There are many internet service providers (ISP) offering high quality hosting packages. However, not all packages will meet your needs and some may not address your requirements.

Pollenation can help you select an ISP or recommend a hosting package. We also host web sites and email for clients on our dedicated servers.

• Shared vs dedicated vs virtual dedicated. Shared hosting may be suitable but is often inflexible and sometimes insecure due to the number of web sites on each server. Dedicated hosting provides complete control over the server and is often a better long-term investment.
• Bandwidth. If you have a busy site then you need to consider the amount of information that will be served by your site to ensure that you do not hit bandwidth limits imposed by the ISP.
• Backup. Ensuring your data is backed up in case of server failure is critical.
• Maintenance and support. Will you get the level of support you need if something goes wrong?
• IP addresses and DNS. The apparent location of an IP address can affect search engine optimisation. Transferring DNS records and custom configurations can leave your web site unobtainable.
• Operating System. Internet servers often run Linux but BSD and Microsoft Windows are also common options.
• Web server.
• SSL. A valid SSL certificate is important to protect usernames, passwords and other personal information sent to a web site.
• Remote server access. FTP is commonly used to upload files to a web server. Unfortunately, FTP is not secure. SSH and SFTP provide far better security.
• Mail server.
• Database server.
• Firewall. Protecting access to the server is the first step to a secure server.
• Intrusion detection. If someone does gain illegal access to your server how will you know?