New Host and ISP needed

[bcorkery]

I've been with Networks Solutions for almost 2 decades.
They've become flaky lately, letting tons of spam through and bouncing more and more of my clients.
Even after putting them on my white list they bounce.

I'm looking for a service to host my website, for pop mail and room for FTP files.

Can I get some good recommendations for those who are in the know?

Thanks,
Bill Corkery

[mr_es335]

Bill,

I have used GoDaddy for years now and they have been "alright" in my books.

Hope this helps?

[Dave Labrecque]

I've been with Networks Solutions for almost 2 decades.
They've become flaky lately, letting tons of spam through and bouncing more and more of my clients.
Even after putting them on my white list they bounce.

I'm looking for a service to host my website, for pop mail and room for FTP files.

Can I get some good recommendations for those who are in the know?

Thanks,
Bill Corkery

I used Hostmonster for years, and they were fine. When it was renewal time, I shopped around and found a killer deal with iPage. All seems pretty solid with them, though I've been using Dropbox instead of setting up my own FTP with iPage, so I can't vouch for their FTP capability (but I expect it's fine). I get very little spam.

[Angie]

I have been using Total Choice Hosting for a while now. Their servers are state-side (in Michigan, I believe) and customer service is great.


I've been with Networks Solutions for almost 2 decades.
They've become flaky lately, letting tons of spam through and bouncing more and more of my clients.
Even after putting them on my white list they bounce.

I'm looking for a service to host my website, for pop mail and room for FTP files.

Can I get some good recommendations for those who are in the know?

Thanks,
Bill Corkery

[Cary B. Cornett]

I use 1and1, been there more than 15 years. Their tech support is very good. In all that time, I have just once dropped an email address to stop the spammers. Hint: I use email addresses that look like strong passwords. Don't use your name, throw numbers in, make it something that the guessing machines can't randomly hit. I also use different email addresses for different purposes, with one especially for "advertisement" stuff (when you need an email to use some commercial site you buy from).

[bcorkery]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm checking out multiple possibilities.
I hope to migrate some time early next month.

Network Solutions has been very disappointing recently.

-Bill Corkery

[Ian Alexander]

+1 for 1and1.com. I was originally sent there by Cary and it has worked out well. I like his advice about creating addresses, but I've always needed an address that is easy for clients (and me) to remember. :o

[studio-c]

FTP... hardly ever use that any more. It's always been a pain to try and explain it to the office help. They glaze over like deer in the headlights.

Just for fun, try and get a Millennial to send a fax. They literally have no idea... ;)

GoDaddy has been good for our sites, very easy interface for creating, setting up, and configuring sites, and the Chat Help has been very helpful.

We're doing the sites in Wordpress, and there's a special section for that on Godaddy. Very happy.

I agree. Network Solutions is still trying to ride on their very old laurels, having been one of the first games in town. In terms of pricing etc, they've become irrelevant.

[Ian Alexander]

FTP... hardly ever use that any more. It's always been a pain to try and explain it to the office help. They glaze over like deer in the headlights.




I agree about explaining FTP. I use it only when a client requests it, but I use FTP software to upload all audio. I put it on a page on my website like ianalexander.com/studio-c. Another small file is needed to make it accessible via http. No password is needed, because the only link to it, anywhere, is in the email to the client. If there are multiple files, I zip them to make it a one-step process for the client. Then I email the client the link, telling them to right click on the file. Done.

There are clients who use Dropbox or similar. Fine, but only if they've set it up.

How do you guys deliver audio these days?

[Dave Labrecque]

I agree about explaining FTP. I use it only when a client requests it, but I use FTP software to upload all audio. I put it on a page on my website like ianalexander.com/studio-c. Another small file is needed to make it accessible via http. No password is needed, because the only link to it, anywhere, is in the email to the client. If there are multiple files, I zip them to make it a one-step process for the client. Then I email the client the link, telling them to right click on the file. Done.

There are clients who use Dropbox or similar. Fine, but only if they've set it up.

How do you guys deliver audio these days?

I used to do the FTP thing, but these days it's all Dropbox. You don't need an account on the receiving end. You send them a link, and, if they're not already signed into Dropbox, they'll get a browser prompt asking them to sign in or sign up, but they can click "no thanks" at the bottom of the prompt (I let them know that ahead of time, cuz the prompt isn't very prominent) and go right to the file(s).

[mr_es335]

Dave,

...cuz the prompt isn't very prominent...I gather it is well hidden...cuz I have never seen it.

[Richard Rupert]

<SNIP>

How do you guys deliver audio these days?

I use wetransfer dot com. The nice thing about this service is that there's no need to sign up for anything... either for the sender or receiver. If I have multiple files, I zip them first and they all go out in one upload. The recipient gets an email with a link and a message that there's a file waiting for them, along with its expiration date. I get an email saying the file was successfully uploaded, and another one when the file has been downloaded by the recipient(s). The limit is 2 GB per upload, but to my knowledge there's no limit to the number of uploads... at least I've never reached it.

[Dave Labrecque]

Dave,
...I gather it is well hidden...cuz I have never seen it.

Actually, I "misspoke." The prompt is pert near impossible to miss. But the "no thanks" option is hard to notice, I think. Probably by design. ;)

[studio-c]

How do you guys deliver audio these days?

I used YouSendIt/Hightail for a long time, but their upload times got super slow.

Dropbox was just plain annoying, with lots of "refer a friend and get free bandwidth". First time someone sent me a Dropbox thing, and I didn't have an account, it took 10 screens to be able to download the [edit]dang file. ;)

I did a trial with DigitalPigeon.com, which was a dream! So fast. But expensive. I upload a lot of video, so those speeds start making a difference...

I'm now using WeTransfer.com, the pay version (paid yearly), and the speeds are fantastic. The custom delivery page is easy to make look very sexy.

I still have WS-FTP on my system, for the publishing houses back east who use FTP. Just to put things on their sites. I don't really offer it to clients. The demand has been zero for the past 5 years.

[Richard Rupert]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention in my previous post that I use the free version of WeTransfer because I don't have huge files to upload... maybe the occasional CD audio to a replicator and graphics files, that's about it. And I don't upload more than a couple times a week. But as "Studio-C" says, there is a paid version available as well with more features.

[Demodave]

Pro tip for those using Dropbox to deliver files:

If you are generating a link for one file, select "Copy Dropbox link". It will feature "?dl=0" at the end of the link. Change the 0 to a 1 and now when the receiver clicks the link in their email, their browser will immediately download the file without the user even seeing the Dropbox page. This trick also works with folders and if used will immediately download a ZIP file containing the contents of the entire folder. You could also embed the link on a webpage and it will act as a direct download of files.

I pay the $9.99 a month for the upgraded Dropbox. I also found a way to embed a form on my website that lets users upload a large file(s) and it posts directly to a special folder in my Dropbox. My web host limits the size of a file that a user can upload, so this solution was perfect. And it is incredibly easy. Here is the form:

http://demodavepro.com/upload

[Dave Labrecque]

Pro tip for those using Dropbox to deliver files:

If you are generating a link for one file, select "Copy Dropbox link". It will feature "?dl=0" at the end of the link. Change the 0 to a 1 and now when the receiver clicks the link in their email, their browser will immediately download the file without the user even seeing the Dropbox page. This trick also works with folders and if used will immediately download a ZIP file containing the contents of the entire folder. You could also embed the link on a webpage and it will act as a direct download of files.

I pay the $9.99 a month for the upgraded Dropbox. I also found a way to embed a form on my website that lets users upload a large file(s) and it posts directly to a special folder in my Dropbox. My web host limits the size of a file that a user can upload, so this solution was perfect. And it is incredibly easy. Here is the form:

http://demodavepro.com/upload

Very cool, DD. Thanks for the tip!

[Ian Alexander]

Very cool, DD. Thanks for the tip!


+1

[bcorkery]

Very cool, DD. Thanks for the tip!

+2! Thanks

[Kent F]

Re: delivering files... have used dropbox but recently used sync dot com for the first time. Satisfied.