How to choose the right server for your site

Choosing the right server type to host your web site has nothing to do with the kind of computer you use at work or home. It does not even matter what kind of computer you've built your web site with.

It does not matter if you run Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP, Linux, UNIX or even Mac as your PC. You can always publish your web site to your web hosting account with us, whether your hosting account is a Linux based account or a Windows 2000 based account.

To determin which server type you need (Windows or Linux/UNIX), it is easiest to determin based on the types of programming languages your site uses or will use. If your site is just a plain and ordinary web site and only uses HTML pages (no database or dynamic pages), then most likely UNIX hosting is your best bet as our Linux/UNIX plans are cheaper than our Windows hosting plans. If your site uses perl, PHP or Python, then Unix is also your best bet
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Using the Web Hosting Wizard
An easy way to work out what is the best type of server or the best type of hosting plan to choose, is to use our Web Hosting Wizard.


What actually is UNIX?
UNIX is a computer operating system (the basic software running on a computer, underneath things like word processors and spreadsheets). It is the most common operating system for servers on the Internet.

Since it began to escape from AT&T's Bell Laboratories in the early 1970's, the success of the UNIX operating system has led to many different versions: recipients of the (at that time free) UNIX system code all began developing their own different versions in their own, different, ways for use and sale. Universities, research institutes, government bodies and computer companies all began using the powerful UNIX system to develop many of the technologies which today are part of a UNIX system.

Computer aided design, manufacturing control systems, laboratory simulations, even the Internet itself, all began life with and because of UNIX systems. Today, without UNIX systems, the Internet would come to a screeching halt. Most telephone calls could not be made and electronic commerce would grind to a halt.

What is Linux?
LINUX is a version of UNIX that has gained popularity because of its stability as an operating system for hosting web servers. Linux is open source software and is freely available over the Internet. Red Hat is a very popular version of Linux.

The best time to host with Linux
Linux/UNIX web hosting is best used when your site uses a programming language called PHP and / or is connecting to a database such as MySQL. Also, if you just have a simple HTML web site you might as well just use Linux.


What is Windows?
Windows is a family of operating systems for personal computers. Windows dominates the personal computer world, running, by some estimates, on 90+% of all personal computers. Like the Macintosh operating environment, Windows provides a graphical user interface (GUI), virtual memory management, multitasking, and support for many peripheral devices. In addition to Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98,and Windows ME, Microsoft also sells more advanced versions of its operating systems, including: Windows NT; Windows 2000; Windows XP; Windows 2003 Server. One of the main differences between Windows and UNIX/Linux is that a Windows is owned by a company (Microsoft) that sells Windows for a profit, while no one actually owns UNIX/Linux and it is improved by many organisations.

Our Windows servers run Windows 2000. When all the bugs are ironed out of Windows 2003 Server we'll start working with that opperating system.

The best time to host with Windows
You would choose Windows 2000 web hosting is used when your site uses a programming language called Active Server Pages, or Cold Fusion and / or is connecting to a database such as Microsoft Access or MS SQL server. Here is a list of Windows technologies that require Windows hosting:

• Active Server Pages (ASP)
• ASP.NET and .NET Framework
• MS Access Database
• Cold Fusion based application or websites
• MS SQL Server 2000 database
• Other Microsoft's high end technologies

Publishing your web site with FTP
When it comes to publishing your website, you can use any of the following tools:

FTP client, MS FrontPage, CuteSite Builder, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive, Adobe PageMill, or any other site publishing software.

All you need to load up your files to our server is the server host name or IP address and your username and password which will be given to you immediately after signing up.

See a complete list of our plans available.