How to validatea host

[shakir]

Before choosing a host how you are validating it?.. what is the factor for it?. how you satisfied on your host?

Comments appriciated

[speed]

The obvious one is, using UK as an example, if you go to a UK based host because you want your site in the UK are their servers really in the UK or in say the US. So check the server location if it matters to you.

If they claim unlimited disk space, bandwidth etc read their terms very carefully and find out what they do limit you on and make sure that isn't going to be an issue. If they don't limit you on anything move on as they are not being realistic. Same goes for unrealistically large allocations for next to nothing.

Check their backup strategy is suitable for your requirements, that is if they backup once a month to a disk in the server then that strategy is almost certainly not adequate for an e-commerce store unless you're taking your own backups each and every day as destruction or other loss of the server could result in complete loss of order history. Other dynamic sites should consider backup frequency.

Check the servers run on redundant disk arrays, if they don't then a disk failure will always require a restore from backups which will mean the site is down significantly longer then when just replacing a failed drive in a RAID array. Might not matter for everyone.

Check how they deal with bandwidth overages, do they just shut your site off until the start of the next billing period or until you contact them, however it's dealt with is it suitable for your needs.

Check that the host supports all the features that you require for your application, something like Magento e-commerce software or HSBC payment gateway needs certain things present.

Check their time in business, a host that's been about for 10+ years is probably going to still be there in a few months where as a host only a couple of months old is more unknown.

With all the above you need to look at your requirements and see which are important to you.