All Web hosts ultimately provide the same service. An individual or a
business places a page on the host’s server and people all over the world can
access that page from their Web browser. But that, unfortunately, isn’t all
there is to it.



"A Web site’s performance depends on the bandwidth, server resources and
infrastructure of the hosting provider," said Ken Gavranovic. president and CEO
of Interland, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia, host to over 50,000 Web sites and
recently ranked #1 Web Hosting Provider by Windows NT Magazine and Networking
Computing Magazine. "Hosting comes in many forms--shared hosting, dedicated
hosting and co-location, plus hundreds of variations of each."



Shared Hosting

Shared hosting means placing multiple accounts on the same server, which the
hosting company manages. Dedicated hosting means placing one customer on their
own private server, on which they can host multiple domains. The customer leases
the server from the hosting company, and manages it remotely. And co-located
hosting means the customer purchases their own server on which they can host
multiple domains and sends it to the hosting company to house for them. While
the customer relies on the hosting company for high-speed connectivity, network
interoperability, etc., the customer manages its server remotely.



When choosing a Web host, a Web site developer should look for size, speed, and
diversity of dedicated Internet connections, as well as what hardware and
software the host uses. Reliability is very important. Is there more uptime than
downtime? Also important are a host’s response times. The quality and standard
of back-up power is also important, as is security. But one of the most
important issues a developer faces when choosing a host is the quality and level
of customer service.



Twenty-four-hour customer service means next to nothing unless the persons
fielding calls are qualified computer professionals. What about the skill level
of the technical representative at 4 a.m.? How accessible is an engineer during
"non-business" hours? Can the engineer on call be notified via pager that
there’s a problem? This isn’t a problem if a site is simple but can be if it’s
more complex.



Response time is important. When sending a message out into the great unknown,
it's nice to get a response back within a an hour or two. This is something a
developer can test before signing on with a service. After sending the host’s
support department a question, how long does it take for them to respond? Also,
how helpful is the response? If a host has extensive online FAQs, then its
customer support team should respond faster to queries and respond in more
detail than if they were bogged down all day telling 500 people how to upload a
page.



Size and speed indicate the Web host’s total bandwidth to the Internet and,
therefore, directly relate to the speed of a site’s delivery and the traffic it
can support. One of the most overlooked issues is diversity of a host’s Internet
connections. To ensure maximum uptime, it should have connections to several
national backbones. This ensures that it will have at least one active
connection even if one of the national backbones goes down.



Many hosts claim they have "unlimited bandwidth." This simply can't be true, as
no one has unlimited bandwidth, and someone eventually has to pay for it. If a
developer sets up a site which chokes a host’s Internet connection, the host
will either make the developer pay more or simply shut off the site.



Power Means Everything

How is the host setup powered? What hardware is being used, what operating
systems and Web servers are being run, and what’s its internal networking
structure like? After obtaining this information from several different hosts, a
developer will be able to sift out those with weaker setups.



What about the physical platforms that are used to host sites and connect to the
Internet? What about router platforms? Are they redundant and diverse? At what
capacity do they implement upgrades? Are the platforms made up of industry
standard vendors such as Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, etc., or does the host
use lesser-known vendors or possibly other proprietary methods? Also, is the
host Y2K compliant? All of these capabilities ensure interoperability,
especially between client and vendor in private business applications where
employees have access to databases through the company Web site.



Every time that someone goes to a Web site, he or she downloads the images off
of its host’s server and onto a PC. This transfer causes data to be sent over
the host’s internet connection, which is only of a finite size. Too much data
can cause the connection to become clogged. But figuring out a site’s
requirements is easy. If the homepage has two 5K images on it and receives 100
visitors, that means that each visitor would download 10K of information over
the host's Internet connection or 10K x 100 or 1000K, which equals 1MB. One to
two gigabytes of traffic is ample for 99 percent of the sites on the Internet.



Reliability Can Be Tough

Reliability can be a tough issue. Servers crash–that’s simply a fact of life.
Everyone has seen the dreaded "Server not responding..." message. For a host to
admit to downtime is an admission of failure. However, a responsible host should
understand that crashes are a part of running a server and be open about any
major interruptions of service. A site should be reachable 98 percent of the
time.



What about backup? Is the host’s equipment backed up by battery or generator? If
the host relies on battery backup, how and when is power routed to the batteries
in case of an outage? "If backup power kicks in only after primary power goes
down," said Gavranovic, "a site may be down for the period of time while power
is restored and the servers are rebooted. At Interland, each server box is
connected to a battery source or UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), which is
connected to a power outlet. A generator is connected to that same power outlet
and to a switch that immediately sends a signal if a power outage occurs and the
battery source begins to deploy power to that server. The generator would then
replace the battery as the continuous power supply directly to the server, until
the power outage problem is resolved. This system is designed to prevent any Web
sites from experiencing down time."



Most developers don’t ask what floor the hosting facility is located on until
there’s a flood. Business people and Web developers often don’t look at the
Internet as something physical. But the virtual world exists on physical
facilities, and competitive pricing is only one of the critical elements to
consider. " Our Technical Operations Department performs a series of drills to
prepare for emergencies of any kind," added Gavranovic, "so the staff is fully
aware of the protocol, should problems arise."



A Secure Network Means a Satisfied Customer

Even more important is the security of the network. What is the host’s security
policy and configuration? Do they have a firewall? Is there a security expert on
staff? Hosts with weak network security are vulnerable to hackers.



A host may be extraordinarily well connected to the Internet, but if a 386
serves a site, it's not going to make any difference. The best test of this is
to see how quickly a host’s sites load at various times of day. If they have a
client listing available online, some of those sites should be tested as well.



Lastly, how prepared is the host to grow their setup as their business grows?
Will the added strain of some new accounts be too much and leave them dead in
the water? "We’re committed to making the Web work for our customers,"
Gavranovic said. "We simplify Web technology for them and offer the tools and
services they need to create, design and publish high-quality Web sites."



After checking off the above items, a Web developer should contact some of the
host’s current customers to see how satisfied they are with its service.



 

By Bob Brooke

Bob Brooke, owner of Bob Brooke Communications, is a professional writer,
lecturer, and Web designer. Through his BBC Web Services, he helps individuals
and small businesses create a presence on the Web. To read more of his work and
find out about his Web design services, visit his Web site  (http://www.bobbrooke.com).

 

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