A reliable web host is as elusive as the Loch Ness monster. In the six years Montano Designs has been creating web site and had a web site of our own, we've been through 10 COUNT 'EM 10! web hosts. We started out with Go Daddy back when you got one of the owner's sons on the phone if you called tech support. Like so many business that grow too fast, their support suffered and we moved on.
We've tried most of the major web hosts and some little guys. Here's the problem: The big guys offer loads of data storage and bandwidth for a low, low price in a shared environment. They fill up their servers with some legitimate customers and a few rogues. These rogues do nasty things on their sites like spamming, flooding, and all sorts of things that bog down the server. All of the sudden your site gets slow and you don't know why.
The little guys have fewer clients and are more selective about whom they host which is good for you. However, they often have a "real" job and don't have the time it takes to block out hackers and attackers. I had creepy experience with one amateur web host. He made a slip in a conversation that let me know he was reading my emails. That just gave me the willies.
What's the solution? Do your homework! Find a web host that limits the number of sites on a server. They may charge you a higher fee, but it's worth not getting the headaches trying to repair or troubleshoot your site. Just like anything else in this world, you get what you pay for. Better web hosts are going to cost more money.
