Here is a little advice.  Web hosts don’t like it when you upload 5GB worth of personal backups on your web site hosting account.  Caught the discussion on this in a couple of places so thought I might weigh in from the web host’s side of things.

Now why shouldn’t you use your web hosting disk space to backup your personal documents and files?  It is your space, right?  Well yes and no.  You see, uploading or downloading large chunks of data to and from your hosting account can often cause the server in question to go a little, how do you say, bonkers?  You have time out issues, connection problems, server resources and a whole truckload of things to worry about.  Not to mention there is no real security there (unless you put it there yourself, and do you trust yourself with being your own security expert?). If these documents are important put them in the hands of somebody who will guarantee you’ll get them backed up right and backed up securely.

If I haven’t won you over yet - I am about to.  There are already services out there that specialize in this type of Online storage.  Web hosting in the traditional sense, from places like BlueFur, Lunarpages or the like are for web sites, scripts and things of that nature.  For personal backup and storage I could recommend going to a place like Amazon S3, Carbonite or Mozy.

I was starting to use Carbonite myself before my PC melted, and from what I saw I liked it a lot.  Definitely better than trying to FTP everything I have up to a web hosting account.

The thing to remember here is to always read your terms of service and acceptable use policy.  Web hosts often spell out what you can and can not do with that hosting account you bought from them in black and white.

You did backup before you listened to (and/or read) this, right? One company that has made a name out of keeping you from having to think such thoughts is R1Soft. On today’s show I got the chance to talk with Mario Rodriguez of R1Soft to talk about why and how they do it the best.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 139!
Running Time: 13 minutes | File Size: 5.57 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• Why you should be using R1Soft for your server backups!
• Who is DJ Netizen and what does he have to do with Mario?
• How Personal and Work Lives in Hosting Merge Together
• What does a “server backup” company really do?

My interview with Mario might be on the list of my top ten favorite interviews I have done in the nearly three years I’ve been producing this podcast. Loads of fun as well as lots of good information to be had.

Believe it or not, I have stumbled across yet another great tool to get your cPanel controlled web site backed up to your own personal computer. Site Backup CP is the newest edition to the line up and it like others has a lot of great things to love about it.

Like the others that have come before it here on the show, it gives you an easy to master interface to get your files and databases backed up from your web hosting server to your own personal computer. Give it your login information, your database names and you are all set.

It does include a scheduling feature too, so you can set it up to backup at whatever time is best for you. What does the price tag say? It is a Windows only program (runs great on Vista) - and will cost you a one time fee of $ 29.95. Not a bad price to pay for peace of mind.

Do you go by the beat of your own drum or do you let the masses tell you how to do you bidding?

When running any Online business the public voice is one you need to tune into but when does tuning into the voice turn into the angry mob with pitchforks running your business for you? That topic and loads more on this episode of the Web Hosting Show.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 132!
Running Time: 12 minutes | File Size: 5.53 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• Another cPanel Backup Tool Review - Site Backup CP!
• Web Hosts, Should You Be Listening to the Angry Mob of Customers?
• Best Blogging Scripts this Side of the Hosting River!
• A New Hosting News and Resource Link Suggestion!
• Tease on My Article in the Next Edition of Ping! Zine?
• Better Tools and Tips for Quick Responses!

Your favorite podcast on and about web hosting is back in the saddle ready ride that open range of the world wide web all over again with each and every one of you.

After doing my review of CP Site Saver I got a comment from my buddy Gary from BlueFur talking about his own site backup solution, ResellerBackup.com. I told him to send me over a copy and I’d take a look - and I do have to say you can color me impressed. They provide several services and tools to choose from:

File Backup Tool | MySQL Backup Tool | Uptime Monitor Tool | Site Copy Tool

The names pretty much describe the services they proform, so don’t think there is much use in getting into too much detail there. I looked at the file backup tool for my review and it passed all my personal tests. Read more »

This is your episode people! I have taken some of your questions that you have had to ask me and turn them back around at you to make a podcast well worth listening to if you want to know more about the web hosting world.

Download the Web Hosting Show, Episode 131!
Running Time: 17 minutes | File Size: 7.53 MB

Here are just a few topics from this week’s episode of the Web Hosting Show.

• ResellerBackup.com - Another Good Site Backup Tool?
• GoDaddy is Helping Protect the Little Ones (no, not midgets)
• What is the Best Solution for Multiple Web Site Hosting?
• How do you Activate Hotlink Protection via cPanel?
• Thinking Outside the Box - Twitter for Tech Support!

Some people have asked me, why do the audio version of this show if you release all your show notes for people to read? Well - I don’t like to leave anybody out in the dark but starting today that will change a little. See if you can spot the audio only parts of the show that you can only get by downloading this week’s podcast by MP3.

I have touched on the topic of backing up your web site time and time again. With each article or podcasts I always seem to get the same remark.

“Well, thats great - now can you make it easy?”

For a long time I’d say no. Making it easy means doing something such as cron jobs and scheduling and a lot of other things that regular people don’t want to take the time to do. Now my new solution for the easy way out it going to be…

“Go buy CP Site Saver, it is reeking of awesomeness!”

CP Site Saver is the first tool for backing up your cPanel powered web sites that I have seen that actually works. No need for filling in confusing settings and geeky details. The whole process takes a matter of minutes and then your good to go.

The interface is simple, you just tell it your hosting login information and database details and then hit the backup button. The quickness and simplistics of it all are really amazing. My beef with many programs like this is there are 200 boxes you must fill in and keep updated. CP Site Saver just get the basics and lets you relax while it does the hard work.

When your all done, you’ll also be able to unzip you backup and have a look through it. What does CP Site Saver need? Well, it might be more of a flaw in cPanel rather than their product but I would really like to be able to say, I want to backup everything but that one folder. Also I wish there was a better control on having it startup with your computer (give me a yes/no box on that choice). Those are the only “nit-picky” issue I could find though.

Now there is a price tag on all this bliss, but $49.95 isn’t asking too much when you consider the time you will be saving.

Download the free 10 day trial and give it a shot. The trial will only allow you to work with one web site and one database backup. That should be enough to sell you though on this awesome service.