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Choose a hosting provider

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There are several aspects which should be considered when selecting a service host. Below is a general list, this [https://pad.riseup.net/p/rh_ispq document] gives detailed information on each area. eQualit.ie has developed a [https://wiki.deflect.ca/wiki/ISP_reviews review] of existing providers based on experiences with our Deflect network.
*Price - relative services offeredfor most groups the cost of the infrastructure will be a major determining factor. however, there are a large number of competitive offers and though this is an important factor it should be used as a boundary to decide what is available not as the sole reason to purchase a service.
*Reputation - are they well known, have they had security breaches or reports of poor support, do they adhere to certain principles inline with that of your organisation - such as data privacy or protection of human rights defenders.
*Specialisation - do they work in the field of human rights, software applications or general hosting
*Is mail provided- for many organisation it is not an option to run their own mail server, however, is they do not wish to sue a free service such as [riseup.net Riseup] or [gmail.com gmail], or if they wish to have domain specific email - such as info@mywebsite.org - then it is worth considering services that provide free email accounts.*Hardware specifications- does the server fits my needs? For most websites basic servers are enough but websites with high traffic can demand more stable or dedicated hardware.*Operating systems offered- different operating systems provide different functionality and integration with other applications. They also have different degrees of vulnerability and support.*Supported provided- this is an essential aspect when choosing a hosting company. It should also be considered in terms of language support, whether support is provided for software and/or hardware issues.
*Readily discusses your security concerns and which security features and processes they offer with their hosting.
*Provides the most recent stable versions of all server software.
It is quite important to consider the possibilities offered by your provider's control panel. If you need to write a support ticket everytime the server has to reboot, it wont be an efficient process, especially during a crises. Possible features to look out for include
* Automated operating system installs, this feature is hugely useful if it will be necessary to reinstall the operating system on your server. it avoids the need for dedicated time from one of your team members.* Server boot and reboot, when installing new applications or updating existing software components, or as a means to resolve an issue, the ability to remotely restart your server can be critical. This is dependent on the type of server you are using. * Remote console (sometimes known as KVM), this is invaluable in diagnosing issues with your server's physical hardware but equally is a necessity if you wish to perform full disk encryption as a password will have to be entered before the machine has full booted up.* Server and network statistics, this information helps you track your server and/or website giving you detailed information for debugging, tracking attacks or discovering who is visiting your site.
* Dynamic components (e.g. adding extra disk space, RAM without rebuilding the machine or having to order a new service)
* Server access (varies between SSH, SFTP or web based)