Need a cheap reliable web host? Look no further than these guys... (catalyst2.com)

Member Name: stuff10

Product:	catalyst2.com
Date:	10/09/09 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, reliable, excellent customer service

Disadvantages: Expensive for domain names!

Catalyst2 are a UK-based web hosting company who I've been using for a number of years.

For anyone not familiar with the term "web hosting" it's the computer that's permanently connected to the Internet, where your websites files (documents and images) are stored.

There's loads of hosting companies that you could go with, all of which offer similar sorts of products, but what makes Catalyst2 stand out for me are their excellent prices and fantastic customer service.

A single hosting account can cost from as little as £11.99 per year (+ VAT) if it's hosted on a Linux server. The hosting includes pretty much everything you'd expect: PHP support, a MySQL database, phpMyAdmin, POP3 email. For me, this represents excellent value and I have at least 3 domains whose hosting is currently with them. You are limited to 250mb disk space and only 2gb of monthly bandwidth, but this should be enough for most small sites.

For bigger fish, Catalyst2 offer reseller packages (enabling you to host multiple sites on one server and sell the hosting off as your own). These packages start from a very reasonable £25 per month, or £250 per year if you pay up-front. These are pretty attractive prices and could see you turnover a small fortune if you've got enough clients for a server.

From what I can gather Catalyst2 are only a relatively small company, but if I ever need to contact their support department, I often get a clear straight-forward answer in a matter of minutes - and for me you can't really ask for more than that!

The website's design makes it easy to see what's on offer and a chat facility allows you to speak to a staff member should have any questions.

Ordering your web hosting couldn't really be easier either... Simply select your package (oo err) and click the Order Now button. You'll be guided through the ordering process with a helping hand and once paid for, your new account will be set-up within a matter of minutes.

One word of warning though: don't register your domain names through Catalyst2 - use 123-reg.co.uk instead. A quick price comparison:

.com
123-Reg = £9.99/year
Catalyst2 = £17.50/year

.co.uk
123-Reg = £2.99/year
Catalyst2 = £12.50/year

But despite their rather high domain registration prices, I really can't fault Catalyst2 for excellent cheap web hosting.

Summary: A great place for cheap, reliable webspace