When looking for a Web Host there are lots of factors that come into play. Usually the deciding factors are price and bandwidth. A common overlooked item is the uptime guarantee. This is the percentage of time your account will be up and running
What do these numbers really mean?
If we look at these percentages and convert them into the amount of time your site is going to be down we get some very telling information. The chart below lists the uptime gurantee percentage and how that equates to time.
99% - 5256 Min/Yr or 87.6 Hours/Yr ? 438 Min/Month or 7.3 Hours/Month
99.5% - 2628 Min/Yr or 43.8 Hours/Yr ? 219 Min/Month or 3.65 Hours/Month
99.9% - 525.6 Min/Yr or 8.76 Hours/Yr ? 43.8 Min/Month or .73 Hours/Month
99.95% - 262.8 Min/Yr or 4.38 Hours/Yr ? 21.9 Min/Month or .365 Hours/Month
99.99% - 52.56 Min/Yr or .876 Hours/Yr ? 4.38 Min/Month or .073 Hours/Month
As you can see that while 99% uptime sounds like a lot, it actually allows for the host to have over 7 hours of downtime per month, or a whopping 87.6 hours per year. Your host could be down for over 3 ? days over the course of a year and still hit their target of 99% uptime. As you go to 99.5% and 99.9%, it gets much better, and with 99.95% and 99.99% you would have little or no downtime.
Is this realistic?
Is it realistic to get 99.99% uptime? Probably not, but it is always nice if you can get compensated for downtime. However, if the host only compensates you for the actual downtime you have, it probably won't be a large amount. Let's assume you pay $20 a month for your hosting, which is probably on the upper end of what you'd be paying ofr a hosting account. We will also assume there a 30 days in the month. Breaking that down, you're paying roughly 3 cents per hour for your hosting. This means if you site is down for 24 hours, 1 full day, you will only get 72 cents of compensation. By no means is this good if it means your site goes down and you get some pocket change.
So what does this mean to me?
So the more decimal places, the better the uptime guarantee. We also now know that we probably won't be getting lots of money back if our site goes down. The ultimate goal is to find a web host that has an uptime guarantee and maintains that level of service. You don't need the money back but you do need the peace of mind of having your website up and running.
Scott is the owner and chief designer for Smith-Concepts a successful web development firm.
Related Links: http://www.smith-concepts.com
Linux web hosting is so named, based on the operating... Read More
So you've decided about your website design and now you... Read More
You've already got a website, but your current hosting provider... Read More
You've made your decision to move from your website from... Read More
A web host reseller account is a web hosting account... Read More
Every year as school starts web hosts see an up... Read More
First things First. Why would you like to have Windows... Read More
Every website needs a great web host, however when you... Read More
Overselling is a big trend in the web-hosting world at... Read More
For those in the Internet business the availability of their... Read More
When you first start out trying to get a site... Read More
Yesterday I received a nice email in my inbox, I... Read More
This article describes the technology behind multiple server hosting and... Read More
AutoResponders are nifty scripts that run in your web server... Read More
You've decided to get a reseller web hosting account to... Read More
The basic command for changing file permissions in unix based... Read More
Getting your own dedicated server for your business is a... Read More
Whatever type of website you want to host, choosing the... Read More
Web Hosting in 2005 --- Finding the Niche and Cashing... Read More
Computers, Internet, Web sites?what do they all mean? Hey, you're... Read More
With hundreds of web hosting companies to choose from today... Read More
With so many web hosting companies competing for your web... Read More
One of the most difficult choices you have to make... Read More
The DNS is a distributed, hierarchical database where authority flows... Read More
When talking about free anything the legitimate question that first... Read More
reliable maid service Winnetka ..Promoting a new company in the crowded industry of web... Read More
The Basics of Linux & Windows :Linux (and its close... Read More
There are a couple of key things to look at... Read More
Many free web hosting accounts are free to use, however... Read More
This article is meant to all who already have a... Read More
Web Hosting AdviceChoosing a web hosting company to host your... Read More
If you are anything like me, you'd probably like to... Read More
1. The reputation of the web hosting company.Most web hosting... Read More
One of the important decisions you'll make when you decide... Read More
Once you have considered the design for your website and... Read More
Thousands of companies, tens of thousands of different plans and... Read More
Before you begin your search for a web host you... Read More
Web hosts are service companies that provide space on their... Read More
Linux web hosting is so named, based on the operating... Read More
With a little advanced planning, moving your domain to a... Read More
Web hosting services play a vital part in your website's... Read More
If you're in business, one of the most important things... Read More
Selecting a web hosting company is like sending one of... Read More
It's tempting. There are so many companies offering cut-rate hosting... Read More
Web hosting can best be described as a modern-day marriage:... Read More
There is really no stopping VOIP (voice over internet protocol)... Read More
John's online business is expanding. His customers are increasing day... Read More
There are many things to consider when setting up your... Read More
A Virtual Private Server (VPS), also referred to as Virtual... Read More
What sort of web hosting options should you go for... Read More
Web Hosting |