Finding the Best Hosting Control Panel

Filed Under (Web Hosting) by Matt Hedges on 21-08-2008

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by Matt Hedges

Your web host will offer you a control panel. But you can probably guess by the name, but a control panel helps you to manage your website. It keeps all the functions a user may need in one handy place which makes it easier for them. These tools can conclude traffic information statistics, FTP accounts, e-mail account provision, the ability to add sub-domains, file management and much more.

There are a number of different control panels available in the market. These include Cpanel which is among the most popular, Hostopia, Sphera, Ensim, VDeck, NextGenCP etc. They all differ in their look and feel as well as functions. Web hosts usually have their own control panel preferences, which depend upon the platforms they use. The control panels are selected according to their features and ability to perform on a particular platform.

These are all features that can be found in a control panel:

Parked Domains

Cron Jobs

Addon Domains

MIME Types

File Manager

PostgreSQL Database Manager

SSL Manager

Mail Manager

File Manager

Addon Domains

FTP Manager

Subdomain

MS SQL Manager(Windows only)

Backup

Index Manager

Subdomain

SSL Manager

PostgreSQL Database Manager

Raw Log Manager

CGI Center

Frontpage Extensions

Web/FTP Stats

Raw Access Logs

Hot Link Protection

Index Manager

SSL Manager

There are issues that separate control panels, and one is how it easy the panel is to use. A panel like Plesk may offer simple and friendly tools and options whereas cPanel offers many functions. To ensure you make the right choice of control panel, you need to know what is available. You can find out more by studying the following:

cPanel:

Linux based systems is where cPanel is mainly found. It can offer assistance for over 10 types of Linux the and at the moment does not cater to Windows or OSX. cPanel is helpful in controlling everything your site needs including MySQL database to email issues and much more beside.

cPanel has more features and options than most of the control panels available in the market at present. This is one of the reasons for its popularity, along with the fact that it is quite inexpensive.

Plesk:

Plex is available for Linux and Windows web hosting servers where cPanel is not. Many users find it helpful that Plex has an interface similar to Windows XP. The control panel looks good and offers many features available in cPanel. It can enable any user to build their own site with easy to sue tool. It offers many features but it may be viewed as more expensive than other products, especially cPanel.

H-Sphere:

H-Sphere is also a popular control panel used by web hosts. Just like Plesk, it is also available for Windows, as well as Linux based web hosting servers. It offers a good range of features ranging from complete automation to key functionalities. However when compared with cPanel and Plesk it has less features.

DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin is unique as it offers many services other panels do not but it does lack some of the functions offered by the main panels. It has a limited range of support with only a few Linux versions and no Windows support but it is a cheap option.

Ensim

Available for Windows and Linux, Ensim doesn’t have a lot of features but it has an interface that is adequate.

Interworx

Interworx is purely for Linux web hosts but it has a simple interface and features like usage snapshot which are impressive.

Hosting Accelarator

This service is only for Windows and it can feel a bit cluttered which may overwhelm a number of users who are new to this style or technique.

Helm

This is another Windows only web host server and this offers the ability to view billing details from within the control panel.

CWIPanel

CQIPanel is available for Windows and has no real exciting features.

InsPanel

This control panel has also been made only for windows based web hosting server. This is an average product with standard features.

There are a lot of control panels to choose from but cPanel usually ends up on top due to its price, features and ease of use.

Among the recently developed control panels, Pandela.com has come out with its NectGenCP control panel. It has been in development, since a few years and one must say that it is really impressive.

NextGenCP has been developed with the help of the latest internet technologies. It has a fast and easy to use environment which has been specially built for web hosting clients. It has been designed so well, that even novices can get a hang of it in relatively less time. In fact Pandela.com claims that you can carry out any function with a maximum of three clicks of your mouse. However its simplicity is deceptive, as it hides a powerful range of features, which would be able to manage all web site requirements. At the same time Pandela.com has made an offer to its users, according to which, if they do not find a feature they need in the NextGenCP, then they just have to inform the developers at Pandela.com the needful will be done!

These are some of the features you could use in NextGenCP:

Control of Domain:

Everyone can now have full control over their domains and sub-domains and the ability to register and host these domains is extremely simple.

Learn how to manage your own database:

NextGenCP makes it very easy to create a database for the website. All it takes is a few clicks! The database management is done by phpMyAdmin and the data is backed up by Database Backup Manager.

Take control of the mail accounts:

It is easy for users to control and access their email accounts. An advanced SPAM filtering system is provided by Pandela.com and this will keep your inbox free of junk and unwanted emails. If this isn’t enough, there are also filters for the mail, assistance for accounts and other functions.

Use tools to improve your site:

NextGenCP offers many tools to improve the site and managing a website has never been simpler. Script Installer, Hotlink protection and IP Access Manager are just some of the tools on offer.

Find the statistics behind your site:

This information will provide total knowledge of visitors and show how much bandwidth is being used and the usage of email accounts per day.

Support System

Having full access to a support system is a great feature offered by NextGenCP. Anytime a user notices a problem, they have to submit a ticket and they will be offered assistance from a member of staff as quickly as possible. It usually takes no more than fifteen minutes to be responded to.

With so many impressive features, there is no doubt that NextGenCP looks one of the best web host control panels ever created. It is also good to hear that Pandela.com is promising to continually improve the service each and every day.

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Web Hosting-Look Before Committing Yourself

Filed Under (Web Hosting) by Ian Hall on 19-08-2008

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by Ian Hall

The companies that provide Internet-connected servers, space and bandwidth for a domain, for one or more web sites, are called Web Hosts. Many large companies have private networks which allow them to host domains on their own equipment and IP address range. A rented web host is a necessity for the majority who want internet presence.

Plenty of hosting plans are available. Some hosting plans are free, while others can charge up to $100 a month or more. Some only offer a tiny amount of disk space and minimal network bandwidth. Everything else is the responsibility of the site owner. A wide range of services like server and email administration, backups, web site design assistance, troubleshooting and more are offered by many others.

With web hosting, you may be sharing a server with one to a thousand web sites. This lets the web hosting company keep expenses down. These arrangements go fine when the web sites are simple and low-volume. You may want to consider a dedicated server to handle a rapidly growing web site.

As suggested by the name, a dedicated server only hosts your domain. You can put one web site on the server, or as many as you desire. The access is something you can control. Much of the server administration can be taken over by yourself, as an option.This will cost you considerable time, but may save you money on support costs. You can end up costing yourself much more than you save if you don’t have the expertise.

If you are going to take on those administrative tasks, even with hired help, you should have some technical background. That knowledge will be useful for day to day tasks as well as emergencies. You will need to be familiar with FTP, email administration backup methods and other technical aspects.

Implementing a database is worthwhile when your web site grows in size and complexity. Higher technical, logistical and /or creative abilities will be required.

It can be relatively simple to implement a database. Creating one that works effectively and stays useful takes a certain type of practical planning and focus. Not everyone has the inclination, especially considering the visual design, content development or the other tasks that lay the foundation for a popular web site.

More low level administrative matters are also necessary. Utilitarian tasks such as managing disk space, maintaining domain names, registration and changes deals, are very tedious ones. It is helpful to have a rudimentary understanding of the workings of DNS with knowledge of the Internet’s design. That provides an understanding to the purpose of some of those tasks.

Consider all factors and look closely, when looking for a web host for your web site. Think about your personality traits and what’s offered and decide if it is a good match. Be sure to look at everything before you dive in.

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New Advances in Web Hosting

Filed Under (Web Hosting) by Matt Hedges on 17-08-2008

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by Matt Hedges

It is obvious that there is a need for every company to have an online presence and the same can be said for those who like to impart information or have technical skills. The growth of web hosting can be seen because of internet savvy people who like to impart knowledge and market themselves whilst offering music, videos and pictures. The ability to do all of this is created by operating systems, the Web Hosting platforms. There have been recent breakthroughs in Web Hosting and the hosts are always looking to improve their services and provide cutting edge technology to clients.

What are Web Hosting Platforms?

The Web Hosting platforms are actually the operating systems that support Web Hosting. The most traditional forms of Web Hosting Platforms used are Linux and Windows.

The first is Linux - Linux is definitely viewed as the Web Hosting Platform that the term traditional can be bestowed upon. Linux is commonly seen as the platform that is highly reliable and provides an efficient return of memory and disk space. Over 70% of web servers around the globe are users of Linux and Unix and this is because of the phenomenal power the platform is able to offer clients. Its popularity is also due to the low cost of the platform.

Windows is the response of Microsoft to provide to web hosting and is rising in popularity all the time with many web developers. This is because it utilizes ASP and ASP.NET. It is also true that the Window operating system works very well with other .NET sever systems like:

* Commerce Server 2002

* Commerce Server 2002

* BizTalk Server 2002

Web Hosting packages used to be bundled with only the minimum features but many of these features are vital to the package and they include:

Disk Space - All the Web Hosting accounts come with a certain amount of disk space that the customer can use to store all his/her files. The space differs from package to package. A shared Web Hosting has less disk space than the customized one.

* Accounts relating to emails - The actual amount can depend on the physical cost of the package but there will be a provision of email accounts with a Web Hosting package. Amongst all of these packages, the provision of email accounts is extremely common and come in useful when hosting a domain. Having control over the email account can be offered to the customer if the Web Host wants to but there are many Web Hosts who will perform all the set-up processes for the customer. Whilst different users may have their favorite type of email account and their own preference there are 4 key types of email accounts and there are auto responders, aliases, forwarding and POP3 accounts.

FTP Access - Another common feature of all the paid hosting accounts is the FTP access. The FTP programs allow the users to upload files, edit and delete the contents on the server much more quickly than using a web-based interface.

Modern breakthroughs in Web Hosting:

As technology surges onwards and more companies find a presence online, the needs and wants of individuals and companies are evolving rapidly. This means that Web Hosts also have to progress to be able to deliver the most modern technologies to their clients.

The level of service and technology that is bring offered by technology today, for instance the Windows Server technology and the Windows 2003 Server, is probably at the highest it has ever been. Modern technology ensures there is a tremendous level of support for website developers and they can continue in confidence knowing that Microsoft, a single vendor, is wholly committed to this continual development of technology.

One area where the advances have brought many changes is with regards to the Linux and Windows operating systems and the features provided by the two have never been closer. There used to be key differences between the two, allowing users to make a distinct choice between the two but this is no longer the case and the differences are now minimal. It is now the case where a hosting company does not have to make a massive choice over which operating system to offer as it is not a major concern to a client. Nowadays, it is more likely a client will base their choice of web host on the range of features and price they offer as opposed to the operating system they have in their package.

Web hosting software

The entire web hosting industry has greatly benefited from advances in the development of software for Web Hosting. This new level of software has created a far greater level of effectiveness and efficiency for a huge number of sites. These positive changes have been able to benefit their clients in a number of ways:

* Enabling account setup to be done automatically

* Allowing users a better quality of management with regards their dedicated servers

* Automation of monotonous tasks that used to consume the time of system administrators

The company is aided by the software in a number of ways. Automation can reduce the time it takes to provide control and services from hours to minutes and the whole process becomes easier to control.

Some of the dedicated software packages for the Windows server include Plesk for Windows, Helm for Windows, Cold Fusion MC, Anti Virus & Security Software and Easy Admin Echange Control Panel amongst many others.

The Linux dedicated server software are centOS Linux, Red Hat Enterprise, cPanel / Web Host Manager, Fantastico De Luxe, Plesk for Linux, Anti Virus Software and Security Software.

Voice over Internet Protocol technology in Web Hosting

As the Web host industry continues to go from strength to strength, there is a growing need to develop new products and technologies to ensure customers remain satisfied. The Web Hosting industry is fiercely competitive and rival firms know they have to push technology forward to be in a position to best serve their clients and win customers. One key development in recent times in the Web hosting industry revolves around Voice over Internet Protocol technology. These advances has allowed any computer user who also has access to a broadband Internet connection to be able to communicate with other people all over the world without being charged the level of fees that is normally associated with this level of communication.

The beauty of VOIP is that it adds an increased level of service without any difficulty which makes it attractive to firms. This means there is a large number of firms offering the service in an attempt to cash in on it.

The Web hosting industry is not far behind and is beginning to follow suit. Many of the top rated Web Hosts have come up with the plan to launch VOIPo, a VOIP telephone service. The hosting provider hopes to extend this offer to all over the world.

> Launching the provision of the Virtual Rack:

The “virtual rack solution” was created by one popular web host and it offers the benefits of rack solutions to customers who may have as little as two servers running. The chief goal of this product is to enable customers to have 100% customization on their own web hosting.

Once the customers are in a private rack, they can pick the servers they want. They can also pick which advanced network and security technologies they prefer, whether it’s advanced firewall from the line of Cisco ASA firewalls or load balancers from server iron. With Virtual Rack, the customers can tell the Web Hosts how they would like their configuration to be, and exactly what IP arrangement they want.

There is no doubt that the advances and improvements in Web Hosting have greatly increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the industry. All of these steps have played a part in fulfilling customer needs and serving the consumer purposes in a far better manner and one which may have exceeded expectations.

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How to Find the Best Web Hosting Deals.

Filed Under (Web Hosting) by Matt Hedges on 16-08-2008

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by Matt Hedges

The web hosting industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. As the cost of clock cycles decrease and the availability of new Internet connectivity expands, the cost of web hosting has decreased. If you haven’t had a close look at your web host since you first had your website designed, perhaps it’s time to look again at web hosting companies that are paving the way for value within the industry.

Price wars have also played a part in reducing the cost of hosting. To become more competitive, web hosts now offer additional free services to attract new business. Companies like InMotion, Host Monster and Blue Host offer great additional features like control panels, plug-in functionality, free domain names, merchant accounts and free marketing dollars from companies like Google AdWords.

If you haven’t contacted your web host or at least reviewed their website within the past 3 months, it’s time to take another look. Check their website and understand what services you are currently paying for and what packages are available. This will help you to understand what features you currently have available with your web host.

If your host has not provided both exceptional value and exceptional reliability, it’s time to go shopping for a new host. For a small business website, you should be able to find a hosting plan that offers a free domain, control panel, plug-in scripts, 24/7 support and many other features for less than $10 monthly.

If, after you have examined the fine detail on your current web hosting package, you come to find that your hosting company isn’t offering a variety of free additional features, you should find a new hosting company. But how do you move your website to a new host? Its very easy to do if you are using the ubiquitous cPanel control panel. With cPanel, you can simply backup your existing website and ‘restore’ it with your new host. After this, you just need to update your domain name settings with your registrar.

If you’ve transferred your data to a new web host, you’ll need to contact your registrar to transfer your domain name. Many web hosting companies today also offer domain name registration services. For example, GoDaddy offers domain registration, cheap hosting, add on scripts, merchant accounts and a wealth of other features. Most small companies find that their needs can be meant conveniently through one company. That way, they only need to contact one company for any problem they have with their website.

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Data Centre Failure

Filed Under (Web Hosting) by Amy Nutt on 14-08-2008

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by Amy Nutt

There are many reasons in which a data centre can fail. It can be quite frustrating, so it is important to know what those reasons are so that you can prevent them or know what to do when they happen. Because a lot of data centers exist on a site separate from the computers that are retrieving data from them, it is important that data centers continue running. When they go down, all computers pulling from them from various places around a single country or even the world are not going to be able to retrieve any information. Such is true for customer service jobs in which customer information must be retrieved from a secure data centre that resides elsewhere. If that data center is not operating, money is lost because employees are unable to do their jobs and customers become very unhappy that their situation cannot be resolved.

Reasons why data centres fail

Some of the reasons why data centers fail can be prevented and then there are some ways in which they cannot. However, it is important to do what is necessary to ensure as few outages as possible.

Here are some reasons for failure:

- The “wear-in” phase ? This is the point in time in which the data center has just become operational. It is typical that certain things may fail as they are trying to become fully operational. It is like a toddler learning how to walk. The data center has to walk too, so it is good to let it run with minimal use and gradually build until it has gotten its legs. This involves comprehensive testing as the system usage increases in order to fix problems before they become a problem.

- The “wear-out” phase ? This is when the data center is reaching the end of its life. Regular maintenance and care will slow this process, but major parts will eventually wear out. It is ideal to consistently monitor the system in order to predict failure and avoid catastrophe.

- Power failure ? Power failure is devastating to anything that relies on it for operation. It is especially devastating to a data center. That is why it is important to have a generator or two ready to take over in case the power goes.

- Generator failure ? Generators need care too and they need to be tested. Power goes out and generators take over in order to keep the data center running. Generators have been known to go out and cause data center failure.

- Metal whiskers ? If the data center hardware is sitting on a metallic surface, then that metallic surface could grow zinc whiskers. These have been known to cause short circuits, especially in data centres. There are also tin whiskers that grow out from tin and they too cause shorts. Silver whiskers that grow on silver electrical contacts and gold whiskers that develop on gold plated services are also known to cause short outs. Large fans that suck the whiskers in can be used and the elements that produce them can be replaced.

Prevention is key

Prevention is the key to keeping your data center up and running. If any of these elements occur, it is good to stay calm and do what needs to be done to keep the problem from occurring again. If you have experienced generator failure, you may wish to invest in a backup to your main generator. If you?re building a new data center, be sure to use flooring that does not produce any type of metal whiskers that can short out your hardware. By being vigilant, you can ensure that your data center uptime will be at or near 100%.

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7 day Free Trial to The Hottest New Internet Home Business

Filed Under (Web Hosting) by Free GDI on 09-08-2008

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by Free GDI

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