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For a successful web site having a great host is very important. Now supposing one has just made a big new web site and has a remarkable domain name, attractive design and a large amount of content. Now what is the next step is the question that comes in his/her mind. If the site is great but the host is worthless the site will go down and thus will suffer as a result. Before choosing ones first web host some important elements should be considered as many people these days are discontented with their web hosting service. One that fits one’s needs can be the best service. Several elements that any webmaster ought to consider before choosing a web host are:-

• Disc space is the first thing to be considered. Disc space depends on the size of the web site, and also on the amount of money one is willing to spend. To see how much disc space the site takes up on computer one should look in ones web site folder. Always get space more then what is taken up by ones computer (to be on the safer side). For e.g., if the web folder is 300MB, one should probably get 250-300MB of disc space. Sites with flash animation, or complex designs and sites with a variety of videos and pictures will in general take a higher amount of disc space than other sites.

• Try to estimate the amount of bandwidth ones web site will be using. Bandwidth is the amount of data transfer ones web site can use. One should have a high bandwidth if one is planning to have an extraordinarily popular site with a large amount of files. Bandwidth is not as big a factor for casual web sites. Considering the cost aim to have more bandwidth than required, but never less.

• Speed of Web site is rarely taken into consideration. The fact is that there are numerous Internet users still on 56k dial-up connections. If speed of ones web host is very slow for all of its web sites, then one may not want to go with that host. People won’t sit around at a page forever. Having a fast speed is very helpful if one wants many people to visit ones site. Just asking the web host for list of their sites is a very good technique for checking how fast a web host’s hosted sites are. A genuine web host, who wants to have business, will conform in no time at all.

This might take some time and effort but nonetheless these elements are required to be taken into consideration while hosting a web site. Searching through web hosts even if it takes time in finding out everything one can about the host would be worthwhile. It is not necessary that the best web host is the most expensive, or cheapest so one should have a clear-cut view of what one wants to accomplish with ones web site. The host that fits ones needs is the best web host. Cheaper web hosts may be the way to go for the casual webmaster. Conversely if one has planned his site to win users, and inform all their friends about the site, than one might want to consider getting a higher end web host. No the site can not be seen by the users without web hosting. To make the gateway between ones site and the rest of the Internet as successful as possible is very important

BEN column – Gloria all over vicious dog law; Bridgeton, Millville Midgets play; Melissa Nixon Sooy honored; Happy …
Good morning! Tropical storm conditions possible today.

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There are advantages and disadvantages for both paid and free web hosting. But it actually depends on what ones requirements are and what one is trying to achieve.

Advantages of Free Web Hosting

- As it is free it is the one of the most obvious advantage.

- Free web space can be used to practice programming. Some free web hosting plans support a programming language such as PHP, ASP, CGI/Perl, Cold fusion or JSP but several do not support all the languages.

- For creating a small personal website free web hosting plan is great.

Disadvantages of Free Web Hosting

- The majority of free web hosts cannot afford to offer 24/7 or any support as they are offering free hosting.

- Many free web hosts do not allow FTP access, which is an obstacle if one has many files to upload this one of the major flaws with free web hosts.

- Many free web hosts place their banner and text ads on the website.

- Very few free web hosts with their plans offer control panel.

- Ones website is placed in a sub-domain or a folder with a large number of free hosts, which results in poor search engine rankings most of the time.

- Much disk space or data transfer is not offered by free web hosting plans. This can be a problem if one have a lot of large files or if ones website generates a lot of traffic.

Advantages of Paid Web Hosting

- Most paid web hosts offer 24/7 supports.

- One will not have any unwanted text or banner ads placed on ones website with paid hosting.

- Control panel such as cPanel, Vdeck, Plesk or Ensim which offer features like web stats, the ability to password protect directories, and the ability to create web based email accounts are being offered by a lot of paid web hosting plans.

- One will have ones own domain name (consumerswebsite.com) which will not only result in better search engine rankings, but will also look more professional. Thus ones website will not be placed in a sub-domain or folder.

- As with paid web hosting one gets more disk space and data transfer, one can add more files to ones website and it can also handle more traffic.

- Most paid web hosts are offering FTP access.

- Couple programming languages such as PHP, ASP, CGI/Perl, the majority of paid web hosting plans is supporting Cold fusion and JSP.

Disadvantage of Paid Web Hosting

- It’s not free this is the only major disadvantage of paid web hosting.

The term FTP refers to as “File Transfer Protocol”. FTP is a very important method as this method is used to transfer files from one computer to another across the Internet. Some other protocols are

1. HTTP

HTTP means Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is used to display web pages and related files, but it is not used to transfer them.

2. SMTP

SMTP refers to as Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is used to transfer email via the Internet, but not files.

There are other ways to transfer files from one computer to another through the internet but FTP is the most commonly as well as the simplest method for transferring electronic files as it uses the TCP/IP protocols of the internet to complete the transmission. In actual terms the functions of FTP are corresponding to HTTP functions as the web pages that are uploaded to the Internet to be displayed using HTTP are generally uploaded through an FTP process. A very keen function is performed by the help of FTP that’s why it becomes mandatory for Internet business to go for FTP web hosting.

One’s business requires FTP web hosting or not it depends upon whether he/she will transfer the files through the Internet or not. Following are some of the importance of FTP web hosting.

1. FTP web hosting is important for the user having Internet business that involves the sharing of files.

2. It is useful for the user who provides its customers the large documents or graphic files.

3. If one receives large documents or graphic files from other sources, FTP web hosting proves to be very useful.

One can also use email to transfer large files back and forth between two computers; however, if one used email for very long, he/she should be aware of the limitations of some email accounts and email service providers. The other side of using email is that, email servers have a limit on the size of file that can be received via email. So FTP web hosting is a perfect alternative of email.

By the help of FTP web hosting capabilities, one can easily develop the directories of files that are stored on his/her web host’s servers allowing for easy access to the files through the Internet. Through FTP web hosting, others can also upload files to the user using FTP technology. The user never wants anyone to access to his/her files, so he/she should be aware while reviewing, evaluating and choosing a FTP web-hosting provider.

One great advantage of using FTP web hosting is that it provides the essential security. If one’s web site is having FTP web hosting, FTP download and upload capabilities, then he/she is able to organize files on his/her FTP site and determine which files will be publicly accessible and which one will remain locked. In addition to that, user names and passwords can be set to limit access to files on one’s FTP website that one don’t want to be publicly accessible. One should note that for public FTP websites, it is standard for the user id to be “anonymous” and for the password to be the email address of the individual attempting to access and download from, or upload to, the FTP website.

Another advantage of having FTP web hosting for one’s site is that one’s site visitors will be able to access the FTP connection using common web browsers like Netscape or Internet Explorer; but it is worth to note that downloading files through FTP access is more efficient way as well as more secured if a software application called FTP Client is used. The main reason behind using FTP Client is that it provides best security as well as other important features like resume capabilities which are rather crucial if an interruption in the internet connection occurs during a download.

There are several web hosting companies offering FTP web hosting with the capability of transferring files from one’s computer to his/her web server as a standard feature, but sometimes user need to check for these capabilities to be enabled for use. There are several web hosts who charge extra for FTP web hosting with public access capabilities. While selecting a web host for one’s website, it is must to see in advance the need for FTP web hosting. It is always considered a good idea to choose a web host that provides FTP web hosting with both uploading and public access capabilities and that too without any extra fees. Cheers!

Hosting is going to be a concern if one is going to pursue an e-commerce site.

Technology of storing, servicing and maintaining files for one or more web sites, selling products or a service online is termed as E-commerce web hosting

. Generally, Web site owners who pay for their web host on a monthly basis upload their web pages to a shared or dedicated web server through an internet service provider (ISP). Fast and consistent connection should be ensured by the web host. Storing information, images, videos and just any other content that can be retrieved from a web site is done by an e-commerce web server. Flexibility, security and high performance is desired by an experienced web entrepreneur from an e-commerce host. For e-commerce web servers, security is a main concern.

The site and the host (where the site is stored for access on the web) are the two major components in which E-commerce web hosting is divided. Web hosts offer storage space and Internet connectivity they are computers that make ones web site work with and connect to the Internet. People can buy goods and services online with the help of E-commerce, or web commerce. One can buy almost anything on internet and at any time.

E-commerce software must be supported by e-commerce web hosting. Generally, the web business owner is on their own to ascertain e-commerce software but often a web host provides the tools that handle online transactions and sales. Shopping carts, secure transactions, SSLs (secure socket layers), advertisement packages, business account services, and web promotion applications are the common tools provided with e-commerce web hosting.

It is helpful to decide how much data storage is essential and the data transfer rates one require for his/her site at the same time when choosing a web hosting company for his/her E-commerce business. One must have confidence in the connection and security of his/her hosting company as a web host is the physical location of a web site. It can payoff in a big way, if one makes sure that data reaches the end-user quickly and efficiently, just by doing some research. Web hosts must be proficient to accommodate a client’s web traffic (measured in volume of data transfer) in peak hours as well. To make sure that data is routed even if there is a router failure, by making backup systems strong.

For E-commerce transactions, security is a major issue. Private information should be kept safe from illegal parties. SSL, from Netscape, helps a lot with secure transactions. By using RSA security, SSL which is an encryption technology, encodes a message that a receiver decrypts. Digital signatures, or certificates, are required for integrity and verification of messages. Digital signatures by posing as a legitimate e-business or in any other way make sure that sensitive information is not picked up by any other party. Document, issued by a certificate authority, which recognizes a legitimate online business is termed as digital certificate. Many web companies store confidential information on offline disks or on a separate PC to guarantee security. Multiple backups of vital information should be maintained by E-commerce web hosts. PKI (public key infrastructure) and digital certificates are used by SSL to ensue privacy and authentication. Security can be a costly and multifaceted business; one should bear this in mind.

An important step for just about any e-business is selecting an e-commerce web host with a broad range of tools and a solid reputation. In short, it is best to look for a pre-packaged solution that allows one to create an online catalog, a shopping cart, and a secure credit card transaction and storage system when selecting an e-commerce web host.

Verizon Business Helps Government, Industry Smooth Adoption of Next-Generation Internet Protocol
With the Internet Protocol version 4 addresses expected to be exhausted as early next year, now is the time for businesses and government agencies across the globe to prepare for a smooth transition to the next-generation Internet Protocol version 6 . Â

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Web Extra: Virginia Tech teams with transit to launch VT Bus Tracker
Last week, a group of Virginia Tech computer science students unveiled the VT Bus Tracker , with app and text versions that deliver bus locations, speeds and the number of passengers on each Blacksburg, Va.-based Blacksburg Transit bus.

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Frontier Bank Creates Strong Online Presence With T8 Webware
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa–(BUSINESS WIRE)–T8 Webware, a provider of Web development, management and hosting services for the financial industry, announced today the launch of Frontier Bank’s website. The Nebraska-based institution has successfully expanded its online presence, enhancing site usability and content to attract a wider base of customers as well as strategically position cross-sell …

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One should not take web hosting lightly. If one chooses the wrong web host then he/she will find himself/herself stuck on Dot Com Street. When ones web site is faced with the lack of ability to grow then months and even years of hard work can go down the tubes. So one should choose web-hosting plan that expands with ones web site.

Make sure that the web-hosting servers are able to support the most common programming languages and features such as ASP, Java, PHP, and CGI Pearl scripts, when one is looking for a hosting plan. Having these options now can save one from tons of botheration later, even if these features or languages are not required right now. One will most likely want to have more than a static web site at some point of the time.

Even if good web hosting providers provide an online editor, they allow FTP access via clients such as Microsoft Front Page or Dream Weaver. Sometimes one may require uploading and installing programs to their web-hosting server. If one wants to save time in having to program software himself/herself, he/she should be confident to upload third party software.

Free domain name with a hosting plan comes along with Web hosting packages. It’s always best to purchase ones domain though he/she may want a web host who can host his/her domain name. This way one won’t be stuck from buying the domain from the domain hosting or web hosting company who will probably overcharge him/her, whenever he/she needs to move to a different web host.

Buy domain name and hosting packages a year or two in advance at whatever time possible. Assumptions are being made that search engines place more emphasis on web sites who’s hosting and domain name have been purchased somewhere from one to five years or more. One should avoid web host’s who only charge monthly, even if he/she can afford only this at that point of time.

Web hosting server up time is important to a web sites performance. One should make sure that servers up time are above 98 percent. It isn’t hard to find a reliable server though many boast 99 percent server up time.

Along with ones, hosting plan web hosting providers often offer free domain E-mail and sub domains. Its good thing to have E-mail, own domain, and sub domains. One may want as many E-mail addresses and sub domains as he/she can get. So one should make sure that his/her web host provides, a way to purchase more without having to upgrade his/her entire hosting package.

Usually free software, scripts, and forms are being provided in good web hosting service. This way, a whole lot of time can be saved by webmasters and developers, which could be spent better in marketing. As a rule, the more, free web hosting tools a web host provides, its better. These free offer, not only saves time, but also they save money too.

One will have the backbone in position for a successful, dynamic, and expandable web site, when his/her web hosting service supports many programming languages, software or file uploads, FTP access, hosting and domain name hosting for extended periods, plus free domain E-mail and sub domains that can be purchased separately, along with free scripts and tools, with good server up time.

Washington Parish Jamboree cancelled
The Washington Parish Jamboree for area high school football teams originally scheduled for Franklinton was cancelled and not played Friday due to the death of a student on campus Thursday.

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