Ways to Switch to Another Web Hosts
August 6, 2009 by Web Hosting Watch
Filed under Top 10 WebHosts
It is recommended to start the process at least a few days before the time runs out on the account with the present host if one has decided to switch his web hosts. This way website will not have to experience any downtime between the moves.
Firstly one has to create a backup of ones website after one has searched and found a new web hosting provider. A new folder should be made anywhere on the computer. download all the files and folders on the website to the new folder one has just made on ones computer while maintaining the same folder and file structure (this will be important when uploading ones files and folders onto ones new host’s server later) by using ones favorite FTP program, such as WS_FTP or Cute FTP (these and other FTP programs can be obtained at download.com). Note of any special chmod permissions one have set on any file or folder (look in the FTP program’s help documents for information on checking a folder or file’s chmod permissions) should be made. After uploading files and folders to ones new web host’s server. One will need to reset the permissions.
Make a backup of each database if one has any scripts or programs that one has made a database for. Check with ones present web host for instructions on backing up ones database if one have a database other than MySQL. One can skip these instructions if one doesn’t have any databases. Log in to ones control panel and go to the database section if ones web host offers phpMyAdmin. Look for a link to phpMyAdmin and click on it. Log in using the username and password one gave for ones database if required. One will have to repeat this process for each database if one has assigned a different username and password for every database. Click on “databases” and then click on the database one want to backup/export once one has logged in. On the top of the menu -Click “Export”.
Highlight all the tables under “View dump (schema) of database”, if one is using phpMyAdmin 2.4.0. “Structure and data” radio button is selected make sure. Check “Save as file” and select either “zipped” or “gzipped.” Click “Go” and save the file (create a new folder to save all ones databases).
Highlight all the tables under “Export”, if one is using phpMyAdmin 2.6.0-pl1. Select “SQL” under the tables highlighted and check the “Structure” and “Data” boxes. Check “Save as file” and under “Compression” opt for either “zipped” or “gzipped.” Click “Go” and save the file. (Creating a new folder to save all the databases would definitely be a good idea.) One can backup ones database using mysqldump. If one doesn’t have phpMyAdmin.
Secondly: -setting up of database.
On should Log on to control panel if he is having MySQL databases. Create databases by going to the database section. Usernames and passwords should be assigned for the databases (if one is having a database other than MySQL, check with one’s new web host for instructions on creating and importing databases). At this instant, find the link to phpMyAdmin. Log in using the usernames and passwords just created, if need be. One will have to repeat this process for each database if one has assigned a different username and password for each database. One should click on “databases” after logging in and select a database by clicking on it. Click “SQL.”, from the top menu.
Select the database that corresponds to opening in phpMyAdmin by going to the folder one have saved one’s databases in. copy and paste the database in the large text area in phpMyAdmin by Opening the file. Under the text area field, click “Go”. To find the file on one’s computer one can as well use the browse button and click “Go” below the browse field. One has successfully imported the database if one doesn’t see any errors, with whichever method one has chosen. If one is having more than one database, one should revert and repeat this process for each one, initially logging in with one’s database username and password.
By changing MySQL database name, username and password settings within the files one may need to edit some files before uploading them in the next step, if any information has changed. Check the installation instructions for each script/program if one doesn’t remember which files contain MySQL settings.
Thirdly, maintaining the same folder and file structure, using one’s FTP program, upload the files from the folder in which one has saved one’s website content onto the new web host’s server. The location of the cgi-bin may be the only difference in structure. Some web hosts have ones cgi-bin placed inside the www or public_html directory whereas few others have it placed outside. One may need to edit some files by changing paths within them if one had any programs or scripts on ones website. Check the installation instructions for each script/program if one does not remember which files contain paths that may need to be changed. Furthermore, change any file or folder permissions as required (for information on changing a folder or file’s chmod permissions one should look in one’s FTP program’s help documents).
Pointing one’s domain name to one’s new web hosting provider’s name servers is the final step. Soon after one gets registered with web host information comes in an email from the new web host. If the mail is not received then one should send them an email asking them what the name servers are for his domain., go to the website where one have his/her domain name registered. After having this information one should set the name servers for one’s domain by Logging to ones account. Please see to it that changes to name servers may take as much as a couple of days to take effect, in the meanwhile website shouldn’t experience any downtime if one still have a few days left on his/her old account. Cancel the account with old host once the name server’s change has taken effect. This way one can successfully switch web hosts.
Linux Hosting is Better Than Window Hosting
July 26, 2009 by Web Hosting Watch
Filed under Linux Hosting
Confusion often arises while choosing a web-hosting platform, as which one is the best one and which one is the better one between Linux & Window hosting. The million-dollar question is what application are you looking to use for your hosting? Consider the tools and scripting languages you plan to use, if you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific, then Windows is what you need.
Well in most of the cases, the general inclination generally moves towards the Linux web hosting platform and not on the window web hosting, because there are several positive factor that affect Linux and that Linux carries with itself.
While casting our views on Linux hosting we conclude that Linux is more reliable. These are considered to be the best OS for web server. Linux web hosting are typically found to be the most stable and efficient system and as such, it is commonly used for the demanding environment of web and mail server.
Besides, reliability, cost effectiveness is also one of the most favorable factors that make Linux first choice. Generally, the Linux OS comes free of cost or at a very insignificant cost, usually cost of distribution. Also, it has full fledged server, and desk top applications that comes free along with the OS. And, these server applications being free are also very stable.
In addition, Linux web hosting is easy to use and is perfect for your plan. When it comes to web hosting, it is easy to host on Linux web servers. The process of uploading and hosting is almost same for both Linux and Windows web servers. If you want to use a Windows based tool such as Front Page for uploading a web site on to a Linux based web server, make sure that the Front Page extensions are enabled. This is only required if you are uploading using HTTP feature of Front Page on your website. Front Page also makes it possible to upload a web site using FTP. These days, all Linux web servers are coming with installable Front Page extensions, and this should pose no problem for hosting on a Linux platform.
A web site designed for compatibility with a Linux/Unix based web server meets the scalability requirement easily without making any site wide design changes. A web site is dynamic. Usually, a web site starts with a few pages of html and grows over a period of time to suit the customer’s requirements. It is preferable to design a web site keeping these requirements in mind.
Today, Linux based web hosting is most widely used compared to Windows based web hosting. A web site designed to be hosted on a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows web server easily but this is not possible with the window web hosting.
Therefore the above mentioned points proves that Linux web hosting maintain a much better position than window web hosting on the server platform.
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Webhosting Tips to Select the Right Web Hosting Provider for yourself
June 23, 2009 by Web Hosting Watch
Filed under Top 10 WebHosts
While choosing ones Web hosting provider one has to confront with thousands of companies, tens of thousands of different plans as out of these thousands of companies and plans only few are suitable for the website and online needs.
In today’s world Webhosting has become a part of the informational revolution brought by the Internet and it has become compulsory for both business and also individuals.
Here we are just going to point on few things related to choosing an adequate web host for a web site as there is no need explaining why a website is a must on World Wide Web. This business might seem very complicated but once one knows what to look for it is easy to find out. Stick to ones requirements after analyzing it properly.
Many inexperienced web owners often buy more than required while evaluating their needs in terms of space and bandwidth. Thus many web-hosting providers size their web servers taking this into account as this is exceptionally common and in fact over sell the space and bandwidth assuming that customers will never make full use of it.
Ask ones web host provider per server ration to avoid web hosts that result to just that or crowed their web servers to get an extra profit per customer. To become a clever buyer one should do this with all the other companies one finds interesting to do business with and are eligible to host web site. Never buy a web-hosting plan that fits just perfectly instead always leave some space as website is like a living creature which always grows so buy a little extra space so that when website is expanded one have resources available. Always leave margin for error too as supposing the initial bandwidth evaluation proves itself insufficient then one might not be able to use its website because of exceeded bandwidth. For both knowledgeable and less knowledgeable web owners most web hosting plans come packed with features and some even offer pre-installed scripts and programs that might come handy.
Do not forget things actually required like the OS (Operating System) or the PHP support, as one could consider any extra feature a plus. Do not allow the provider to tell something not required or is less than expected so one should decide of its own what is needed.
Importance of Support: – One might overlook Support facility when one finds an offer which is suitable both in terms of space, bandwidth and has all other facilities which one needs but remember all the good features will go in vein if one does not have good support. If the web-hosting provider is too careless then any technical problem, which arises, will take long hours to be solved even after making many support help calls thus curtailing the work.
If one wants to test the quality and how responsive the support personnel is then one should fire many pre-sales questions through email. Check if the response fact is enough. Now supposing that a conference has to be attended and the site is down and many clicks are expected, check if the website is online to get them and also whether the response one is getting from the support is thorough or is just scratching the surface and is the response understandable.
Look for these qualities when looking for good support: -
-Online support staff, help desk, message boards etc.
-Try to find on forums or discussion boards Information on the reputation of a web-
hosting provider.
-Would one like to be among one those discontented customers there?
Another aspect of the problem is reliability. Company’s web server’s uptime should be asked. Usually 99.9% of uptime is guaranteed by Most of the hosts, as 100% is not a realistic figure in the computer world. This guarantee means that, the money will be refunded for that month or free webhosting will be given for a month as compensation for web site being unavailable if the web site was not available 99.9% of the time.
Our sincere advice to everyone looking for web host provider is don’t try too hard to find the cheapest possible web host though it is true that one has to pay for paid web hosting. Still if one goes for cheaper one then within two weeks from the date of purchase one will stumble upon a better deal and thus will most likely end-up wasting an incredible amount of time. On the other hand paying extra amount to get what one could have got for less is also not a good deal. Getting 200 MB of space with 2 GB of bandwidth for $60 one is getting cheated and at the same time getting same service for $6 or $10 can be a good deal. A thin line between Nightmare of getting slow server response, unreachable support and irritating server downtime and Profitable and enjoyable web presence is drawn by individuals’ themselves.
So we conclude saying one should always choose ones web-hosting provider vigilantly who can live up the promises and can deliver good quality web hosting!