Hosting og vbulletin

[-fp-]

Hello NP.

I want to start a forum using vbulletin.

I am a total newbie to vbulletin but think it is the ay to go when the forum grows. Hopefully.

I need your opionins on the following:

How much do I have to pay for hosting per month?
Which vbulletin version is best to start from 0 visitors?
I have no PHP mySQL experience. How is easy so you think vbulletin is for me?
What is your experience with the vbulletin troubleshooting? Is the support good or is the forum all you need?
In terms of time allocation for the forum. How much time do you spend pr week maintaining the forum and moderating?


Many questions but think this isthe right place to ask them.

Thanks.

Fabian

 

[Redleg]

How much do I have to pay for hosting per month?

When your vBulletin grows you will need a dedicated server, and several shared hosting companies doesn't even allow vBulletin at all since it normally requires a lot of memory and processing power..

Which vbulletin version is best to start from 0 visitors?

The newest one..
3.6.4 now.

I have no PHP mySQL experience. How is easy so you think vbulletin is for me?

It's very easy to install and use so that shouldn't be a problem.
Their support and forum is quite good as well if you should run into any problems.

What is your experience with the vbulletin troubleshooting? Is the support good or is the forum all you need?

Have found solutions to all of my questions/problems in their forum, so it's quite good.
(I've have 2 vBulletin licenses, one is 2+ years old)

In terms of time allocation for the forum. How much time do you spend pr week maintaining the forum and moderating?

That depends a lot on how active your forum is, and how good/dedicated your moderators are..
But getting a forum up and running normally requires quite a lot of work since you have to be active posting yourself as well (at least in the beginning)

 

[CrazyTech]

The above answers everything well. My experience and advice is to start with a shared plan and work your way up. For example, I have a vB forum that has around 350 users and it only uses about 2-3 GB of transfer a month right now. Obviously, that'd be overkill for an expensive dedicated server or even VPS. Right now, a good shared plan for a reputable company should cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-$15/month.

I can recommend vB from experience as well. The product is well worth the money and puts your forum off on the right foot. Just be ready to work, though. Forums do take a lot of work and you absolutely need to have interest in the subject. It never hurts to find a host experienced with vB, either.

 

[-fp-]

Thanks guys for the good advice.

I think I will go with godaddy and their Linux economy hosting plan for a start.

Any experiences with their hosting and for how long I should sign up for? 1,12,24 months?

Regards,
Fabian

 

[CrazyTech]

My advice is never enter into a 24 month contract with any host, particularly a company that doesn't specialize in hosting. That's a long time for any internet company and there's too much that can happen that will cost you to lose money; service could slide or something else may happen. I don't recommend a 12 month run either. I would go with the monthly payment scheme because if something goes wrong at the very worst you'll only lost a month's payment. The peace of mind is worth it.

 

[PolurNET]

Thanks guys for the good advice.

I think I will go with godaddy and their Linux economy hosting plan for a start.

Any experiences with their hosting and for how long I should sign up for? 1,12,24 months?

Regards,
Fabian

I'd suggest you search for reviews before making your decision. For example, http://webhostingjury.com/reviews/Go_Daddy seems to have mixed comments, so you may want to review them to see if they are for you

 

[-fp-]

Thanks guys for the advice again.

I have just bought a license and hosting is on its way.

I will want to have your opinions once I have the forum up and running!

Altough the task of installling and customising vbulletin is a steep climb! But I am sure it is worth it! %%-

Fabian

 

[CrazyTech]

Follow the instructions and you should be able to handle it. If not, places such as Namepros, vBulletin.com forum, and vBulletin.org are a great place to look and ask for help.