Web host of the week.
Discussion
Since the Internet started to be a thing, we've been through a few web hosts. I suspect half of them are not around anymore. Freeparking and Ghoulnet anyone?
Anyway, on the back of rave reviews we moved some domains to TSOhost, who started out okay but now have become absolutely rubbish. I am no techy, but I think anything Microsoft tries to block email traffic from them due to the volume - potentially the volume of dross.
So we are looking around again.
In the first instance, we will just register a couple of domains and forward the mail to our default BT address. If it all goes well, we'll move our other domains in and possibly do something as racy as hosting a website there. Yes, I know, we are cutting edge at Balfour Industries.
Anyway, last time I asked this question Ionos came recommended. Are they still OK?
Anyway, on the back of rave reviews we moved some domains to TSOhost, who started out okay but now have become absolutely rubbish. I am no techy, but I think anything Microsoft tries to block email traffic from them due to the volume - potentially the volume of dross.
So we are looking around again.
In the first instance, we will just register a couple of domains and forward the mail to our default BT address. If it all goes well, we'll move our other domains in and possibly do something as racy as hosting a website there. Yes, I know, we are cutting edge at Balfour Industries.
Anyway, last time I asked this question Ionos came recommended. Are they still OK?
I moved from TSO to Krystal last year and find them excellent. There are a few slightly cheaper options out there but they’ve set their stall out that they aren’t planning on selling up so I went with them in the hope they hold on longer than most before being swallowed up (like TSO was!)
CrouchingWayne said:
I moved from TSO to Krystal last year and find them excellent. There are a few slightly cheaper options out there but they’ve set their stall out that they aren’t planning on selling up so I went with them in the hope they hold on longer than most before being swallowed up (like TSO was!)
Wherever I go I am thinking of doing it gradually, register the new domains and start handing out email addresses based upon them. Then when those email addresses have mostly been adopted by our important contacts make the switch entirely.Been with https://nearlyfreespeech.net/ for nearly 18 years. Bare-bones compared to many hosts, and with a completely different (fully transparent) pricing model to most, but backed with superb support and reliability. Can only recommend them.
Louis Balfour said:
Wherever I go I am thinking of doing it gradually, register the new domains and start handing out email addresses based upon them. Then when those email addresses have mostly been adopted by our important contacts make the switch entirely.
Are you keeping your existing domain? If so you don’t have to use new email addresses you can keep your existing ones. Apologies if I’m picked this up wrong from the post!loudlashadjuster said:
Been with https://nearlyfreespeech.net/ for nearly 18 years. Bare-bones compared to many hosts, and with a completely different (fully transparent) pricing model to most, but backed with superb support and reliability. Can only recommend them.
This looks really good value, thanks for sharing. With web hosts I think recommendations are so crucial given it’s a bit of a snake pit out there. Looks like a hidden gem!CrouchingWayne said:
Louis Balfour said:
Wherever I go I am thinking of doing it gradually, register the new domains and start handing out email addresses based upon them. Then when those email addresses have mostly been adopted by our important contacts make the switch entirely.
Are you keeping your existing domain? If so you don’t have to use new email addresses you can keep your existing ones. Apologies if I’m picked this up wrong from the post!Two are company names, two are my surname.co.uk and mysurname.com
We are rationalising our businesses such that they will all have the same brand. The two new domains we are registering are the newbrandname.co.uk and newbrandname.com
After a few years of people becoming used to newbrandname.com email address we will bin the two old company domains.
So the answer to your question is "yes and no".
Bikerjon said:
This seems more about email hosting than website hosting? If so then Google Workspace or Office 365. All the hosting companies offer basic email, but they can't compete with these two.
We have BT broadband and a crappy email address supplied by BT - ourbusiness@btconnect.comHowever last time I looked at moving domains into BT is was a huge sum.
dmsims said:
Louis Balfour said:
However last time I looked at moving domains into BT is was a huge sum.
Can you expalin what you are trying to do?So if it were possible for BT to host our domains, give us email and space for a modest website we would move to them, but as I said the last time I asked it was ridiculous money.
To summarise, we want our 6 domains hosted. One or maybe two of them will have a basic website attached - basically an online brochure. We want all of this with a company that doesn't keep losing email.
dmsims said:
Right understood
Krystal for you then
Why the rebrand? You could lose a lot of search "goodwill" for want of a better word! (if that's important to you)
Thank you.Krystal for you then
Why the rebrand? You could lose a lot of search "goodwill" for want of a better word! (if that's important to you)
The rebrand? Because we are changing the activity of one business (which has one name) and increasing the level of activity of a second (which has a completely different and not brilliant name). We have a third which has a good name, so we are going to re-brand the first two to go with that.
No one is vaguely aware of the proper names of our businesses, I don't think, so no goodwill be lost.
Louis Balfour said:
As I understand it, BT uses Microsoft for stuff. When we have previously had problems with web / email hosts the BT email address has always worked. I don't recall the last time that BT's email didn't work or they lost our mail.
So if it were possible for BT to host our domains, give us email and space for a modest website we would move to them, but as I said the last time I asked it was ridiculous money.
To summarise, we want our 6 domains hosted. One or maybe two of them will have a basic website attached - basically an online brochure. We want all of this with a company that doesn't keep losing email.
The problem you have likely had with TSOHost is that their shared servers have been blacklisted by virtually every major email provider. This is why I moved everything away. So if it were possible for BT to host our domains, give us email and space for a modest website we would move to them, but as I said the last time I asked it was ridiculous money.
To summarise, we want our 6 domains hosted. One or maybe two of them will have a basic website attached - basically an online brochure. We want all of this with a company that doesn't keep losing email.
I would recommend hosting the domains themselves with Google Domains. I'm currently using Siteground for hosting some Wordpress sites, seems good so far but then so did TSOHost several years ago, and so was Register1 before Jamie sold it.
Moving things to BT won't help you with email deliverability.
Email deliverability to Microsoft hosted domains is a huge problem.
I have hosted my own mail server for 16+ years (same domain) and I can send email to practically any domain except Microsoft who insist on putting every single one of my emails into the users junk folder.
I am using correctly configured DKIM / DMARC / TLS / SPF with correct RNDS records etc. etc.
My IP is not blacklisted anywhere.
I have even tried relaying via Amazon's services to no avail.
I do wonder how many people using Microsoft hosting for their domains realise how much email they might not be seeing, as it would appear many people don't bother checking their junk folders...
I have hosted my own mail server for 16+ years (same domain) and I can send email to practically any domain except Microsoft who insist on putting every single one of my emails into the users junk folder.
I am using correctly configured DKIM / DMARC / TLS / SPF with correct RNDS records etc. etc.
My IP is not blacklisted anywhere.
I have even tried relaying via Amazon's services to no avail.
I do wonder how many people using Microsoft hosting for their domains realise how much email they might not be seeing, as it would appear many people don't bother checking their junk folders...
Louis Balfour said:
Okay, stupid question incoming:
I've registered two domains with Krystal but don't need to host a site just yet. Is there any way of using the domains for email without paying for a hosting package?
You could use Google for your email. I'm not sure how many domains you get with the free package though.I've registered two domains with Krystal but don't need to host a site just yet. Is there any way of using the domains for email without paying for a hosting package?
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