Windows Web Hosting

Fascinated with the user-interface and windowing environment, you are considering a Windows-based plan, to host website, then there are a couple of things that you need to look at. There are some features that you have to make sure are included in your Windows-based hosting package.

  1. ASP Support The obvious reason why you would be going for a windows plan is so that you could use languages which are Microsoft-specific.
  2. .NET Support ASP.net would be the next generation of the Microsoft's Active Server Page or ASP, which is a feature of the Internet Information Server or IIS. A lot of web hosts provide this feature for free while there are some who charge an additional fee.
  3. CDONTS CDONTS or Collaboration Data Objects for Windows NT Server is a Messaging Component which comes with Windows NT/2000. A hosting plan which is Windows-based without this feature is incomplete.
  4. Databases All windows plans support Microsoft Access 2000 Database. This would do if you are a beginner. However, for the more advanced, MSSQL is a necessity.
  5. Database Connection Make sure that the host has an option in the control panel that allows you to manage and create DSNs.
  6. ASP Components Aside from the default features, there are a lot of third-party software, so check the list of the features that are provided by the host.
  7. PHP and ColdFusion ColdFusion is a language web development tool which uses server-side scripting. This is an advanced option and is not provided by all web hosting providers.
  8. Control Panel This would be your website's nucleus. In the CP or Control Panel, you would be able to do anything. From the moment that you would be signing up with a hosting plan, you have to be provided with a CP so that you would be able to easily manage your website.
  9. POP3 email IDs and Aliases An example of a POP3 ID would be name@domain.com. You should be given an ample number of POP3 email IDs – this would depend on the size of your package.
  10. FTP Accounts This would be what you could use to be able to upload all of your files, as well as delete and update them.
  11. Backup Majority of the web hosts use automated backups. However, users usually do not care a great deal about this when they choose their hosting plan.
  12. Web Statistics The analysis of the visitors of your website plays a big role in your website's success. With a Statistics Application which runs on the backend of the server, you would be able to view this report of visitor statistics.
  13. Bandwidth Make sure that you would be selecting the hosting plan which would be able to provide sufficient bandwidth.
  14. Webmail and SMTP Check if your host would be providing you with webmail so that you would be able to check your email messages using an interface which is web-based.
  15. 15. IP If you have a website which would be requiring SSL Support in the future, then you need to get a dedicated IP.