Ten useful pointers to follow when switching web hosts
You have made your call to move from your internet site from your present internet host to a new internet host. The following advice will aid you in making the transition simpler and make you mindful of some potential problems to avoid.

1) Ensure the new web hosting program you have selected offers you the storage capacities to handle all your current web site storage requirements. If your site is 50MB, you have got to make sure your new hosting plan offers that much space, or even more. If you are not sure what kind of space your internet site is using, ask your present host. You may sometimes find this info on your website hosting control panel.

2) How does your present internet host work out what your storage amount is utilized for? Discover what your present and new host includes in your plan's storage amount. Are your e-mails and log files counted towards your total storage, or merely your web files?

3) What O. S does your present hosting plan use? Windows or UNIX? Sometimes this will make little difference; in some other cases it can make the difference between a working web site and a damaged site. If your website is at present on a Windows server and your site uses ASP scripting, you will find it hard to make things work fine on a UNIX server, as ASP is a Windows based coding language. Find out beforehand whether your present hosting plan is on a UNIX or Windows server.

4) Does your internet site now use FrontPage? Discover if your new host supports FrontPage. And ensure your new host supports the same version of FrontPage you now use.

5) Learn if your new hosting plan offers you an identical quantity of bandwidth that your present host offers. You do not really want to be stunned by astonishing overage charges at the months end.

6) Does your new web hosting program give you the same quantity of e-mail accounts, auto responders and mail forwards that you now use?

7) Does your website utilise a shopping cart that your present hosting plan provides? Are you able to move the cart to your new host? If not, does your new host have an acceptable shopping cart replacement?

8) If you happen to be using any scripts on your internet site, ensure that your new hosting plan supports your scripts. Find out ahead if you'll have to make any alterations to your scripts to get them working on the new server.

9) Be sure to set up your present e-mail accounts on your new server before transferring your web site name to the new server.

10) Did you know the simple way to upload your site files to the new server? If you do not, you will need to discover if your new website host will upload your files for you. Some hosts will do this free, some will do it at a fee, yet other hosts will not do it all due to culpability issues.

Once all of your files are uploaded to the new server, you will need to double check the site looks and functions correctly on the new server. Most hosts can offer a preview link for you to find out how your website looks before the website name is transferred over. If your host doesn't offer a system for you to preview your internet site, you can tweak your hosts file to preview your website. The host file tells your PC where to go to search for sites that are listed in that file. This works alongside any version of Windows. The file name is the same, the location can change.

Close Notepad, by clicking on FILE, slide down to EXIT, and click. Now when you open your browser, or try and ping the site, your system will go to the IP number you typed in the HOSTS file. Do not forget to undo this when finished testing or your machine will always need to go to that IP number whenever you would like to go to that site. Most hosts have that info listed somewhere on their web site or in the e-mail you first get after enrolling for an account. Once the dns alteration is finished it will be 24-48 hours before you may see your website on the new server.