For online presence, a website needs a way of connecting to the World Wide Web. This is where web hosting comes in. It forms the connection between the web and the website, making it available to anyone who wants to visit it. In the case of an online store, it ensures visibility and, with that, the chance to make sales.

The number of companies providing web hosting has grown considerably in recent years; they all offer the same basic hosting service with their free accounts, but features vary so time needs to be taken when choosing which one to go for.

100WebSpace

100WebSpace was created to meet the web hosting requirements of users who need a Linux web hosting service. It provides free and low-priced shared hosting plans as well as dedicated server solutions, domain name registration, and transfer. Each shared plan has integrated domain and email managers in a purpose-built Control Panel. Users get automated installations of WordPress, osCommerce, Joomla, phpBB2, and other PHP scripts. Free templates come as part of the 100WebSpace package.

Features of the 100WebSpace free account

 

Connectivity and backup:

Secured data storage

Stable Linux with Apache

2.5 Gbits network connectivity

UPS and diesel backup generator

The free account offered by 100WebSpace comes with a range of features:

100 MB (megabyte) of data storage, and data transfer of 3,000MB. 1 hosted domain, free set-up, and Elefante Free Scripts Installer. Customer support is available 24/7, along with extensive online documentation, and an integrated ticketing system; support response time with the free account is six hours.

Users also get one hosted domain, ten sub-domains, Custom MX and A records, and a feature-rich domain manager. Front page extensions support is also included.

The email features provided consist of three Pop3 email accounts, three email aliases, email filters, anti-virus protection, Web email, catch-all emails., and Advanced Email Manager.

Scripting and databases include one MySQL database, MySQL database storage of 5MB, php MyAdmin, CGI-BIN/Perl, PHP support, FrontPageExtensions, and more than 3,400 Perl modules.

The site management tools provided comprise Hepsia Control Panel, one FTP account, Web-based file manager, Custom ERROR 404 page, and password-protected directories.

Additional features with the free account include instant account activation, SSI (Server Side Includes) support, traffic stats (WebAlizer), and detailed bandwidth stats.

Of course, the user needs to be aware that the free account is not ad-free.

If the user wants a domain, the domain registration transfer fee is $10.

Several paid-for accounts are provided by 100WebSpace, and there is an almost-free (at $0.99 per month) option, the Bannerless plan, which provides most of the features included in the free plan, with some enhancements, but without advertisements.

 

Customer Support

 

100 WebSpace provides a comprehensive level of customer support, 24/7. Their technical support can be contacted in various ways – via the web hosting control Panel for context help, with easy-to-understand explanations on every page of the Control Panel. Clicking on the ‘Help’ link produces a drop-down menu with more useful information about specific areas.

 

More than forty video tutorials are available which will help users to familiarise themselves with the Control Panel.

 

100WebSpace provide a Help Center based on searching by keyword, and a FAQs information database which they boast is more advanced than other web hosting services provide. TheHelpCenter is kept fully up to date.

 

Another option for Customer Support is the Ticketing System; users can open a ticket via the Request Help link, and 100WebSpace promise that every ticket is responded to within one hour of opening.

 

A Support Forum is also available, and users can access it to ask questions which will be answered by technicians; the forum can also be used for contacting other users with ideas about the service, and to keep in touch with others who host their websites with 100WebSpace.

 

The final option for assistance is telephone support. Initially, this will only be available for enquiries about dedicated and semi-dedicated accounts but, once a dedicated hosting plan is purchased, a user will have 24/7 telephone support.

 

Conclusion

100WebSpace’s free account comes with many features, some of which have free demo videos to enable users to learn more about them.

The customer support system is fairly good for a free account, especially as 100WebSpace have even included an estimated response time for queries. Some users might think that even the six hours quoted is too long, but at least will give them idea of how long they will have to wait before they get a result, or before they can re-submit the same request.  It has to be better than waiting indefinitely for an answer.

The 100WebSpace website has a lot of information to get through, but it is very detailed, and there are lots of tabs and links making it easy for the user to find what he wants.

All in all, for a free web hosting account, 100WebSpace is one of the better ones available today.