Own web hosting service

What do I need to know if I wanted to sell web hosting?

 

That's a loaded question. You have to base this decision on what OS you are comfortable with admining. How much storage space you can provide. How much bandwidth you can provide.

If you can provide more details, I am happy to be of more assistance.

 

I'll be buying from a reseller so I won't be using my system as a server.

 

Is it a Windows or Unix based service? What databases does it use?

A lot of people like to set up forums on their sites with phpBB. If your service can support this, then it's a plus for you. phpBB uses these databases:

# MySQL 3.2x,
# PostgreSQL 7.x,
# Microsoft SQL Server 7/2000
# Microsoft Access (via ODBC)

A lot of users build their sites with FrontPage, so a Windows based server may be advantageous. More experienced developers hate FrontPage because it builds non-standard, or IE only web sites. It all depends on who you want to cater to.

Personally, I use FrontPage and clean the sites up with NVU. I make sure that my sites are viewable with FireFox, IE, and Mozilla. My audience uses these browsers, so I don't care about the others.

 

The server will be a Windows based or Linux based. Possibly Linux as I won't be running the server. I'm not sure where to look. I've looked through Google but I don't know who is a reputable company and who isn't.

 

If you want to resell, here's my unsolicited free advice-

#1- Avoid any company that does not offer a wide based, open and honest forum

#2- I use hostgator.com (my apologies if an outright named company is used here), for ALL my personal web site use and those I design for others. I do not resell their services, but I would not be afraid to. I found these folks after many years of "bumps", "brusies", and outright "falsehoods" by other providers. They have an extensive forum network, and you'll find a link or two dozen there for some very independant forums that discuss them all. The service I have recieved from them has for years now been beyond excellent. They are by no means the only good server providers, and there are many others.

#3- When you find one, remember they are human too. The servers are machines.


#4- Free advice is often worth the cost, knowledge is golden.

 

I have be given micfo.com to have a look at by a friend. They seem good, nice, friendly email advice and seem to have a good community. Their also quite cheap as wellm plus offer some good reseller accounts.