Hosting FAQ
Do you provide dial-up ISP service?
No. We do not provide dial up service for general Internet access. What we provide is the platform and tools needed for web hosting. We have chosen to dedicate our resources and focus our attention solely to hosting, in order to provide our customers with the best possible service.
How will I know if my site is being visited?
Every time someone visits your site, that transaction is logged. We provide real-time, historical and current statistical reports (dependent upon the hosting plan selected), which can be viewed with a standard web browser at anytime. Among other things, they indicate if someone is looking at your site right then, the most popular pages, the days and even the hours when activity is at its highest, the most frequent brand of browser and many, many other details. These reports are always up-to-date. You don't have to wait till the end of the month or next month to find out what is happening now. You can track trends daily and you can even download the raw numbers for use in your own spreadsheet or database.
Do I need to have Windows NT to use your service?
No. Our system works with multiple web browsers and FTP software. Windows NT provides our clients with the easiest and most powerful platform for web site development.
Do you support Macintosh platforms?
Yes. We host web pages for all platforms that can connect to the Internet. Our system uses a standard FTP server, which is compatible with Macintosh and all other platforms.
Do you support server-side scripting (SSI)?
Yes. We support the extremely popular and powerful Active Server Pages (ASP), which is easy to use and allows rapid development of interactive web sites. We also support Active State Perl for Windows.
What is the difference between "data transfer" and "hits?"
Both hits and data transfer occur when a page on your web site is "called" by, and delivered to, a browser. "Hits" is the measurement of how many objects (i.e. HTML pages and graphic, sound and video files) were called and delivered. "Data transfer" is the sum of the size of the objects delivered and is reported in MB per month. For instance, if one page containing 6 graphics was delivered, it would represent 7 hits. If the page was 10K in size and each graphic was also 10K, that would be 70K in data transfer.
Do you provide "Unlimited" data transfer & "Unlimited" disk space ?
No. That would be unrealistic and misleading. Those who advertise "unlimited" anything will probably provide it until you are over their limit.
Both bandwidth for data transfer and disk storage on the server are very real cost components of hosting. A hosting provider could not stay in business very long if one or a few customers consumed most of the provider's resources, unless there was a proportionate charge levied. Besides, where is the equity in charging the same rate, regardless of how much of the providers resources are used? Should all customers pay the same, regardless of their consumption? Does that make any sense? "Unlimited" anthing goes against the basic laws of business. It is akin to getting something for nothing.
Think about it. If "unlimited" anything was realistic and true, then why isn't Microsoft, IBM, Amazon.com or any of the other very large Internet sites hosted by them? Perhaps they were at one time, until the exceeded the limit!
Which plan provides enough data transfer to support my site?
There are three factors which will determine the number of MB of data transfer per month:
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The popularity of your site
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The number of pages and graphics on your site
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The sizes of those pages and graphics
In general, 20 - 30 MB of data transfer is very adequate for most web sites and 1,000 MB is considered extremely liberal. Heavy retail operations with many visitors and a large site, however, may require more than 1,000 MB of monthly data transfer.
20 - 30 MB of data transfer supports many thousands of hits in a month.
Which plan provides enough disk space to support my site?
10MB should be very adequate for most any site, since HTML files and graphics usually consume little disk space. For instance, one site only requires 600K for 43 HTML files and 58 images. Another site has 26 HTML files and 44 graphics, and only occupies 340K. A third site occupies 1.02 MB with 79 HTML files, 1 WAV sound file, 1 Adobe Acrobat Reader file and 31 graphic images.
Can I run my own Java and Perl scripts?
Yes, (dependent upon the hosting plan selected). You will have your own cgi-bin directory, for running your own scripts. We also provide some stock scripts which any of our clients may run.
Do you have a T-3 connection?
No, but that does Not mean our service is slow.
Many would have you believe that a T-1 is faster than ISDN and that a T-3 is faster than a T-3, but that is simply not true. Electrons run at the same speed, regardless of whether they are running over an ISDN, T-1 or T-3 line.
Speed only becomes an issue when there are more electrons simultaneously contending for the line, than the size of the line will allow. Hence, the term "bandwidth."
We run a Cisco powered network, with Cisco routers and switches. Our bandwidth consumption is continually monitored, 24 x 7, for saturation and spikes, so that we may increase it as the needs of our clients and our service levels dictate.
Do you provide technical support?
Yes. E-mail Support or call our local or toll free number, if you encounter a problem. Please supply as much information about the problem as possible. The more you can tell us, the better we can quickly resolve it. However, our free support does not include assistance with debugging CGI scripts or other application specific problems. If you need assistance with an application, E-mail Support for a quotation of what we will charge, in the event we can be of assistance.
Can I use a database with your service?
Yes, (dependent upon the hosting plan selected). We support Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server and almost any other ODBC compliant data base. Our clients are often able to use other databases, but that's dependent upon the support, if any, which is required from our server and operating system.
Will I have unlimited access to update my pages?
Yes. 24x7 via FTP. Also, 24x7 via FrontPage and Visual InterDev, dependent upon the hosting plan selected.
Do you supply software with my account?
No. Typically your ISP provides FTP and browser software and there is a wealth of freeware and shareware available on the Internet, for a variety of platforms.
How long will it take to setup my account?
New accounts are generally setup within a few hours, after we receive the order and the appropriate check. You will be notified, via e-mail, of your User ID, password and FTP Host Name, once the account is established. Those customers who are registering or transferring a domain name, will also be given a temporary URL. Once this notification is received, you can begin using the site immediately.
Must my pages be built using FrontPage or Visual InterDev or can I still use my own software to design web pages?
No. You are not required to use either of them. FrontPage and Visual InterDev are just two popular development tools which require server support. You can create your web pages with any standalone client, such as Hot Metal, Hot Dog, WebEdit, and simply FTP upload them to your web space.
Will you host an adult site?
No. We do not host adult sites, for a variety of reasons.
Will you host a warez site?
No. These sites typically distribute pirated software and "hacking" software and information. We do not host warez sites, for a variety of reasons.
Can I send bulk, or unsolicited, e-mail?
No. We do not permit "spam" to be generated from our servers or to reference any site which we host. Our terms of use and acceptable conduct policies are very specific.
What do you mean by "e-mail aliases?"
Please see the E-mail FAQ for information about e-mail aliases, autoresponders and other valuable information about e-mail.
Can I keep my existing domain name of "MyCompany.Com and transfer it to you?"
Yes. Please see the Domain Name FAQ for information about keeping/transferring your existing domain name, registering a new domain name and other valuable information about domain names.
Can multiple domain names be pointed to the same web site?
Yes. We will register or transfer the domain name without charge (domain name registration fees may apply), and point it to the desired web site.
I want to register a domain name, but I don't need a web site or e-mail. Can you help me?
Yes. We will register or transfer the domain name without charge (domain name registration fees may apply). Our service includes a parking page & e-mail forwarding.
Can I use my web site for commercial purposes?
Yes. There is no restriction on commercial use.
Can I use my domain name for only e-mail?
Yes. We will register or transfer your domain name without charge (domain name registration fees may apply). Our service includes a parking page & e-mail forwarding.
Can I resell space in my own account?
Yes. All you need to do is to setup a directory/folder in your space, for your client's site and make sure the client's home page is index.html. Your client's URL will then be http://www.yourdomain.com/yourclientfolder. For single page sites, you could have one directory, with each of the single pages having a unique name. The URL would then be http://www.yourdomain.com/pagesfolder/uniquepagename.html.
Can my site be accessed without using WWW in the URL?
Yes. Your site can be accessed either way, i.e. http://www.yourdomain.com and http://yourdomain.com.
Do you have a brochure or other printed information about your firm and services, which you can mail to me?
No. We do almost everything electronically, in order to keep our costs low.
Do we need to sign a contract to use your hosting service?
No. We have tried to make it simple and easy. By using, and continuing to use, our service, you agree to our terms of use and acceptable conduct policies. They allow you to terminate our service at any time. |
