How To Pick Your Internet Service Provider provided by pageland.com

Contents Overview Glossary of Terms Selection Criteria Technical Staff Connectivity Issues Technology Build Or Buy Network Center (NOC) Organization "Non-Profit" Customer Base Comparison Shopping Web Hosting Services Conclusion Other Links

Critical Look At Web Hosting Services Your web site can sit on any computer, anywhere on the Internet! If you hire a web developer, they can help you shop around for a hosting site. Many web hosting companies are competing for your business. Be leary of those companies that offer you FREE web sites and FREE development, you usually get what you pay for and often these free web sites are nothing more than a scanned business card and a few sentences of text, hardly the presence that a serious company deserves. Lease Space on a Server Use the Web Hosting Services of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) - an offsite web server. Find an Internet Service Provider that offers what you will need for your site. Questions to Ask Your Web Hosting Service. Here are some good questions to ask of your web hosting provider.Be very critical of claims that a provider makes to you. Always ask for examples and costs. Many providers will lure you in with the claim of a low price web site but after you add all the necessities to your web site, the total is much higher. Are site statistics available? Database software? What type of database software? Are graphical counters available? CGI-BIN programming allowed? Do they allow scripting and the use of forms? listserv? Mailing List Support? Real Audio Support? What type of connection do they have to the Internet (T-3, T-1?) Click Here To Check the connectivity of a provider Is this a full connection or a shared connection? Do they support virtual domains and multiple company e-mail addresses? Is custom programming allowed? Are Frontpage Extensions Supported? Can you meet with the webmaster? How much storage space is allowed? How much site traffic is allowed? Build Your Own Intranet - an onsite web server. Intranets are being touted as the wave of the future in corporate information management. If you want an internal web server with possible connection to the Internet consider some of the costs for: Additional equipment and server software. Training staff to use html. Training technical staff to manage a web server or hiring a webmaster. Firewall and high-speed connection if it is to reach the Internet.