web hosting

Popular Free Control Panels – No Charge, Great Value

If you have just recently built a small website, and you are not sure whether or not you want to spend money on a control panel, then you may want to consider trying a free control panel first. Many webmasters do not need an expensive control panel to accomplish all of their daily website management tasks. If you are a novice webmaster and you are weary about spending money on a control panel, then you may find the information below to be quite useful.

SysCP

Although SysCP is a free control panel, it still carries all of the important functions of an expensive control panel, giving webmasters the ability to create CGI scripts, adjust DNS settings, create custom error messages/pages, view website statistics and so much more. You’ll also have access to turn-key control over third-party applications such as BIND, Apache, ProFTPD and Courier. SysCP comes with all of these features automatically integrated within the software, but even more impressive is the overwhelming amount of extensions available for download that will enhance your administrative capabilities even further. The features of this control panel are practically endless, and after a few hours of using it you will wonder why the developer’s are not charging an exuberant fee for it’s services. This free control panel makes it to the top of the list because of it’s ever expanding nature and it’s compatibility with almost every operating system.

Webmin

Webmin has been receiving a lot of attention lately from users with dedicated hosting packages. It’s administrative capabilities, combined with a sleek user-friendly interface make it a favorite amongst many novice users. Among other notable features, it comes fully integrated with modules for cron job management, BIND, bandwidth monitoring, firewall administration, and Apache.  Like other control panels, there are a wide variety of compatible extensions and plugins available that can enhance your server administration experience. One interesting feature of Webmin is that you have the option to create your own modules and extensions. Webmin is also amazing when it comes to compatibility, because it supports nearly every operating system on the market today. The primary reason why Webmin has become so successful is because it is an open-source software, allowing independent developers and programmers to improve the control panel continuously. These modifications have resulted in a truly superb control panel software.

GNUPanel

GNUPanel is a new Linux-based control panel that is scripted in PHP5 programming language.   Among the more notable features of this software are FTP/domain management, database administration and email management.  Like the other free control panels discussed in this article, with GNUPanle you’ll have the ability to control and install third-party applications such as phpBB, Joomla,  Wordpress and osCommerce.  Even though this control panel is an open-source software, it is not compatible with many operating systems, which is why it is last on the list.

cPanel Makes Improvements to Support System

Last month, cPanel, maker of the industry’s leading web hosting control panel, announced that it would be making significant improvements to its technical support system.  According to the late November announcement, the company has expanded support in three critical ways:

1. Making a new live chat feature available on the company website: www.cpanel.net

2. Revamping its online discussion forums and dispatching technical support experts to monitor them on a full-time basis.

3. Providing technical support 24/7 via phone.

Once upon a time, cPanel’s main outlet for technical support was its web-based ticket system.  While efficient for the most part, this system was only available to customers during daytime business hours.  As we all know, technical problems have no schedule and tend to arise at the most untimeliest of moments.  That has all changed now as cPanel’s tremendous growth has forced the company to make drastic improvements in the support area.

Sean Richards, Technical Support Manager at cPanel, explained that because the software provider’s client base is growing so fast, expanding the technical support team only makes sense.  He hinted that it is the only way to provide its customers with the around the clock assistance they deserve.  Customers have also benefited from the increased size of cPanel’s technical support team.  Richards said that by adding a number of talented technical experts and seasoned veterans, expanding support for migrations, bug review, and direct API issues has been much easier.  He noted that enhanced support in many other keys will be critical for the upcoming year of 2010.

As we noted earlier, cPanel has also added live chat to its support system, a feature that can be accessed directly from the company website.  This new feature allows any existing customers or prospects to reach the customer service team directly from their web browser.  The staff provides immediate responds to matters concerning billing and sales questions in near real-time.  The cPanel live chat feature is available during normal daytime business hours.

The online discussion forums have always been one of cPanel’s most popular support outlets.  Even this channel has received a major overhaul.  Richards commented that customers looking for help will find the layout of the new support forum far more useful.  Among the enhancements is a designated area for users who would like to make feature requests, as well as improved access for mobile devices.  According to Richards, PDA and smart phone users can experience these enhancements from their mobile devices by visiting the cpanel forum at http://m.forums.cpanel.net.  In addition, an expert from the cPanel support team is now assigned to forums to address customer questions and concerns.  cPanel is hoping this will help the community by speeding up the response time on technical issues.

While cPanel has made improvements, its around the clock support system is still not without flaw.  The price for telephone support is based on a nominal fee per incident.  Fortunately, this fee covers however many calls it takes to resolve the problem at hand.

Free Alternatives to cPanel

cPanel is clearly the leading control panel for server administration, resellers, and general website management.  However, this software is not perfect, and its shortcomings may warrant users to seek alternatives.  The two biggest drawbacks to cPanel is its status as a closed product that limits extendability and a license that is not very cost effective for smaller companies.  If you find the limitations or costs of this award-winning control panel to be a bit much, here are some free alternatives that may pique your interests.

Web-cp

An open-source solution, Web-cp is a derivative of Web://cp and picks up right where that project left off.  It utilizes a four layer module system that supports server, reseller, domain and email management, which is becoming standard functionality in many premium control panels.  And just like the original project, Web-cp is written in the PHP language so it should not put much, if any, additional stress on the server.  This control panel makes it a great option for the server that lacks power but still needs to run a great deal of add-on software components.

VHCS

VHCS is another free open-source control panel that makes a viable alternative to cPanel.  The feature list for this panel is impressive, consisting of support for server and domain management as well as extensive reseller capabilities.  VHCS is compatible with a nice selection of Linux distributions, including Debian, CentOS, SUSE and Fedora.  Perhaps the most unique aspect of this control panel is the fact that the software is written in a collection of compiled and interpreted languages, which gives it common capabilities and a little edge as well.  Its graphical user interface is written in PHP for web page support, its back-end daemon is written in C, and the engine is written in Perl to enable streamlined system management.  On the surface, VHCS seems to be a worthy free alternative to the mighty cPanel.

Webmin

Webmin is a free control panel distributed under an open-source license.  It is heavy on Perl programming and Spam Assassin in addition to several other applications one would expect from a good cPanel competitor.  Webmin also has additional counterparts that are also free, most notably, Usermin and Virtualmin.  Usermin is a more stripped down version that allows users to manage their webmail while Virtual Min, which comes in a free and paid version, is the control panel designed for resellers.  Boasting robust features such as cluster server management, Webmin is currently one of the most popular free alternatives to cPanel.

Considerations

When looking for a cPanel alternative, keep in mind that price is not necessarily the most important factor.  Whether you are out for something that is open or closed source, the product should be easy to use, well supported, and most importantly, efficient for your needs.  And while cPanel may not be able to suit every requirement, remember that it is number one for a reason.

The Power of Cube Panel

Cube Panel is a unique control panel application that makes managing your domain and server functions an extremely easy process.  While there are many control panels available, some of them being extremely popular like cPanel, Cube Panel carries all of the same features of the other more popular control panels. In fact, Cube Panel is better than most of these control panels in some areas.  Here we will discuss just how capable Cube Panel is by highlighting some of it’s key features and attributes.

Compatibility

Cube Panel supports all three major operating systems; Windows, Linux and Unix. This is a very important feature because even the famed cPanel is not capable of this!  Even though Plesk is compatible with all three of these operating systems as well, it is not nearly as efficient as Cube Panel in it’s basic functions.  This attribute is listed first because it alone puts Cube Panel ahead of nearly every other control panel.

Simplicity Combined With Power

Even though Cube Panel is loaded with incredible features, it is also extremely easy to use, with a maximum learning curve of only a few hours. The user-interface is lined with simple navigational screens that make using this control panel a breeze even to the most novice users. Almost every feature you would need is located conveniently on the main page. You can also find crucial domain statistics to the left in a well designed statistic panel. Even though Cube Panel licenses cost $100, they are so confident in their control panel that they allow user to trial the Lite version for free. This free version is still highly capable of carrying out all of the basic functions of an efficient control panel.

Domain Statistics and Options

There are two main domain option categories; Domain Limits and Domain Permissions. The Domain Limits category concerns all of the options that regard your the limits placed on your domain at any given time. Here you’ll find information like how much free disk space you have, how many email accounts you can have, and how much bandwidth your account has been allotted.  On the other hand, the Domain Permissions area displays information concerning your hosting account, such as the kind of programming support available to you, and your FTP access details. Both of these features allow you to monitor the status of your hosting account, so it will be easy to recognize when an upgrade is needed.

Easy Backups

Of course backing up your data is very important to the existence of your website, and Cube Panel makes doing so very easy. Cube Panel contains an integrated backup utility that when used regularly will prevent you from ever having to worry about losing data due to unforeseen events. Backing up data in Cube Panel is as easy as clicking the “backup data” button.  After you have clicked the “backup data” button you can then select from a list of options that will allow you to make a one time backup or arrange for weekly/monthly backups to occur automatically.

The features above make Cube Panel a formidable contender for the best control panel on the market today, and it would not be surprising to see it competing with cPanel in the near future.

Top Three Control Panels to Consider When Choosing a Web Host

Selecting the right control panel for your web hosting account is imperative. This decision will affect the overall productivity of your online business. Depending on your goals, you’ll want to choose a control panel that is both user-friendly and feature packed, to ensure you get the most out of your web hosting experience. Choosing the wrong control panel can result in countless hours of frustration and confusion, so it is important that one reviews their options carefully before making a final decision.

This article will allow one to make the most informed decision possible, by providing a detailed summary of the top three web hosting control panels .

cPanel

cPanel is likely the most common control panel used today. It’s popularity can be attributed to its user-friendly interface and wide array of features.  The standard cPanel account comes equipped with two different hosting interfaces that make it ideal for managing an online business. These two interfaces are the WHM and cPanel itself.  WHM (Web Host Manager), is the software used to create new hosting accounts and packages.  The WHM is used to perform various management functions, such as adding/spending customer accounts, monitoring resource usage, changing passwords, parking domains, and installing SSL certificates . One of the biggest advantages of a cPanel account is the included  third-party application “Fantastico” that allows one to enhance their site’s overall quality by incorporating a wide array of useful add-on applications.

H-Sphere

H-Sphere is a highly versatile control panel that supports both Windows and Linux platforms. This control panel lets administrators manage several different servers from one computer.  H-Sphere behaves much like a server itself, offering a variety of turn-key features like payment processing, account configuration,  domain name registration and email notification.  It also includes support for more than twenty payment gateways, and it even comes with a built-in billing module. Since H-sphere is equipped with  so many useful features it is often considered much less user-friendly than most of the other control panels available. Although the overall design of H-sphere gives it a steep learning curve,  this control panel can still be mastered with very little foreknown knowledge in PHP, HTML, or FTP.

Plesk

Plesk is well-renowned as one of the most secure and stable control panels on the market today.  Many of it’s users appreciate it’s easy-to-learn navigation, well designed interface, and overall appearance in general.  Plesk offers a variety of beneficial features, including an automated application installer that is much like Fantastico. Plesk also comes equipped with a site builder and a powerful spam filter, Spam Assassin.  This particular control panel also works well with other solutions offered by its developer; SWsoft. The most notable application that Plesk integrates well with is HSP. HSP fully automates the process of administrative tasks such as payment processing and email notification.

Regardless of which control panel you decide to use, all of the control panels mentioned here are a viable solutions for all of your web hosting tasks.