What's to Choose From?

On this page i am going to run through some of the software, hosting and security packages out there, tell you which one's i use and prefer and the reasons why. Ill also tell you why you may find some of the other software and hosting packages more to you liking.

Domains & Hosting as One.

Usually i would recommend buying your hosting and domain from the same company therefore making it easier for you to get going once your site is ready to be uploaded to the web. For the site's i have built i have varied which companies i used to test the quality and depending on the needs of the site. For smaller site's like your local football team etc, Streamline.net offers good value packages within a tight budget and a well recommended company. Streamline offers a cheap reliable and easy to use service but if you require a higher specification than the power usage package they offer i would suggest looking at what hostmonster or Ipower has to offer, they have higher packages for a slightly higher fee. If you planning to create a site for say a game clan expecting a lot of traffic then hostmonster is a good place to look. If its professional hosting for your business you looking for, because you need masses of web space and bandwidth then as well as there standard user packages they have, of a very good specification Ipower hosting offers the best deals for your up and coming business.

 

Are you Really Secure?

On the Security page i mention which sort of software you might be looking for and what you can probably get away with having depending on your usage. Everyone should have at least a firewall and anti-virus software probably the most essential bits of software you will ever install on your computer to help you be more secure online and in the long run prevent damage to your computer. Two leading brands in the security business that both offer top of the range firewall's and online security are Symantec and Nod32. I personally use Norton anti-virus and norton internet security both owned by Symantec, simply for the ease of use and the wide tech support available online because of the vast amount of people using this software. Norton 360 all in one security has the anti-virus and the internet security combined plus many extra features like automatic back-up in case of critical loss and pc tune up to keep your computer running at maximum performance. Nod32 is a very respectable company and i know a lot of people who believe Nod32 is more secure then norton. If you know anyone who is using this software then ask them for there opinions and check out both companies web pages, i am sure you can't go far wrong by purchasing from these leading brands.

 

Spyware and Adware.

Spyware and Adware are terms used online describing annoying programs we see every day. If you start seeing advertisements popping up on your desk top and your computer generally running slow, these are all signs of spyware and adware. Luckily they are usually very easily to remove so here are a list of some you may consider, they all pretty much do the same job.

 

Just Keeps Popping Up.

If you browse the internet frequently to all kinds of different site's then you will have come across pop-up's they are usually used for marketing purpose's, a bit of an in your face advert. For the most of us though this is just annoying and so pop-up blockers are needed. There are good free pop up blockers out there like Google tool bar which just install straight into your browser. If your looking for a more heavy weight pop up blocker then StopZilla is probably what you need its been around for a while and has a good reputation.