As an outsourced IT department for small to medium sized businesses, we often get asked by clients if they should buy a server to host their own website. Without fail the answer is always an emphatic NO!
The reasons are simple:
- Cost is the number one reason. In fact, all of the reasons below can be avoided by spending enough money. If you have to buy your own server, support it, and have an infrastructure that will allow it, you will be out thousands of dollars. The cost of hosting most a small business website is minimal – often less than $20/month.
- Security is also important to keep in mind. As a general rule, you need to be extremely careful when allowing any outside unauthenticated users into your network. For a web server that generally means you need to partition off part of your network (called a DMZ) to allow for this access. This means you will need a more advanced network firewall appliance and more labor to configure this type of configuration.
- Reliability plays a large role when deciding to host a web server on your own network or finding a third party company to host it for you. Companies that host websites generally have the infrastructure in place to keep that server online. This generally (but not always) means redundant data centers and internet lines, special power conditioners and backup battery systems made to keep servers online for a long time. Also this means high powered air conditioning systems, physical security to keep your server safe from theft and vandalism, and they have staff to monitor your server 24/7. Small businesses just can’t beat the royal treatment hosting your server with a hosting company gives you.
With that said, there is a caveat. If you are a larger company with a massive website, or you have extremely sensitive data collected from your website, you MAY benefit from private hosting. This would include having a third-party company host an entire server for you, instead of just renting part of a server that is used by many people. This will allow you to have full control over your server, and would prevent the staff of the hosting company from potentially* gaining access to your sensitive information.
That’s great, but now what?
So you now know not to host your website locally, now you need to determine who your web-host will be.
- First, determine what your needs are. Do you need a private server (can be over $100/month if you want this), or do you just want one? Private servers are great, but most businesses don’t keep data on their web server that is so sensitive that it requires a private server. If you’re not sure, ask your web designer if any sensitive data is stored or will be stored in files or databases on your web server. You may also need a private server if you expect a HUGE amount of traffic, but that is generally not a concern unless you have a bigger business or host huge files.
- Next, find a host that will match your needs. You should also keep in mind e-mail needs as well, but that isn’t absolutely necessary. E-mail hosts and web hosts don’t HAVE to be the same company (although it’s often easier if it is). Below are two hosts that I highly recommend.
I hope this helps in your path to find a great webhost. Technology planning takes a lot of foresight, and there are ALWAYS ‘gotchas’ to keep in mind. It’s always important to consult someone who is knowledgeable and can help you navigate the confusing and frustrating decisions that need to be made. Expedient Technology would love to assist you in that navigation.
If you are looking for a great host, here are two recommendations:
- Web Hosting: theogdengroup.net
Founded by Tom Ogden, theogdengroup.net provides GREAT service at a reasonable price. Our website is hosted there. If you are looking for a great web designer, they do that as well!
- Private Server Hosting: NetRiver
I’ve personally toured the facilities that NetRiver uses for their server hosting, and I would trust them with any of my clients servers.
-Michael Curnutt, President
*For the record, I’ve never had to worry about a web host accessing my data, but for some businesses this is a concern. Both companies recommended above I have full confidence in, and would tell you that you never need to worry about them accessing your personal information.
Need help with the above article? Looking for a geek that has turned consultant? Let Expedient Technology be your IT department. Serving the greater Everett area, we are happy to be your partner for all things tech. Contact us.
A week ago I posted about malware taking over executable files. Since then, I’ve thought of another malware exploit to hate – search hijacking.
Search Hijacking (in this case) is when malware on your computer causes search results to redirect your web browser to another website, one you didn’t mean to go to.
For example, if I were to search for Expedient Technology on Google, and click on the link that points to our website, it would take your browser to a fake website for some fake technology company.
The worst part is your computer may seem clean of malware and all of the standard tools to clean malware may indicate your system is clean, yet this is still happening. The problem is that your system has a Rootkit, a nasty type of malware that gets into your system files and wreaks havoc and yet stays undetected by your virus scanner.
The solution? Download and run ComboFix. It’s a great tool for fixing this particular problem.
As I see no reason to reinvent the wheel here, I’ll just point you to the site that has a download link AND instructions. How handy.
Hope that helps.
Michael Curnutt, President
Need help with the above article? Looking for a geek that has turned consultant? Let Expedient Technology be your IT department. Serving the greater Everett area, we are happy to be your partner for all things tech. Contact us.
If you aren’t already using a smart phone, it’s time. Especially if you are constantly on the go, it’s a HUGE time saver, and quite the blessing.
I’m at the point now where I’m upgrading my smart phone every year to every other year because I’m an addict.
The question becomes, what smart phone do you get? This will greatly depend on your carrier, your e-mail server, your budget, and of course your usability preference.
In a nutshell, the big competitors right now are:
Overall, here is a breakdown of some of the pros and cons I’ve seen of these phones:
- Google’s Droid
Pros:
- Intuitive touch interface, easy to use
- Stylish look and feel
- Lots of apps
- Powerful hardware
Cons:
- BlackBerry
Pros:
- Rock solid OS, time tested and stable
- Easy to use (for e-mail)
- Meets most high security standards (depending on model)
Cons:
- No built in support for Microsoft Exchange Server (need additional software)
- Limited functionality.
- Windows Mobile
Pros:
- Best integration with Microsoft products (Exchange, Outlook, Windows, etc)
- Lots of choices from different carriers
- Lots of apps
- Plenty of phone designs.
Cons:
- Unstable, highest frequency of errors
If I had to recommend one phone, right now the top of my list is a Windows Mobile phone, simply because that is what I have the most experience with. The iPhone would come in a close second because of its support of Exchange and all the great features it has.
I hope this article helps you make a wise decision in choosing a smart phone for your own use.
Need help with the above article? Looking for a geek that has turned consultant? Let Expedient Technology be your IT department. Serving the greater Everett area, we are happy to be your partner for all things tech. Contact us.
With every new malware I see, I’m surprised by the ingenuity of the maker. In the last year, there has been a huge rise in a new ‘feature’ of these devious applications: disabling executable (exe) files, or even worse, causing exe files to reopen the virus/malware application.
The worst part is that even after removing the malware, you still have the issue.
The good news: There is an easy fix, but it requires changing your registry (please note, changing your registry is dangerous and may cause your PC to stop functioning as expected. Be careful when doing so!).
- The easiest way is to download a premade file, ready to fix your registry.
- Right-click on the file below that applies to you
- Click Save link as… or Save target as… depending on your browser
- In the box that comes, choose a location and file name you will remember (don’t change the .reg part of the file name though)
- Change the Save as type: to All files
- Click Save
Windows XP Users: Download HERE
Windows Vista/Windows 7 Users: Download HERE
- Once downloaded, navigate to the downloaded file and double click it. Click yes, enable or allow to any and all prompts your operating system and antivirus software may give you.
- After it has run, you should get a message saying something to the effect of “the information was added successfully.”
Congrats, you can now open executable files again!
Hope that helps.
CREDITS:
Need help with the above article? Looking for a geek that has turned consultant? Let Expedient Technology be your IT department. Serving the greater Everett area, we are happy to be your partner for all things tech. Contact us.
Well folks, this technology company is moving into the 21st century! With the addition of a blog to our website, we will be able to give more people more ways to make their business profitable with the use of technology, one of our core missions. I’ll be posting regular tips, reviews, how-to guides, and more.
Check back in Friday afternoon, more useful posts to come.
Thanks again,
Michael Curnutt
Need help with the above article? Looking for a geek that has turned consultant? Let Expedient Technology be your IT department. Serving the greater Everett area, we are happy to be your partner for all things tech. Contact us.
