, 2002)

Well, there are a lot of hosting packages (25mb to 1gb and more) and if nothing suits the requirements, custom packages are also an option. 

For $20 account, the bandwidth is 100MB a month. It can be upgraded by paying some extra. Depends on how much upgradation is required.

As regards going out of business, I think I am into this since last 3-4 years and am still surviving . Those biggies who have got lots of expenses have a problem. I don't mind someone going for a month at a time, but I am in India and transferring such small amounts will result in more cost than the amount


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## AbvAvgUser (Oct 3, 2002)

BTW, server uptime gurantee is 99.99% and still recently when the server was down for a day due to some technical glitch, all the customers were compensated by a free month's hosting. A month for a day is not bad, I guess.


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## CyBerAliEn (Nov 25, 2001)

Yeah, your the exception AbvAvgUser. 

Most of the places where you pay less than $5 a month offer like gigabytes of webspace and bandwidth.


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## SteveWalsh (Feb 1, 2004)

directnic.com thats all i gotta say


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## AbvAvgUser (Oct 3, 2002)

No comments for a competitor providing cheap services. May be he knows what his service is worth . Just joking. If you find a cheaper and better alternative, please let me know so that I can correct myself.

BTW, space and bandwidth are not the only criterion for server space. My clients can also create a Bulletin Board like the one that exists here at this site, WITHOUT ANY CODE, ONLY WITH THE HELP OF A BROWSER. There are plenty of other scripts and things. It also has POP3 and webmail (3 different interfaces), both facilities simultaneously. No need to change any settings.

It also has Spam Assassin facility (http://www.spamassassin.org). There are plenty of other things. It has a comprehensive Control Panel. You must have a look at it once to see it is all worth the price. Of course, demo is free and I can arrange for it.


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## Fyzbo (Feb 6, 2002)

Check out www.ICDSoft.com

For $65 a year you get your domain name, 333MB of space, 5Gigs of Transfer, PHP with a SQL database, Unlimited e-mail address(with online or POP3 access), and a whole bunch more good stuff. Oh yea and if you open a second account you get a %20 discount. You also get a discount if you refer people.

I've been using it for 2 years now and have yet to see any downtime. Another great part is that they gaurantee answers to any support questions within 24 hours. It's a good plan for anything that won't get too big(like this site). If you do decide to go with it do me the favor of saying a refered you there. James Luterek Of course don't think this is just me trying to get a discount! I'm telling you about this site because I really do think it's a good deal. (I don't want to be booted now)


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## bassetman (Jun 7, 2001)

With Dreamhost, I believe you can get 7 domains now for $19.95/mo plus 6 subdomains per domain (which my last host wouldn't let me have at all ) plus a one yr. free domain reg. for signing up!


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## AbvAvgUser (Oct 3, 2002)

Have a look at the screen shot. That is what the Control Panel at my servers looks like. The control panel has various themes. There is another theme that gives more options. But that one is an iconic one and it is not possible to have a single comprehensive screen shot.

May be ICDSoft is giving a lot of things, but then even that is at a price. Almost three times more


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## brendandonhu (Jul 8, 2002)

Thats just cPanel from http://cpanel.net
Most hosts have that, or a similar control panel.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

TechGuy registers and hosts too


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## AbvAvgUser (Oct 3, 2002)

You are right brendandonhu. Notice one thing. I have named the file as "cpanel.jpg" . BTW, I was just getting into a small comparision with ICDSoft.com control panel. Of course, they are way too hugh for me to reach.


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## CyBerAliEn (Nov 25, 2001)

LOL Aca

Some points:

1.) As noted, most hosts now-a-days will provide you with a control panel to use. There are three major control panels in use: CPanel, Plesk, and Ensim. Each one is unique in its own way, though they all basically end up providing the same features and abilities.

I have personally had experience using all three. I personally don't care for Ensim at all, though there are many who prefer it. Plesk was good and I liked it. CPanel is also good and I like it, and is currently the control panel I am using. Though keep in mind, there are about equal numbers of people who like and don't like a control panel (sort of like asking someone if they like Chevy, Ford, or Dodge; etc).

2.) Bassetman noted that his host offers a free domain registration. I would *highly* recommend that you not register a domain with your host. If you do, I highly recommend you transfer it to another registrar (such as GoDaddy, Register, Network Solutions, etc). If your host won't let you transfer it, I would take it as a good sign to find a new host and avoid them.

If your host registered your domain, and the host goes "bye bye" (goes under, disappears, etc), the chances of retreiving your domain are extremely low to nothing.

I had a domain registered through FeaturePrice. It took over 2 months for me to get my domain transferred. It was transferred from Register (the place FP went through) to GoDaddy. It involved numerous emails, letters, and faxes. Register did not release my domain to GoDaddy until after legal action was threatened.

3.) Price for a plan should not be the sole criteria for determining a host. You need to equate what it is that you want and need, such as: the amount of web space, bandwidth, additional features (do you get a control panel, do you get SSL, etc), what is the uptime history of the host & what is their uptime guarantee, what is the TOS/etc of the host, how is their support (how long does it take them to get back to you, do they actually help you with your problems, etc), etc.

A host may be $5 a month and another $20 a month, and depending on what you need and want and what is most important to you, you may choose to go with the $5 host, or you may choose to go with the $20 host. Every individual and website is unique, and each requires a unique host and plan that can offer you what you want and need at a reasonable price.

Good luck finding a host. Though by this time, I suppose you may already have. Let us know what host you choose and how it goes.


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## AbvAvgUser (Oct 3, 2002)

CyBerAliEn, you've given a fantastic and comprehensive post. It almost summarises the procdure entirely and in short. Way to go mate. 

I entirely agree with almost all the points. Mainly the one giving the opinion on the domain name.

*As long as you control the domain name, you control your site.*

You can kick out your host within 48 hours if he doesn't meet your requirements. But it is very important to control the domain name. You can surely go for a free host, but never go for a free domain registrar. Its not worth the cost.


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## pool147 (Dec 5, 2004)

Pool147 
Offers Free Web Site Hosting,Unlimited disk space,Unlimited Traffic and Bandwidth,Domain Hosting,24/7 Real FTP Access,Ad Free Bannerless Hosting,Website Builder & Web Email for your website


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