Looking for a new Windows host

[Shoxt3r]

Hi all,

For reasons I won't go into I'm currently looking at getting a new website host.
My budget is around £10 a month for Windows Hosting since current projects and future developments are going to involve ASP and ASP.Net, MYSQL etc, I require a set of included MYSQL databases if possible (my current host charges around £25 per annum for each database!) and ideally I'm looking for unlimited bandwidth and unlimited webspace.

I've come across a few deals on various sites which offer a few MYSQL databases within the price which is ideal, as well as unlimited bandwidth and webspace but I have the following predicament....

My main question is how I go about hosting multiple sites so that I have files and folders related to each? In the past I have had to store my folders under one domain and then point another domain to that folder if I want to separate projects, but the folder path isn't masked so that it appears to be under the new domain.

For example, I could have the folder mrbloggs under my main domain www.shoxt3r.com. However, when I have registered the domain www.joebloggs.co.uk with my current package I have no option but to point it to www.shoxt3r.com/joebloggs instead of having www.joebloggs.co.uk/joebloggs. So, when a user types in "www.joebloggs.co.uk" it gets redirected to www.shoxt3r.com/joebloggs. How do I get around this without having to have separate hosting packages for each project? I'm sorry if this isn't explained very well or it is just a "noobish" question but I'm not quite sure how else to put it!

Thanks for the help guys! Ideally I'm looking to upgrade in the next few days as renewal time is looming so sooner the better!

Cheers,

Shoxt3r

[logic_earth]

Windows Azure Web sites? http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pr...ils/web-sites/

Can use MySQL or MS SQL or both. Azure sites also work form a single storage pool thus no need for masking.

[dklynn]

shox,

When you add an "AddOn" domain, it does go to a subdirectory of the master account BUT you can address the subdirectory/subdomain in its own right. The following are synonymous:

http://example.com/subdirectory
http://subdirectory.example.com
http://subdirectory.com

If you don't want the main domain to "capture" your subdirectory links, simply use some mod_rewrite code to force the URL to change to whichever version you want visitors to see (the last one listed above, I believe).

Regards,

DK

[Shoxt3r]

shox,

When you add an "AddOn" domain, it does go to a subdirectory of the master account BUT you can address the subdirectory/subdomain in its own right. The following are synonymous:

http://example.com/subdirectory
http://subdirectory.example.com
http://subdirectory.com

If you don't want the main domain to "capture" your subdirectory links, simply use some mod_rewrite code to force the URL to change to whichever version you want visitors to see (the last one listed above, I believe).

Regards,

DK

Cool! Thanks for clarifying dklynn! Do you know which hosts are more flexible with using mod_rewrite code as I have had problems in the past with hosts not allowing this modification?

[logic_earth]

You won't have mod_rewite, you will need the equivalent for IIS. That can vary depending on the version, IIS 6 and below, lots of third-parties out there. IIS 7 and above: http://www.iis.net/downloads/microsoft/url-rewrite

Getting a Windows Server running 2008+ and IIS 7+ is ideal.

[Shoxt3r]

Ah I see. So really my only option if I want to configure domains is to go down the server-space route? Hmm £10 a month for Windows server hosting this doesn't seem very possible at the moment The alternative being to make new accounts for each project....

[logic_earth]

$10/month for any hosting is bottom of the barrel. Optimistic stuff. But the Windows Azure Websites is around $15/m depending on what you use. With the ability to run 10+ individual sites (aka., domains).

[LiquidwebBret]

I see you're using MySQL. The only reason you'd be tied to Windows servers is the ASP.net
When I see people on Windows servers they are usually using MS-SQL with ASP and perhaps IIS.

The only reason I ask is that if you could change from using ASP.net you could move into linux. Which has a much lower overhead.
However if you are locked into using ASP.net then going with Azure would be your safest choice by far.