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Web Hosting

The web hosting in Ireland is really strange. The prices vary so much that if you do not shop around you have a chance to pay more than double for the same service.

Imagine that you want to write a blog like this one (wwwJobsBlog.ie). Who would you choose for web hosting it from the Irish web hosting companies.

The requirements are very simple. You need a Linux hosting with the Php and MySql support, and the ability to install WordPress. If you need to upload it with FTP it is OK, but if it is available in their control panel, that is a definite plus.

Irish Web Hosting companies consist of those who:
1. have their own data centres and their servers in them:
1.1 Hosting365.ie
1.1 Digiweb.ie
2. have servers in someone else’s data centre
2.1 Blacknight.ie – servers in www.dataelectronics.ie
2.2 Novara.ie – servers in www.servecentric.com
2.3 IrishDomains.com – servers in www.dataelectronics.ie
3. reselling the space on someone else’s server. That is usually your local web designer.

So here goes the pricing for hosting the WordPress package:

Hosting Company	TOTAL	Hosting/year	.ie domain/year
Hosting365	€65.90	€39.95	€25.95
Digiweb.ie	€69.18	€39.19	€29.99
Blacknight.ie	€77.99	€42.99	€35.00
HistingIreland.ie	€140.00	€70.00	€70.00
Novara.ie – Host.ie	€168.00	€99.00	€69.00
IrishDomains.com	€218.00	€149.00	€69.00

All the prices above are from the web sites that the links are provided in this article. All the prices listed do not include Irish VAT of 21%.

The cheapest package is from Hosting365 the total is €65.90 (+VAT) The most expensive one covered in this report is the offer from the IrishDomains.com that is: €218. Therefore the difference in the price of web hosting in Ireland can be more than three times. The suggestion is to shop around while you are choosing your web hosting provider.

Support is the other important web hosting issue besides the price. Here is the checklist:
1. if there is a phone support number on the web site
2. if the phone support is included in your package
3. is the phone support number a free 1800 number
4. is the phone support the 1890 and it states that it is a local call price number
5. call the support on the phone and see how long will it take to get to a person
6. ask a question to see if a support person understands you and is showing a willingness and knowledge to really provide support.

22 hours

22 hours ago I decided I will start a blog. This is my first post.

I just want to document what is needed to start blogging:

Name: JobsBlog.ie
I spent some time thinking about a name, and since this is a blog about jobs, I decided to call it simply JobsBlog.ie.

Domain name: JobsBlog.ie
DomainRegistry.ie are the people to talk to about getting the domain name registered in Ireland. There are a lot of options to choose from, and people there are friendly and will explain to you what are your options, and how to go about them.

Blog Engine: WordPress.org
Why did I choose WordPress.org? Simply because it seems to be the most used. Free to use, and a lot of customisations available.

Hosting: Blacknight.ie
I visited web sites of the three most known (to me) web hosting companies to compare packages and prices. Hosting365 seamed expensive, Digiweb.ie would not install WordPress.org for you, and the pricing was a bit complex. Blacknight.ie had a Blog Hosting package offer on their front page. Transparent pricing, ordered via the web site yesterday late in the evening.

So in 22 hours what had happened exactly?
I made an order on Blacknight.ie in the late evening, called them today at 10AM to ask what is the next step, they asked for the credit card details, and I pad over the phone. They processed the order and requested the documentation regarding the Irish domain registration. I faxed it to them, they have sent it to the IEDR.ie, some 2 hours later an email from IEDR came to inform me that my request for the domain name JobsBlog.ie has been approved. In the next refresh of the DNS (noon and 5 PM Monday to Friday) my web site www.JobsBlog.ie is alive and well on the Internet!

It took me some time to install WordPress.org myself – via the interface provided by the Admin panel from Blacknight.ie. I did have to uninstall it, delete the database, install again, and repeat it for a few times to get it done right. It took 15 minutes only really. It’s all clicking on the buttons called Install and Uninstall really.

Anyway, 22 hours after I got an idea about the blog – here it is! And my first post on it!

22 hours is all it takes to set up a blog and start blogging. You only really need to do the steps above, and it’s all it takes!