Looking for a good cheap host for our RoADAR group site. It's built using Wordpress which means it needs PHP and MySQL, and it also has a small forum, currently using phpBB.

That's not a lot to ask, but the one extra thing I'd like is an easy to manage mailing list or two for our not-very-computer-literate secretary to use to mail the group. This seems to make it a lot harder. Most people seem to want you to take out one of their business plans for that. I guess I could possibly get round this by installing a mailer like majordomo or similar but I'm concerned that might then invalidate the terms of my hosting if it didn't include that capability in the first place, simply not work, or just prove too difficult to use for the seccy.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Heart Internet's Home Pro hosting package should meet your requirements, and at a shade over £100 a year is pretty cheap. In my experience their customer service is sh*thot (as opposed to merely excellent), although I've not had any major problems with the hosting.

I've not tried using the mailing list functionality to know how hard it is to use, if you want me to check it out then just shout and I'll have a look.

Rob.

Try 1&1, also... I've had years of good service from them

Try 1&1, also... I've had years of good service from them

I've started off using 1&1...no problems with the hosting itself, but found the cancellation service to be a farce. Relies on sending faxes, and twice (out of a total of four times) I've had the situation where they've claimed not to have received them - they then automatically renewed my services.

Their customer service was then rather obtuse, sending out stock answers that bore no relation to what I was telling them, and when finally I managed to get in touch with someone who would actually listen they were remarkably unhelpful in finding a satisfactory resolution (ie. they couldn't explain why they didn't have the fax, they couldn't suggest an alternative (more reliable) way of cancelling services, and they couldn't provide a refund for the services I didn't want).

So personally, I wouldn't touch 'em...

Rob.

http://www.cyberprog.net/home.asp comes highly recommended from a lot of people I know.

PayAsYouHost - http://www.inuk.com/index.php

Rob, yes I saw that Heart include mailing lists in their Pro package, but really being a not for profit organisation I want to minimise our costs. We're not quite a charity but the next best thing. Paying a bit more than double the going rate for starter packages in order to get the mailing list functionality is probably not worth the candle tbh. Ironically the site is currently hosted by Heart, but it looks like they've gradually moved features out of their Starter package over the years, because it now no longer includes MySQL which is a prerequisite of using Wordpress, although the current account has it.

@Dr Zoidberg and No Waiting, thanks, I'll check out the two suggested.

I've started off using 1&1...no problems with the hosting itself, but found the cancellation service to be a farce. Relies on sending faxes, and twice (out of a total of four times) I've had the situation where they've claimed not to have received them - they then automatically renewed my services.Their customer service was then rather obtuse, sending out stock answers that bore no relation to what I was telling them, and when finally I managed to get in touch with someone who would actually listen they were remarkably unhelpful in finding a satisfactory resolution (ie. they couldn't explain why they didn't have the fax, they couldn't suggest an alternative (more reliable) way of cancelling services, and they couldn't provide a refund for the services I didn't want).So personally, I wouldn't touch 'em... :)Rob.

Did all my via the admin portal. No faxes required! I think the url was contract.oneandone.co.uk

Have your tried www.sitehq.co.uk Nick?

Did all my via the admin portal. No faxes required! I think the url was contract.oneandone.co.uk

Well, you'd hope they would have improved it since as the fax-based system didn't work!

Rob.

Rob, yes I saw that Heart include mailing lists in their Pro package, but really being a not for profit organisation I want to minimise our costs. We're not quite a charity but the next best thing. Paying a bit more than double the going rate for starter packages in order to get the mailing list functionality is probably not worth the candle tbh. Ironically the site is currently hosted by Heart, but it looks like they've gradually moved features out of their Starter package over the years, because it now no longer includes MySQL which is a prerequisite of using Wordpress, although the current account has it.

The Starter package now has mailing lists but not MySQL - you could buy a new Starter Package for the mailing list functionality and it would still work out cheaper than the Home Pro package...

Failing that, if the only thing your current package doesn't do is mailing lists but has both PHP and MySQL, you could use these to create a mailing list solution. You then don't have to mess about with installing "native" apps and potentially upsetting the hosting company, and you can have a nice friendly web-interface for the secretary to use...

Rob.

you can have a nice friendly web-interface for the secretary to use...

I think you're overestimating my PHP programming capabilities! although that had occurred to me. Our lists are likely to be small enough that a loop using mail() would probably work. I don't need automated subscribe/unsubscribe methods - everyone who is a group member with an email address is a mailing list member...

The existing package belongs to someone else and I found out last night that they got MySQL included after buying it (and not realising it wasn't included) and then threatening to leave. Obviously that isn't going to work for me.

Was introduced to http://www.3ix.org last night. Prices and value look unbelievable, but they don't tend to get good customer feedback. Don't suppose anyone here has tried them?

@gadgetman (sorry I always forget your first name) - will check them out.

you can have a nice friendly web-interface for the secretary to use...

I think you're overestimating my PHP programming capabilities! although that had occurred to me. Our lists are likely to be small enough that a loop using mail() would probably work. I don't need automated subscribe/unsubscribe methods - everyone who is a group member with an email address is a mailing list member...

The existing package belongs to someone else and I found out last night that they got MySQL included after buying it (and not realising it wasn't included) and then threatening to leave. Obviously that isn't going to work for me.

Was introduced to http://www.3ix.org last night. Prices and value look unbelievable, but they don't tend to get good customer feedback. Don't suppose anyone here has tried them?

@gadgetman (sorry I always forget your first name) - will check them out.

If they look unbelievable they probably are, overselling web hosting is a real problem imo.

I know some hosts have restrictions on the number of mails that can be sent per domain per hour, something to check before you choose. Also, you get what you pay for as with most things in life. No one can offer you unlimited bandwidth and unlimited storage for $2.95 a month, you will be restricted one way or another.

I have used hostgator.com for years, they openly admit to overselling and are very transparent with how you are restricted. Normally its the number of processes you can use on the server at any one time, the package i use is restricted to 25 which is more than enough for what i do with it. The other thing with hostgator is their support is fantastic tbh, i have always found them very helpful.

I use this company now: http://www.valcatohosting.com/

They provide brilliant online support 24/7 and I have never had an issues or problems with them.

I think you're overestimating my PHP programming capabilities! although that had occurred to me. Our lists are likely to be small enough that a loop using mail() would probably work. I don't need automated subscribe/unsubscribe methods - everyone who is a group member with an email address is a mailing list member...

Or, instead of a loop, you could set the recipient mail address as the same as the sender, then construct a BCC with everyone's address on it...just one call to the mail function then...

The existing package belongs to someone else and I found out last night that they got MySQL included after buying it (and not realising it wasn't included) and then threatening to leave. Obviously that isn't going to work for me.

Well, interestingly there doesn't appear to be any kind of segregation that restricts someone using the starter package from connecting to the database of someone using one of the higher packages, provided sufficient credentials are configured. Probably not something you'd want to be relying on though!

Rob.

Or, instead of a loop, you could set the recipient mail address as the same as the sender, then construct a BCC with everyone's address on it...just one call to the mail function then...

True, but they may have a restriction on the number of recipients per mail. We'd find a way, anyway.

Well, interestingly there doesn't appear to be any kind of segregation that restricts someone using the starter package from connecting to the database of someone using one of the higher packages, provided sufficient credentials are configured. Probably not something you'd want to be relying on though!

Rob.

Yep, although the reason for this move is that the person currently hosting it has indicated in a friendly manner that they might prefer us to pay for it now...