[ast3r3x]

Ok, so you've all helped me choose an email server (myrealbox.com) which I love. Well maybe not love, but I'm very happy with it at least.

So now you get to tell me which FREE web host I get to go with. I was hoping for add free, but I need the ability for PHP, and possibly databasing...or at least access to my computer which will be hosting the DB. I might keep hosting off of my computer, but I fear it will be too slow, even with the few (under 50) people that will be using it.

Will hosting the pages (HTML/PHP) somewhere else and just accessing the DB off of my computer speed it up at all or slow it down?

[Joelika]

I don't know of any free hosting plan that will give you php (I remember when getting a free plan with CGI was the coolest!), but I will give a little plug for Netfirms. They've always been good to me, and for 5 bucks a month, it is a pretty good deal. You will get PHP, SSI as well as 250 MB of disk space and 5 GB transfer (Plus more, but I'll let their website do the talking since I am lazy www.netfirms.com ).

If you host the DB off your home machine I am pretty sure it will slow down access time unless you are hooked up to some really fast connection. Whether or not it will be tolerable will be depend on how much data you are passing back and forth (and on your ISP and other factors as well).

I would think a greater concern would be if you lost power or you needed to restart your machine for some purpose; if someone tried to access the DB they would be left out in the cold. If I was you, I would try to get everything on the one hosting plan and not worry about it on my own machine. Then if it doesn't work, you always have someone else to blame

[SilentEchoes]

ahem. Hostultra.com supports PHP.. I thought I gave you that link once before Ast3r3x? Also there used to be a site called ish.biz that was free, it would give you SQL support along with your PHP, as in my case PHP with out sql is about useless. Its a shame ish.biz has long since went away. I just decided to setup my own home server after a while.

[ast3r3x]

I used to use hostultra, but one, I didn't remember that it did mysql, and TWO, I believe that it started doing an advertisement of porn.

[SilentEchoes]

I believe that it started doing an advertisement of porn.

Ah, Yeah I never used hostultra, I just knew it existed. I guess they doesnt really surprise me though, they gave you a LOT of stuff for free. Unlimited HD space and Unlimited Bandwidth namely.