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Today with the ever growing number of web hosting companies to choose from, everybody should be able to find the perfect package to fit their needs. But if you are new to the internet, the vast array of choices out there may be rather confusing.

What features do you really need and what can you do without? Why should you pick a particular web hosting company over another? These are just a couple of several web hosting issues that may be confusing if you are new to the web hosting scene. Hopefully this article will help you make an informed decision when you are ready to select your dream web host.

STORAGE: Your storage requirements are going to be determined by the type of website you have. For example, if your website is nothing more than a personal online jotting pad, then server space issues should not be a major concern. If however you have something a little more grandiose in mind--say a business or eCommerce website that will grow with time--then make sure that your web host has a package that not only covers your current space requirements, but is also adequate for future growth or can be easily upgraded.

BANDWIDTH: This is a measure of the amount of data permitted to flow between your site and the rest of the internet. Once again if your site is commercial in nature or generates a substantial stream of traffic then you need a web hosting company that provides ample bandwidth. Also be aware that a lot of web hosting services claim to provide "unlimited bandwidth" but in fact rarely do. And if you do exceed your allotted bandwidth most web hosting providers will slap you with a penalty fee.

SUPPORT: There's a saying that a web hosting service is only as good as its support. If you conduct your search for a web host with this in mind you really can't go far wrong. Consider for example, most web hosting companies claim 24/7 technical support. But how true is this? After all, as is so often the case these days, it's hard to tell where the truth lies and where the lies, well...lie. However one way to get round this is to test run the support team of the web hosting service you have in mind. The value of this trial-test is to measure the response time of the web host's support department, as well as their degree of competence. Bear in mind that a support team with an indifferent attitude to new business (you) is highly unlikely to become any better once they've got you onboard.

SERVER PARAMETERS: Any web hosting service worth its salt should have a server uptime of 97% and above; this simply means that your web host's server is up and running at least 97% of the time. I mean can you imagine what would happen to your business if your hosting company's server is down 20% of the time. Your clients--with the merest flick of the mouse button--will turn to your competition to satisfy their needs. Other important server issues to bear in mind are how many servers does the company actually have and what kind of sites are hosted on a particular server.

Why should you concern yourself about the kind of sites being hosted? Well you wouldn't want to compete for bandwidth with adult websites. This isn't a question of morality...it is just that adult sites are well-known bandwidth hogs. Sharing servers with them will significantly slow down your websites' loading speed (another great way to lose customers).

Again, with respect to slowdowns, you should ask how many websites are hosted on a given server and when the web hosting company considers a server to be full (i.e., cannot host any more sites without impairing functionality). Over hosting actually happens quite often because many web hosting services commonly oversell their servers. Most of them get away with it until the day a sufficient number of websites actually make good on their full allotment of bandwidth/storage and then...Ouch! That's how your website is going to feel if it's hosted on one such server.

Another aspect to consider about your hosting company is...where are the servers physically located? Though it rarely ever happens, if the web hosting company lacks redundancy or backup, if any drastic event occurs at the site of the servers, there goes your online presence. (This scenario really happened: At the World Trade Center when 9/11 occurred).

WEBSTATS: Traffic is the lifeblood of any internet business. Being able to track and analyze where traffic is coming from is a great advantage. Having such a tool at your disposal would enable you to make accurate and informed changes to your website to better position it for even more traffic. Plenty of web hosting companies provide such tracking and analysis tools with their various packages...even those 4-dollar-a-month or less, hosting services. So there really is no reason for you to settle for a web host that lacks this feature.

SCRIPTS/LANGUAGES: What script types does the web hosting company support: PHP, ASP, CGI, MySQL? The web script you use will of course depend on the type of website you have in mind.

UPGRADING: Does the web hosting company give you the option of upgrading your current package to a more advanced one if the need ever arises? And can you upgrade seamlessly, with minimal fuss and interruption to your business? (After all, the whole point of the upgrade is because your business is expanding. No point upgrading if you are going to lose a substantial portion of your business because of it.

E-MAILS: A lot of web hosting services offer unlimited POP3 e-mail as a big selling point. Don't be seduced by this, especially if the web host is using it as a factor for charging you increased monthly fees. Truth is, most web hosting services today offer (as standard) more e-mail addresses than you'll probably ever need.

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Ba Kiwanuka is the webmaster of http://www.internetbusinessmart.com

If you have a high traffic website with dynamic features, then switching to a dedicated server is probably the best choice for you. The major advantages are faster load time, increased security, and total control over your website. This dedicated server is a single web server, devoted solely to the use of one organization, unlike shared servers that host a number of other users and websites. Particularly suitable for larger corporations that process and store high quantities of secure data, dedicated servers often require a higher capital investment yet have a number of key advantages:

1. Higher speed and performance levels
By switching to a dedicated server, the entire host is devoted to running one organisation's software and website. With a shared server, the actions and usage of other websites can impact upon the response times of a website and can even cause a time-out, especially if one website has a promotion and experiences a sudden surge in traffic.

2. Increased capacity
Because a dedicated server is created for just one organisation, capacity is only limited by the size of the server rather than the number of users present on that host. Dedicated servers provide a more reliable website which can run full-time with less server jamming. Websites can feature more complex functions and there are fewer limitations on the number of email accounts and attached databases.

3. Increased security
By sharing the server with other sites and users, there is a possibility that other customers may be able to view secure files and in some cases overwrite certain files. This can be extremely risky if a company stores and processes highly sensitive data. If any website on the host is attacked by a hacker or virus, this also makes the rest of the sites on the server vulnerable.

4. Increased site control
With complete server dedication, it is possible to have more control over data access and over what happens on that server, such as which scripts can be run and which online activities can occur.

5. Ability to customise hardware set-up
Dedicated hardware is provided for the server which can only be used by one customer. This allows the customer to have control over the hardware and make any alterations or upgrades.

6. Customised software
Many shared sites have limited features and software availability due to security and stability issues. For example, JSP support on shared servers is still rare. With a dedicated server, there is greater freedom of choice as to which programmes run, allowing a customer's individual needs to be catered for.

7. Creation of more than one domain
Companies that have multiple divisions or chains benefit greatly from a dedicated server in that they can create several domains on one server. This is more cost effective and efficient than each outlet renting space on a different host and creates a uniform sales platform with a simplified administration and support system.

8. Increased reliability
It only requires one rogue website in a shared server to cause a search engine to ban the entire server, due to the shared IP address. With a dedicated server, reliability is no longer compromised by other customers' poorly written scripts or security problems.

9. Effective large website maintenance
A dedicated server provides the ability to run a large website, which can be remotely controlled and operated, without the need to employ large numbers of staff. There is no requirement to purchase or maintain server equipment and server upgrades are more cost effective.

10. Technical support
Many dedicated server providers offer additional administrative, trouble-shooting and management support.

If your website does not have any of these qualities, then you know that it is time to move your site to a dedicated server. You've put a lot of work into your website, so you deserve to have the best service possible.

Premiere provider of managed IT services with data centre locations across Canada, provides managed hosting and managed services solutions for enterprises that require the highest levels of security and availability.

This is a reality TV show in a pressure cooker restaurant- Hell's Kitchen which has been given the game treatment. Gordon Ramsay is the master chef who heads the actual restaurant and famous for his quick temper and foul mouth. His favorite word is four-letter-word or the "F" word, "idiot", well..you get the idea. Ha! But it's so exciting to watch his TV shows as well as playing his version of game.

Hell's Kitchen is different from most of the games available as we can get real recipes from the game and print it out from our computer. There is one menu for a week. That means total 7 recipes from Monday to Sunday. You will work as the restaurant runner and your ranking will be from apprentice up to the master chef.

Everyday when the Hell's Kitchen's door opens, you have to greet the customers and take them to the sitting place at the table. Once the customer puts down the menu, they will be ready to order food. So you have to attend to them in a short time. After that you have to run the kitchen to cook the food. Then rush to take the cooked meals to the customers. Phew...after they have finished their meals, you have to take the dirty dishes and put at the designated place. And while you are doing all this, remember that there will be more than a couple of customers who visits your restaurant.

If you take too long to cook the meal, the food will need to be thrown away automatically as they are burnt. And Ramsay will scold "YOU IDIOT!" Hahhahaha! So better be fast..get those errands finish faster!

A very enjoyable game. Ramsay look very real in the game and it sounds like his actual voice too. His face expression is always the same which is so tensed up and fierce expression. It's pretty much like I'm working in his restaurant. Getting scold every now and then, like his student chefs. Play Hell's Kitchen and I'm sure you like it too.

- Mabel Lee

I am a PC and online game reviewer for casual games. Playing PC and online games have many advantages and keeps an active and healthy mind. Visit the collection of the downloadable PC and online games' review site. The games are free to download and have fun!

http://www.mabelgames.com