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Thank you for expressing interest in StarNet's hosting services.
There are a variety of items to look for when purchasing web hosting. Below
are some of these items, as well as descriptions of how StarNet meets these needs.
Hardware. This item is literally the computer that serves your web page
to web surfers around the world. It is as important that the computer be
fast as it is that the computer is properly "loaded." It is far better to
have a slower machine serving fewer web pages, than to have a faster machine
serving too many web pages.
StarNet uses a dedicated Sun Ultra-2 web server for our virtual web sites.
This machine is not only fast, but is running at a fraction of it's total
capacity. Our main home page is served off of a different machine, as are
our e-commerce sites, allowing our virtual web server to refrain from being
over-utilized. Our virtual web server is less likely to experience "down
time" where your site is not available to web surfers. These reasons alone
make our virtual web server among the best performing you'll find on the internet.
Bandwidth. This is the "pipe" to the Internet that connects your web
site to the rest of the world. It is a measure of how much information can
be sent and received in a given time period. Larger amounts of bandwidth
mean faster connections for your customers. However, it is important to not
only look at the total bandwidth available, but utilization and redundancy
as well.
StarNet has a total of 16 megabits of available bandwidth. For comparison,
the popular "T1" line has 1.5 megabits of bandwidth. This 16 megabits of
bandwidth is split between two "backbone" providers. Data is sent to and
from our site down whichever pipe is faster. If one source were to fail for
any reason, the other would take over its role. Lastly, StarNet is using
but a fraction of our current bandwidth on each of our two pipes. Again, we
spare no expense to provide the best connection possible.
Support systems. Any Internet service needs to have a host of backup
systems, including such things as UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
systems, appropriately utilized networking components, and dedicated 24 hour
taffing.
StarNet equipment is contained in a Halon-protected computer room. In the
event of a fire, non-corrosive gas extinguishes the flame, thus protecting
the equipment from damage. Our UPS system keeps our systems operational
during periods of blackout. Our networking components are robust and
operate, again, at a fraction of their capacity. Lastly, we have a staff of
highly trained professionals on call 24 hours a day. Systems are monitored
constantly and in the event of outage, the staff is notified via
alphanumeric pager. Detailed statistics can be found at
http://mrtg.azstarnet.com.
Services. Hosting should be more than a house for your web site.
You will want services such as statistics, setup assistance, and tools to
round out the package. StarNet delivers a comprehensive graphical
statistics package, which helps you chart your online growth. We generate
statistics nightly and provide you with a separate username and password,
allowing access to the statistics to be separate from the ability to update
the web page. The statistics are run on a separate machine from your web
site, making sure that valuable resources are not directed away from serving
your web pages. We do all the back-end setup for you and can assist in the
posting of your first web page. Lastly, we have a full suite of tools for
use in your web page, allowing you to integrate such things as custom
response forms into your online presence.
Our commitment to quality has allowed us to be the largest independently
owned ISP in southern Arizona. Over 12 thousand paying customers agree
we're the tops in the ISP business and hundreds of satisfied customers trust
their virtual web sites to us. Our business plan is simple, to "wire the community."
As a part of that community, your success is our success.
Thank You.
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