Assess Your Requirements
Before committing to a web site hosting provider, you should be aware of the choices available to you:
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Unix/Linux Shell Account
Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer shell access to a designated server. Some knowledge of Unix/Linux would be required, but it would be possible to have a web site with a URL like http://<host within the ISP's domain>/~<your account name>/. For example, Speakeasy offers such accounts in their SysAdmin packages. -
"Home Page" Provider
Owners of Macs can subscribe to .Mac for $99.95 per year. .Mac subscribers can create their own home page that can be accessed with a URL like http://homepage.mac.com/<subscriber account name>/. A number of themes and templates are available. .Mac provides a number of other services besides web site hosting. -
Blogging Service
Blogger, Xanga, LiveJournal, and TypePad are a few well-known blogging services. -
Home/Office
You can run your own web server from either your home or office, but you'll need to allocate time to maintain your system. If you have a dynamic IP address, you'll need to make use of a service like DynDNS (do a search on "dynamic dns" to find other companies). It's best to have a static IP address. Don't overlook security, email, and making backups. Expect downtime whenever the ISP does maintenance work on their network. Note that some ISPs block various TCP and UDP ports to prevent customers from running their own web, email, or other servers. -
Web Site Hosting Provider
Heh, we're biased in this category. oneIgloo is committed to great service and value. We especially enjoy working with web developers and programmers. Bring your special requests and requirements and we'll see what we can do.