Windows Web Hosting

Windows web hosting services are best suited for users wishing to make the most of Microsoft technologies, for example if you have a website based on either classic ASP or ASP.NET then you will want to be considering Windows shared web hosting services, or to make use of applications such as Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Sharepoint services then you may want to consider Windows VPS hosting or Windows dedicated server hosting. Windows web hosting services are in most cases more expensive than Linux web hosting services, but with Microsoft operating systems you do get the assurance of knowing that there will always be official support available for the operating system, whereas with support for Linux distributions you normally have to rely on communities of users who also use the same operating system – something which in some cases may not turn out well.

Although Windows hosting may be a let down for some in terms of reliability, the main thing to consider is that you are probably only considering Windows web hosting because it is the only form of web hosting that is able to meet your requirements. Although Windows web hosting is the only ideal web hosting platform for classic ASP and ASP.NET web pages, you should also consider the other Microsoft technologies which come available to use with the purchase of a Windows web hosting package; the two main programs in most cases are Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access, both of which are database applications and are used by many as the backends of their websites – as both aren’t available on Linux web hosting services, your only choice if you wish to use either is Windows web hosting. Window web hosting services typically come with control panel access to allow you to manage your web hosting account without the need for any help from your web hosting provider; although Plesk is still one of the most popular control panels for Windows web hosting, some web hosting providers are now choosing to use DotNetPanel instead because of the advance features that it has to offer for Microsoft Exchange Server hosting services and Hyper-V VPS hosting services.

What are the main features of Windows web hosting?

There are several different features of Windows web hosting packages that are likely to benefit you in any case, whether you are a Windows web developer or are using Windows web hosting for other reasons, although you shouldn’t really consider Windows web hosting if Linux web hosting will suffice for your needs. The main feature that Windows web hosting has to offer that other web hosting platforms can’t offer is the ability to support and host classic ASP and ASP.NET based web pages; although Apache add-ons such as mod_mono and Chillisoft ASP are able to emulate this on Linux web hosting servers, you should only host classic ASP and ASP.NET web pages and scripts on Windows web hosting services as to ensure that your website is as reliable as possible. The support for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access databases also draws many users into Windows web hosting services; although both database systems are commonly used in conjunction with classic ASP and ASP.NET based websites, some web developers do choose to use these database systems in conjunction with other scripting languages such as PHP. If you thought that Windows web hosting was primarily for the hosting of classic ASP and ASP.NET based web pages, you were wrong; Windows web hosting packages typically support a wide range of programming languages meaning that if you select a web hosting service which offers you the ability to host multiple domains under one account you can easily host websites that are based on different scripting languages, including PHP, Python and Perl. In summary, the main features of Windows web hosting services include:

  • Support for classic ASP and ASP.NET based websites – although some people may consider classic ASP to be a dead language, it is still used by many web developers and then of course there are many older sites that still rely on the language to power them – ASP.NET on the other hand is more modern and is actively maintained and is updated on a regular, but both are Microsoft languages and are only compatible with Windows operating systems – it is for this reason that if you require hosting for a website which uses either language your best bet is to consider a reputable web hosting provider is you wish to receive a reliable web hosting service
  • Microsoft SQL Server hosting and Microsoft Access database hosting – Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access power the backends of many websites, but because they are Microsoft products they are more commonly used in conjunction with classic ASP and ASP.NET and are only compatible with Windows operating systems – this also means that support for both forms of database is only available on Windows web hosting services, but this does mean that you are able to ensure that there will be support available for both for a long time to come yet – you may also find that you want to use either database platform with another scripting language, something else which is possible with Windows web hosting
  • Support for other scripting languages – as well as support for classic ASP and ASP.NET, most Windows web hosting packages also come with support for a large number of other scripting languages that are available – if you choose a web hosting package that allows you to host more than one website under your web hosting account, you in theory can host websites which are based on different scripting languages for example you could host a website based on PHP, one based on classic ASP and one based on Perl without any performance issues.

Windows web hosting has a lot to offer all users regardless of whether you have chosen Windows web hosting for its support for classic ASP and ASP.NET based web pages or if you just chose it so that you are safe in the knowledge that you can host websites using multiple scripting languages. The main thing to look out for with Windows hosting services is the price – although Windows web hosting may be more expensive than Linux web hosting, you should ensure that you don’t end up paying a ridiculously high price for your Windows web hosting account.

What are the disadvantages of Windows web hosting?

There are also several disadvantages to using Windows web hosting, and it is these disadvantages which make many people reconsider their need for Windows web hosting and in some cases they may even move on to consider other forms of web hosting that are available such as Linux web hosting and Windows VPS server hosting. The main disadvantage of Windows web hosting is the cost; because web hosting providers have to factor in the cost of the Windows operating system, Windows web hosting packages often end up being more expensive than Linux web hosting packages of a similar specification. Windows web hosting services can also be of an unreliable nature in some cases; because your website hosting provider may be upgrading software or install new applications on a regular basis, the reliability of the web hosting server can’t always be guaranteed – in most cases the server will need to be restarted upon the installation of a new application. Making the most of Windows web hosting can also be hard in some cases; web hosting providers aren’t always generous with their resource assignments with their Windows web hosting services – some are just too concerned about making a profit with what is already a low-profit form of web hosting. In summary, the main disadvantages of Windows web hosting include:

  • Pricing – as web hosting providers have to take into consideration the control panels costs and operating system costs with Windows web hosting services, the overall price of your average Windows web hosting package is much higher than some people would be willing to pay – it is also a good idea to take into consideration that Windows Server 2003 web hosting services are going to be cheaper than Windows Server 2008 web hosting services, and so if you are after cheap Windows web hosting you should give a consideration to Windows Server 2003 based Windows web hosting services
  • Reliability – Windows web hosting services don’t have the best uptime records, and the main reason for this is that ever time your website hosting provider installs a new application or updates the server software, they are going to need to restart the server in most cases – however, most web hosting providers try and hold their maintenance back to off-peak hours so that visitors who are visiting a particular website aren’t affected, and you will also be safe in the knowledge that your web hosting provider is ensuring all the software used on the server that your website is hosted on is kept up-to-date
  • Value for money – because some web hosting providers aren’t generous with their resource assignments for Windows web hosting users, Windows web hosting may not always offer good value for money when you take this into consideration along with the fact that Windows web hosting servers aren’t always as reliable as they could be – however, in most cases users only consider Windows web hosting because their website will not function correctly on any other web hosting platform, meaning that they are prepared to pay extra for the assurance that their website will function correctly.

Although the disadvantages of Windows web hosting may make it seem like it isn’t worth considering at all, if you choose a reputable web hosting provider that is able to offer you reliable Windows web hosting on a DotNetPanel cluster then you are highly unlikely to face any issues. It is so important to remember that you should only consider Windows web hosting services if you have a good reason, such as for the hosting of classic ASP or ASP.NET based web pages as if your website will function fine on Linux web hoting, there’s no point in wasting more money on a web hosting service that offers features that you simply don’t need.

In conclusion, Windows web hosting is the ideal solution for users wishing to make use of Microsoft scripting technologies such as classic ASP or ASP.NET as well as Microsoft database technologies including Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access. The best advice for you to follow is to read the web hosting reviews that are available for particular web hosting providers as by doing this you are able to get a valid idea on just how good a web hosting provider is; this is important for Windows web hosting services as it is the best way to help you find a reputable web hosting provider that can offer you reliable web hosting and secure web hosting services that suit your requirements.