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Best/Cheapest Web Hosting

TheGreat2ndTheGreat2nd Registered User regular
edited May 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
Hey H&A, I believe you guys are a bit knowledgeable on web hosting. I'm looking to find a host for my club sport team at college. I'd estimate at like 100 view a month, maybe. (silly old webmaster installed an analytics tracker that expired, whoops.) Right now, it's hosted at DreamHost, but I feel as if it's almost overkill. Any cheaper places I could try moving the site to?

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I'm Jacob Wilson. | facebook | thegreat2nd | [url="aim:goim?screenname=TheGreatSecond&message=Hello+from+the+Penny+Arcade+Forums!"]aim[/url]
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Posts

  • SipexSipex Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    At 100 hits a month would it be feasable just to host it yourself?

    If you consider this route some things you'll need:
    - A dedicated server of some sort. Any desktop PC that can run the version of windows your website is on now (no dedicated monitor required, you can just hook up your own to the PC to set it up and you can remote access in edits and the like)
    - An internet provider that allows this sort of thing. (check with yours)
    - A router/switch
    - Any software your website requires
    - Knowledge of this sort of thing or pay a nerdy friend to set it up for you (said friend might also have an old PC laying around you could consider buying)

    Sipex on
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    dreamhost is pretty cheap. the next step down is free hosting which will probably ugly-up your site

    Jasconius on
    this is a discord of mostly PA people interested in fighting games: https://discord.gg/DZWa97d5rz

    we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sipex wrote: »
    At 100 hits a month would it be feasable just to host it yourself?

    If you consider this route some things you'll need:
    - A dedicated server of some sort. Any desktop PC that can run the version of windows your website is on now(no dedicated monitor required, you can just hook up your own to the PC to set it up and you can remote access in edits and the like)
    - An internet provider that allows this sort of thing. (check with yours)
    - A router/switch
    - Any software your website requires
    - Knowledge of this sort of thing or pay a nerdy friend to set it up for you (said friend might also have an old PC laying around you could consider buying)

    This is illegal with some ISPs. And also absolutely ridiculous. Self-hosting is free if your time is worthless.

    Jasconius on
    this is a discord of mostly PA people interested in fighting games: https://discord.gg/DZWa97d5rz

    we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
  • SipexSipex Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I did say to check with his ISP, I'm not advocating he sneak around after all.

    Also, please elaborate. It's amazing you can shoot down others opinions with a quick comment but really you should explain why you think it's ridiculous and a waste of time.

    Sipex on
  • mehmehmehmehmehmeh Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    hostpc 13.95 a year, - I don't like the Easy AntiSpam filtering that they use, but they are dirt cheap
    hostgator - 4.95 a month

    mehmehmeh on
  • OrogogusOrogogus San DiegoRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I use holeinthewallhosting.com. Their lowest advertised package is now $19/year, but I think when I get home I can provide a referral link for the old $10/year package that I use.

    Orogogus on
  • twmjrtwmjr Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Depending on what services you need (scripting wise especially), I've been very happy with Hurricaine Electric's hosting: http://he.net/web_hosting.html. $12/year for HTML only pages and e-mail.

    twmjr on
  • amateurhouramateurhour One day I'll be professionalhour The woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sipex wrote: »
    I did say to check with his ISP, I'm not advocating he sneak around after all.

    Also, please elaborate. It's amazing you can shoot down others opinions with a quick comment but really you should explain why you think it's ridiculous and a waste of time.

    Well, for one, you'd have to have the knowledge to pull it off, as well as the time, and patience, especially if you've never set up a web server.

    Then you'd need a PC that could be used as a webserver. Unless you have one just laying around, that's at least $100 for anything considered usable.

    Then you'd need a static IP, which in most places requires a minimum of business class internet and an additional monthly fee. For instance, the cheapest this can be done where I live is $100 a month plus $10 for the IP. If the OP is on a campus network it's not happening, period.

    But, for a 12 month internet site, you're looking at $100, plus an additional jump in internet costs anywhere between (on average) $60 to $100 a month (if he was getting it free)

    Or you can go with a hosting solution which can be had for as little as $5 a month.

    So yeah, self hosting for something that small is a waste of time and money.

    edit to actually contribute:

    I use ipower for some smaller stuff. It's $100 for an entire year, which gives you enough bandwidth to not only run the site, but also gives you about 500 gigs (or so they say...) of online storage you can use for just about anything else (that's legal, that is)

    You also get a domain name registered, bundles of email accounts, support for everything (sql, php, etc), automatic installation tools for Wordpress, Forum software, and Image Galleries, and up to 15 subdomains should you want to host more sites on that space and just buy more domain names.

    The only downside is they are a little slow.

    amateurhour on
    are YOU on the beer list?
  • SipexSipex Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    See, that's what I was looking for.

    I can't refute any of that though, I wasn't aware it costed that much. Where does the extra $60-$100 come from though? Extra upload usage?

    I'm earnestly curious here.

    Sipex on
  • DelzhandDelzhand Registered User, Transition Team regular
    edited May 2010
    Jasconius wrote: »
    dreamhost is pretty cheap. the next step down is free hosting which will probably ugly-up your site

    +1 for Dreamhost.

    Delzhand on
  • twmjrtwmjr Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sipex wrote: »
    See, that's what I was looking for.

    I can't refute any of that though, I wasn't aware it costed that much. Where does the extra $60-$100 come from though? Extra upload usage?

    I'm earnestly curious here.

    Generally "Business Class" internet comes with SLAs (service level agreement) revolving around things like downtime, packet loss, latency etc. If the ISP has problems beyond a certain agreed to level, you get service credits in return. Plus, as mentioned, most places charge extra for static IP(s). Add into that security issues, and I would never recommend someone who really didn't know exactly what they doing to host their own site. It's not worth it when you can get hosting for $12/y with no frills and maybe a little bit more if you need some extra things.

    twmjr on
  • amateurhouramateurhour One day I'll be professionalhour The woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Sipex wrote: »
    See, that's what I was looking for.

    I can't refute any of that though, I wasn't aware it costed that much. Where does the extra $60-$100 come from though? Extra upload usage?

    I'm earnestly curious here.

    I typed that poorly, the extra money was based on an average high speed internet cost of $40 a month, so that would be the $60 more, all the way to $100 more if the OP is a student using campus internet, in a dorm perhaps, which is generally free.

    amateurhour on
    are YOU on the beer list?
  • SipexSipex Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Ah, okay. Thanks for that.

    Sipex on
  • OrogogusOrogogus San DiegoRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Here's the referral link I mentioned for Hole in the Wall Hosting:

    http://www.holeinthewallhosting.com/i.php?l=874111720090902190973299

    I think that gives 500 MB of space and 25 GB of bandwidth/month for $10/year. Without the referral it would be $19.

    Orogogus on
  • TigressTigress Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I use doteasy.com for my website. For $18/year, they give me 20 GB of space on their server and reserve my hostname. And they allow you to pay in advance so you don't have to continue to renew it every year.

    Tigress on
    Kat's Play
    On the subject of death and daemons disappearing: arrows sure are effective in Lyra's universe. Seems like if you get shot once, you're dead - no lingering deaths with your daemon huddling pitifully in your arms, just *thunk* *argh* *whoosh*. A battlefield full of the dying would just be so much more depressing when you add in wailing gerbils and dogs.
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Delzhand wrote: »
    Jasconius wrote: »
    dreamhost is pretty cheap. the next step down is free hosting which will probably ugly-up your site

    +1 for Dreamhost.

    +2

    Great and easy to use, and I'm on the cheapest package and have a ridiculous amount of space plus unlimited bandwidth

    No problems in over 5 years

    Janson on
  • amateurhouramateurhour One day I'll be professionalhour The woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    This is off topic, but without going to one of those $40 and up a month hosting solutions, is there a host that is known to actually be digg proof?

    I've heard bluehost is not, as well as a few others.

    amateurhour on
    are YOU on the beer list?
  • corky842corky842 Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Too bad your college can't host it. Have you talked to the IT department about it?

    corky842 on
  • Psychotic OnePsychotic One The Lord of No Pants Parts UnknownRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I've used 1hwy.com for several years now. Mostly as my own image and file host but it's pretty cheap and done right by me for several years now.

    Psychotic One on
  • DeathPrawnDeathPrawn Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Orogogus wrote: »
    Here's the referral link I mentioned for Hole in the Wall Hosting:

    http://www.holeinthewallhosting.com/i.php?l=874111720090902190973299

    I think that gives 500 MB of space and 25 GB of bandwidth/month for $10/year. Without the referral it would be $19.

    Echoing my support for these guys. For $10 a year, you can't beat 'em. Their Ruby on Rails support is godawful, but other than that they're just as good (if not better) than any other more expensive hosting I've ever used. Speedy, full-featured Cpanel, and amazing support (you'll usually get a response back from a real human within an hour of sending in a ticket).

    You also might want to look into your college's IT or CS departments. They'll often give you free hosting for student clubs, etc.

    DeathPrawn on
    Signature not found.
  • fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    anyone got any tips on a cheap, non-suck domain name service? i'm getting fed up with 1&1's constant spamming...

    fightinfilipino on
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    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
  • JasconiusJasconius sword criminal mad onlineRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    godaddy

    Jasconius on
    this is a discord of mostly PA people interested in fighting games: https://discord.gg/DZWa97d5rz

    we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
  • fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Jasconius wrote: »
    godaddy

    i, uh...really? the Danica Patrick people? man I was hoping there'd be something more, well, indie or something. and cheaper.

    fightinfilipino on
    ffNewSig.png
    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
  • vadoffvadoff Registered User new member
    Orogogus wrote: »
    I use holeinthewallhosting.com. Their lowest advertised package is now $19/year, but I think when I get home I can provide a referral link for the old $10/year package that I use.
    I paid for 1 year, yet I was charged without any email notification whatsoever prior to an autorenew, and without any email notification afterwards that I was charged. I would never have even caught it unless I happened to be reviewing my bank statements that day. After contacting the owner, she told me off, and said that I should have known what I was signing up for and refused to refund me. How unbelievably shady! Pass on this hosting, or you'll surely regret it like I did.

This discussion has been closed.