[lug] OT: Creating my own website & domain name

[Jeff Schroeder]

John:

> I've had my own personal websites before, usually something like
> www.attbi.com/~user52, but I'd like to get my own domain name. 
> Problem is, I've heard a lot of horror stories about people who paid
> way too much to register, then found out they could only put up three
> pages, and couldn't transfer the domain to another web-hosting
> company.  And there are so many companies to choose from!  I don't
> need any fancy features, just a few megs of space where I could put
> up my main page with maybe a dozen sub-pages.

A domain registrar I've used many times is ENameCo 
(http://www.enameco.com).  Their site is a little cheesy, but I've 
never had any problem with setup or maintenance, and the one time I 
called tech support I got a quick, professional response.

That being said, there are a handful of registrars out there who'll 
register your domain for about $17/year.  I'd discourage you from using 
Network Solutions (the former monopoly on domain registration) because 
they're twice as expensive and their interface and process is, IMHO, 
terrible.

As far as hosting, there are dozens of places who will host your domain 
very cheaply.  One I've used in the past is Hurricane Electric 
(http://www.he.net).  Last I checked, you can pay $10/month for web, 
FTP, e-mail, database, etc.  They're very professional and have a lot 
of happy clients.

I'd suggest you shop around for hosting; you're sure to find a good 
deal.  And don't sweat it if a company won't do both domain 
registration AND hosting for you; doing it piecemeal will probably save 
you money.

HTH,
Jeff