A Few Good Web Hosting Providers

shared host is a typical, affordable way to go. Why would you want something else?

• Ability to install any application. The most common reason to look beyond a shared host is the desire to install software that isn't compatible with a shared hosting environment. Unless an application has been designed specifically to work in such an environment — more typical of open-source than commercial applications — you'll need more access to the server, which means upgrading your hosting account.

• Security. If you have particularly sensitive data, a shared hosting situation is somewhat more susceptible to attack than other options, simply because so many different users are working on the same server.

• Processing power. If your Web site gets a high volume of traffic (that is to say, thousands of visits a day) and is running unusually complicated code, it's possible that you'll exceed the memory and processor resources of a shared server.

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