Network Solutions was launched in 1979 as one of many first firms to supply DNS (area identify system) know-how. Since then, it has developed to supply many extra companies, all associated to web hosting. Today they supply “all you want, in a single place”, that’s: domains and varied internet hosting choices with a complete number of options and accessible purposes. The firm is headquartered within the US, with its primary workplace positioned in Herndon and its information middle located someplace in North America.
As of 2011, Network Solutions (along with Web.com and Register.com), turned an addition to Web.com Group, one of many main internet know-how firms that present companies to thousands and thousands of shoppers everywhere in the world.
On Network Solutions’ primary web site we encountered so many footage of smiling individuals (consider the Cheshire Cat), that we felt as if we by some means ended up in a toothpaste business. Regardless, the web site seems to be good and feels fashionable, though it wasn’t too eager on offering us with all the data we hoped to seek out there.
Network Solutions additionally has an official weblog which corresponds with the principle web site in model and options loads of articles. They have printed from 2019 onwards, all of them being associated to the topic of internet hosting and written in a beginner-friendly manner. When it involves social networks, they’re presently lively on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, though not one of the talked about accounts has been publishing new content material since 2020.
Curiously, a couple of of their disgruntled (and we assume, former) prospects didn’t wish to simply get mad at, but in addition get even with the supplier, advising others to keep away from Network Solutions “just like the plague”, which gave us one other factor to contemplate.
Plans and pricing
With a promise that they may present internet hosting and domains ”for any enterprise”, Network Solutions presents 4 different-sized, cloud-based plans, from starter to premium. The least costly one (labeled as “Starter”) could be yours for $5.69 per 30 days (for a 12 months time period) and can present 15 GB of disk area, capability to host one web site and as much as 5 e-mail packing containers. To get a free area identify you’ll must buy one plan above (the “Essential” one, which is really helpful), and to get a free SSL certificate you must go for the “Premium” plan, making the fundamental plan really feel too naked bones.
Additionally, there are three completely different WordPress hosting packages, starting from $7.99 to $18.98 per 30 days.
Network Solutions accepts all main bank cards and PayPal, and for these sceptic about their companies there’s a 30-day money-back assure. However, in the event you’ve registered a website identify it is not going to be included within the refund, however you’re free to maintain it.
Ease of use
Because Network Solutions doesn’t precisely have a myriad of internet hosting choices, choosing out a most popular plan shouldn’t be a time-consuming determination. The very first thing you’ll have to know is if you need a less complicated cloud-based resolution or a WordPress-optimized one. For essentially the most half, along with these internet hosting packages, you’ll be getting e mail companies as properly. If not (and also you need them), digging a bit extra across the web site will take you to a couple email hosting options as properly.
When you choose a internet hosting plan, you’ll proceed to the problem of the area identify, with the choice to register a brand new one (for the worth of $15) or use an current one. After this, you’ll be suggested so as to add an SSL certificates (since it isn’t included with any plan however the “Premium” one) with which the primary month of use will probably be free-of-charge. Here, you should buy as much as 300 certificates, or simply click on “No, thanks”.
The subsequent step is to verify your chart and all the pieces included in it, the place you may select billing cycles to your internet hosting plan and an SSL (in the event you bought it). The billing cycles are surprisingly versatile and supply varied choices from one month to 10 years; and with a website possibility you may go for (a baffling alternative of) 100 years, which suggests an unbelievable concentrate on the long run.
Before you may start creating your account with Network Solutions, you’ll undergo a couple of recommended add-ons, all associated to the safety of your web site. Then you’ll have so as to add your private information, create a password and choose a safety query (a few of which appear virtually out of date, like “What’s your library card quantity?”) Fortunately, you may write down your individual query and unleash your inventive potential (if you need that, that’s).
All plans include a proprietary management panel, which isn’t as consumer pleasant as some industry-standard alternate options, however we managed to seek out our manner round. From there, many of the well-known apps could be yours after a click on or two (WordPress, Joomla, Durpal and so forth) and all builders on the market will probably be glad to listen to that a complete number of web site improvement options are supported as properly (PHP5, Python, Ruby on Rails, Java Servlets, Zend Libraries and rather more). Numerous e-commerce options (and all-inclusive e-commerce resolution) can be found for buy, in addition to a reliable drag-and-drop website builder.
Speed and expertise
When attempting to persuade us of the prevalence of their companies, Network Solutions brings up their “dependable” uptime with the assure of 99.9%, stay tech assist and versatile internet hosting plans, with none guarantees concerning the pace. Not understanding what to anticipate, we examined the pace efficiency of Network Solutions’ primary web site utilizing GTmetrix as a device. It positioned the web site’s pace efficiency above the typical with the conclusive results of B (85%), which is kind of good.
We determined to check the uptime of Network Solutions’ primary web site by utilizing UptimeRobot and see if we’ll reap the benefits of the ensures they offered us with. After a month of fixed monitoring, UptimeRobot reported a couple of events of downtime, with the longest one lasting for 19 minutes straight. However, the whole of downtime was round 42 minutes. This means the whole recorded uptime was 99.917% and that Network Solutions managed to ship on their guarantees by a whisker.
Support
The first assist choices you’ll in all probability discover with Network Solutions are their phone quantity (which is suggested for use for pressing issues solely) and “Contact us” button that can current you with a couple of methods to assist your self. Their knowledgebase (titled as “Help Center”) could be browsed with the assistance of a search field or you may select a number of the preselected classes. There appears to be a good variety of articles that are principally written in an easy-to-follow manner (usually with footage) and rated by customers with a five-star ranking system.
If you’d relatively depend on assist brokers from Network Solutions’ technical group, you will get in contact with them by way of assist ticket, stay chat and phone, all of which must be obtainable around-the-clock.
Network Solutions encompasses a group discussion board, the place its registered customers (we assume, since attempting to proceed with out registration made us hit the useless finish) can search solutions to their questions, reply questions from different customers or go away suggestions for others to see. However, after we tried to register, not a single one from dozens of show names (and a few had been fairly authentic) was deemed acceptable (the one clarification we received was “Name you entered is already in use”, which doesn’t appear to be the case), so we will’t report something greater than this.
The competitors
Both WestHost and Network Solutions have greater than 20 years of expertise underneath their belt and are part of one thing a lot bigger than themselves (WestHost being underneath the wing of UK2 group and Network Solutions part of Web.com Group). With WestHost you’ll get cheaper internet hosting, however solely earlier than the worth renewal, after which your checking account is likely to be struck with an existential disaster. With Network Solutions, nevertheless, there ought to be no surprises, since all of their reductions are based mostly on the size of contract, subsequently, the identical interval equals the identical cost.
Bluehost is a kind of hosts that can present their customers with all the pieces wanted, however could make them do a double take upon viewing the pricing after the renewal. Even so, Bluehost supplies an ideal worth for cash and affords (in contrast to Network Solutions) VPS internet hosting, managed WordPress and devoted server along with fundamentals, so it’s higher fitted to extra bold customers.
HostGator can give you all the pieces Network Solutions can and transcend that, and we aren’t serious about internet hosting varieties solely. The entry-level (adorably named “Hatchling”) plan with HostGator features a area identify, web site switch, unmetered bandwidth and SSL certificates, all cost-free. In comparability, Network Solutions’ elementary plan has much less bonus options to draw new customers with.
MochaHost and Network Solutions share a peculiar similarity in relation to their entry-level internet hosting packages that are greatest ignored. Neither of them affords a free area registration nor many limitless options. That being stated, MochaHost does present a free SSL certificates (whereas Network Solutions doesn’t) and Network Solutions supplies a one-click installer (which MochaHost, oddly, doesn’t). However, since with MochaHost you’ll be entitled to an insane 180-day money-back assure, we might relatively go together with them.
Final verdict
Since it was based on the finish of the disco period, Network Solutions definitely is aware of how one can get groovy with its internet hosting packages, providing quite a lot of useful instruments to get your web site down with a boogie very quickly. However, the problematic predominance of dangerous evaluations from their former prospects (a few of them appear disenchanted, some upset and others are out for blood) on a number of client review web sites makes this host tough to advocate. If you wish to give them an opportunity regardless of this, don’t allow us to cease you. On the opposite hand, if you want to contemplate different choices first, don’t fail to take a look at Bluehost and HostGator.
