Recently faced with terrible service from 1and1 and planning to switch hosting provider. What can you recommend? I'm looking for Linux,PHP.MySQL, Java is a big plus.
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2It might help to specify a price range.– jsightJul 19, 2009 at 3:20
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What kind of traffic are you expecting?– JefeJul 19, 2009 at 3:47
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Webhostingtalk.com is a great place to start, I agree and of course there is always Google searching. I would start with finding a group of providers that fit your needs and then narrow down the results. Contact these companies and ask them important questions to match your needs. Location, SLA, price, compliance & support.– Nick O'NeilAug 16, 2010 at 16:56
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8 Answers
What type of hosting solution are you looking for? Any suggestions I offer you is dependent on your answer to that question. I used to run a hosting company (until about a month ago) but quit due to my desire to pursue offline IT stuff. Also, what type of a site is it (could you provide a URL?) How much traffic are you expecting to use. You prefer Java, which most shared hosts don't have enabled by default. How many concurrent users are you expecting to get? Might I suggest you look at www.webhostingtalk.com. They have a different section for all the different types of hosting, as well as an offers section for hosts to post their offers. You can get some REALLY nice discounts that way. I caution you when choosing a provider to do your own due diligence. Just because someone says they are good, doesn't mean they are good for you. There is no perfect host, just a perfect host for you. Remember that. Run a search on WHT, run one on google. Look for reviews. Just remember, take bad reviews with a grain of salt. As you are probably aware, most happy customers don't say a word, but, the angry ones will cause havoc all over the net.
If you are looking towards a VPS or dedicated server I'd recommend you go with www.surpasshosting.com. They are a subsidiary of Host Dime (www.hostdime.com) and are operated out of the Host Dime Datacenter in Orlando, FL, USA. Another question, where are you from? Is datacenter location important to you? If so, where would you like your servers to be? Where is your target audience, because DC location is more important for that than where you are from.
Also, where is your domain registered at? If you are registered through 1and1 I'd recommend you get it transferred out before you even notify 1and1 of your intention to leave. They have a HORRIBLE history of trying to hijack your domain.
Edit: A few more things. WHT also has a Find a Host feature where you put your specific needs down on a form and it will send it to anyone that pays to be in that section and meets the criteria, then the host will contact you. And be careful of unlimited providers. There is always a limit. Usually in the area of resource (CPU/RAM) usage. Dynamic sites ran in Java/PHP/ASP/ASP.NET/any other thing really other than HTML/XHTML/CSS will usually eat up quite a bit of resources when you start talking about simultaneous users. Most shared hosts have these limits, you have to be realistic. Oversellers are generally more strict, but, overselling in and of itself is not bad, its the server management that goes along with it. If they overload their servers its bad, but I can do that without overselling.
Just be realistic, in essence you normally get what you pay for. Don't expect TB's of bandwidth on a $5 plan.
My experience with Bluehost.com over the years has been a good one, if you are looking for shared hosting. They offer shell access (if you provide identification details) and the usual LAMP stack along with cPanel. I am based in Australia, and have had no trouble contacting them via email or Skype calls when I have needed support.
However, if you are looking for a little more than shared hosting, moving to a VPS (Virtual Private Server) host gives you even greater control over your hosting environment. You will pay more for this, but the benefits are that you are able to run your own (virtual) server with full access, configure it how you wish and you are not affected issues that arise with shared hosting ie; other users on the same box inadvertently bringing down the server. For VPS hosting, I have found wiredtree.com to be reliable, comparatively priced and to offer good support.
I've been happy with my MediaTemple dv (dedicated virtual), so I figure that their gs (shared hosting) is fine.
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Their shared hosting has had two huge outages this year. One that affected many people for several days. Other than those outages, they have great customer service. And even when suffering a meltdown they are communicative. datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2009/05/05/…– NosrednaJul 19, 2009 at 3:52
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Personally, I use their DV hosting, and haven't had a single problem, especially since they just double memory for FREE....– JefeAug 14, 2009 at 3:32
I've been pretty happy with ByetHost. Customer service seems sub-par, but hey, its only $3/month.
The pricing may be a bit high for you, but its hard to beat Amazon EC2. The performance and flexibility of the platform is simply amazing. Beyond that, have you looked at the answers to "Where can I find cheap Java hosting"?
I highly recommend Slicehost or Rackspace Cloud. They are VPS solutions and they worked very well to suit my needs. Slicehost costs about 38 for a 512 MB solution and Rackspace Cloud costs under 40 (typically) for a similar solution under Cloud Servers.
Not sure exactly what you are looking for, but if you have the budget, and never want to have to worry about hosting issues ever again, use Rackspace.
Lonestar, nice response, what is it that you do now?!
In response to davemac your looking for a LAMP solution. Most important here will be to find out database size requirements, compliance needs, uptime SLA agreement, backups, bandwidth and level of support and outside consulting + migration if needed.
