Anyone who has a website

[Merika]

Here is some info I ran across and thought that those of you who run websites may want to check into. It's FREE.

http://sitelutions.com/info/sldns

Sitelutions (sitelutions.com) offers FREE DNS name servers, both for DDNS and static IP addresses.

I've only used them for static DNS hosting myself. The service is totally free and completely reliable. I've been using them for a few years without a single problem.

You might be asking: Why would you want to use 3rd party DNS name servers when your hosting company has their own for you to use? Well, a long time ago I used to use my hosting company's name servers. But if their service stinks and you want to move to another host it can take days for the new servers to be seen all over the internet. You have to log into your registar, change the name server, and wait for all the other name servers on the internet to get the update. This means your site is down for days while you switch web hosts.

When your DNS name servers are independent of your hosting company you never have to change them. You just update the sitelutions' DNS servers with the new IP address of the new host, and in five minutes everyone is being sent there instead.

This even allows you to copy your site to the new host, then cut over without anyone ever even knowing you've moved.

After having problems with a number of shoddy web hosting companies, and experiencing the pain of moving, name servers and all, I started looking for a better solutions. The pain of a bad host was still better than the pain of being down for 4-5 days, so I'd live with an unreliable host. Now I can switch at the drop of a hat.

And if you want to host a site on your home computer using DSL or a Cable broadband account, you can do it, even if you have a dynamic IP address. Just use the Dynamic DNS feature. This updates your sitelutions account with your new IP address whenever it changes. I've never used this myself, but the idea is common through companies like no-ip.com, who charges for the same service.

[Duke]

I currently manage my own domains through reliable DNS servers. When Canaca hi-jacked Lifesupporters.com and pointed it to a bird migration site for 4 hours I was forced to take matters into my own hands.

[Merika]

Well...we ARE a bunch of looney birds. They weren't that far off!