Virtual Shared Hosting

Virtual shared hosting, or VSH from CrystalTech is the least expensive way to host many websites on one server. However, there are many drawbacks to it that may make it not so desirable. With VSH, IP addresses are not assigned to the individual domain names. In fact, domain names are separated by host headers only. These two items are what make websites that are using VSH hard to find and index by search engines. Therefore, it is recommended that it is not used for an ecommerce solution at all. The concerning thing is that most providers will only promote their price, never to disclose what kind of hosting that it is.

Additional drawbacks of using a virtual shared hosting provider is that you can’t use email, ftp, or browse to the website, until the domain name has propagated at the registrar level, internet level, ISP level, and refreshed on each individual computer. In fact, this can delay usage of your website for up to 92 hours, if you have a brand new domain name.

When using a host that utilizes this technology, it is usually implemented on a very inexpensive Unix server, using the most inexpensive or even no-cost licensing models that have no support except for the open source community. This kind of environment, while great for development of a platform, still leaves more to be desired when searching for a fully supported web hosting package. Another item that is usually not included is web site statistics. In other words, you will not know who or how many people are visiting your website. These are just a few ideas of why not to use virtual shared hosting from other providers. VSH is the technology that allows for larger companies to offer web hosting for no cost. However, sometimes when looking for a solution to support your business, the value is also part of the cost where you don’t want to be sold short.

CrystalTech hasn’t been a virtual shared hosting provider since the beginning. We only believe in supporting a website to its fullest potential, for the last decade. Perhaps this is a big reason why we stand out against the competition. We can provide you with what you need now, and we also hope to be able to provide you with the serviced that you need as you and your business grow in the future. Check out all that we have to offer here at www.crystaltech.com and choose the right plan for you!