New Actinic Solution Company

[globalmedia]

After what can only be described as a total disaster using Claranet we are looking to get a refund and move the domain. Can anyone recommend a company that they currently use that have no problems hosting Actinic.

Thanks

Julian Sharpe
www.globalmedia-webmarketing.com

[Mike Hughes]

I've been with 1and1 for a while now and am very happy with their web hosting.

I'm currently using their linux professional package which is about £20 per month and includes SSL.

Mike

[David@MPL]

We use the same 1&1 package and are also very pleased with it.

[Mark H]

1and1

I can recommend 1and1 as well - we are currently running on the £8.99 per month package and I suspect that the £4.99 per month package will now work as well since they have (I think) now included CGI - don't rely on me - check first - don't forget that you can always upgrade easily but not downgrade easily. They're also pretty good at getting the transfer from others hosts going. Two tips - in advanced network settings, use the following as the SMTP server:

auth.smtp.oneandone.co.uk

Not the one that 1and1 hand out which probably has 1 instead of one. Also, do not flag user name and password required in the same setting for email.
Also, DO NOT get the MS windows hosting - the last time I looked CGI wasn't supported and they couldn't move me back to Linux - hey that's three tips. Despite all of this they are very good and you can speak to a HUMAN.

[pinbrook]

and theres www.pinbrook.net

[globalmedia]

Thanks for the quick replies... looks like 1and1 is the winner thanks everyone

[Mark H]

Ssl

I've been with 1and1 for a while now and am very happy with their web hosting.

I'm currently using their linux professional package which is about £20 per month and includes SSL.

Mike

Forgive me for possibly muddying the waters with this thread, but I thought it might be helpful for the original question (and me!) - Olderscot - you are using the Professional 1&1 package with "Dedicated SSL certificate (QuickSSL Premium)" - one issue I have with my own system is that we use Securetrading to process credit cards which means that only the actual payment stage is secure (because it transefers to their servers) - I don't think that people actually really expect their non-payment details to be secure (ie address) but it would be nice to have the whole checkout secure - do you know if it is possible to make the Actinic checkout secure using your own SSL and combine this with a system such as Securetrading? Also, if it is possible, is it possible to make the Actinic part secure using a well known "system" such as Verisign?? Thank you in advance for your help.

[Highlander]

I would suggest you look at this thread http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=7709.

I have several sites at 1&1 - on Windows servers. They upgrade periodically without warning so scripts that used to work don't work on an upgrade. They are cheap and chearful - fine for hobby sites - but I simply don't trust them for business.

I started with Claranet and still have a site there - but that is down to shear lack of time to move.

I have several sites with Technoweb - who have been excellent.

Regards,

[Mike Hughes]

Yes,

Actinic can be set up so the whole website is secure or just the checkout stages (I have just the checkout stages on SSL). I do this using Secpay as my PSP and the transfer to their SSL payment server is clean with no warnings or worries whatsoever.

If you want to use a verisign SSL certificate, then that's fine. I believe you'll need a dedicated IP address then all you need to do is apply for the certificate, pay for it and off you go.

1and1 use GeoTrust certificates and the whole setup is straightforward (just remember to tick the 'www' box when you fill in the website name for the certificate) they do the rest for you. You also get a nice 'Secured by GeoTrust - click to verify' seal to put on your site.

Mike

[Mark H]

Ssl

Thanks guys

[Mark H]

1&1 - Search Engines

I've read the threads link suggested by Highlander, and a very interesting point is raised which is visibility in Google etc - I have a .com URL hosted with 1&1 (on servers in Germany according to some) which has just had a holding page on it for four months. A worldwide search in Google for the URL (without the .com) returns the site at number one, a UK search returns absolutely nothing - does this place a big questionmark over hosting a .com (as opposed to a .co.uk) aimed at the UK market with 1&1? Any thoughts? (and please resist the temptation to say "I told you so"!)

[Mike Hughes]

No question mark about it. If you want to appear in Google's 'only UK' results then the only proven and tested way is be hosted in the UK or have a .co.uk domain name.

As you say, 1and1's servers are in Germany so I wouldn't recommend them for anyone without a .co.uk domain. I did check the original posters website and saw that they also have .co.uk and .de domains so for them it shouldn't be an issue.

Mike

PS. Sorry if anyone's been mislead by this. I deliberately use .co.uk domains and often forget that .com's need to be more careful about where their site is hosted.

[Duncan Rounding]

I've registered both .com & .co.uk domains for domain names. I currently only use the .com ones and have a static link on the .co.uk ones.
I'm hosted with 1 and 1 also - my businesses are directed primarily at the UK & EU market. My .com sites only appear on Google.com - would I be better off using the .co.uk domain? Or should I use both of them pointing to the same root which might be considered spamming?

Duncan

[wjcampbe]

No doubt about it. With a target market of the UK and 1&1 hosting, the co.uk will get you better results in the uk search engines.

It would not be spamming to maintain an information site at the dot com and a shopping site at the co uk. Just so long as you have good cross links from the products to the relevant information and from the information to the products that both humans and spiders can follow.

It would be spamming if you copied large amounts of information and showed that information on both sites.

[party_pete]

It would be spamming if you copied large amounts of information and showed that information on both sites.

Just hijacking this thread slightly, but..........I opened a second actinic ecommerce site under a completely different .co.uk domain but I copied all the products/descriptions from one to another. Will I be affected by the above quote?