My honest review on Bluehost

Yes, you can always use SSH services for secure connection at Bluehost. However, SSH services are not enabled by default at Bluehost. In order to begin using SSH functions, you’ll need to submit a copy of your photo identification card via email or uploads via cPanel. On top of Bluehost’s admin approval, you’ll also need to manage SSH keys for automated SSH login.

Connection to SSH Shell at Bluehost

To start using SSH services, here’s what you do:

1. Click on the connect button. It is the first one from the left.

2. Enter in Hostname. (your domain name with out the www.) and your username. Highlight password when you’re done.

3. Click Connect and enter your password when you’re prompted to do so.

What’s SSH and why should I care?

Personally I don’t use much SSH services but it’s indeed a very useful function. A SSH or sometimes known as secure shell is a kind of network that enables data exchange done in a safe channel.

The reason for SSH to exist is simple: Security. Internet is an open space that’s so vulnerable to malicious attacks – eavesdropping for passwords or sensitive information; hijacking messages to inspect and modify transmitted data; and faking network addresses to fool access control mechanisms or redirect connections to a fake server – these are all the common disaster we heard (or experienced!) about all the time. Using SSH protects you against all of these attacks.

Common SSH application: SFTP

In web hosting, SSH services are mostly used as secured file transfer protocol (SFTP). To transfer your data files between Bluehost server and your local machines, all you need to is as below:

1. Download an FTP program that support Secure FTP.
2. Enable SSH/Shell access on your account by submitting your identification card.
3. Log into your SFTP program using port 22.

Don’t be surprise if you can’t see a thing when you click on Awstats or Webalizer in Bluehost cPanel. Stats reporting is not done automatically like last time. Now, Web stats must be enabled and saved before getting your site tracked.

To do this, go to ‘Choose Log Program’ in your Bluehost cpanel. Check the boxes for the stats you wish to track on each domain, click save changes when you’re done. Stats reporting will be visible after 24 hours, you can then view the statistics by logging back into cPanel.

Web stats function in Bluehost

In brief, here are what can you get at Bluehost’s web statistic report (mainly via Awstats and Webalizer):

• Updated website statistical reports in every 24 hours.
• Updated website bandwidth usage information in every 6 hours.

For current Bluehost users, a point worth noting is that Analog stats in Bluehost have been deprecated. The system will still function if you currently have Analog Stats enabled, however you cannot enable them for additional domains.

Imagine this: You’re so keen to start your website and finally makeup your mind with Bluehost, you search for the right domain name, fill up all the hosting/billing issues, and make your payment.

Obviously, the next thing comes into mind is how soon you can get your hosting account running after the payment is done. Who wants to wait more for a product that you’d already purchased?

Starting a new website at Bluehost

Question is, how long does it take to get a new website to go live at Bluehost?

Basically Bluehost will have your website online the same day you purchase your hosting.

The hosting account will be installed within the first hour of your order and you will receive the hosting account information via email. At this point, you’re ready to get started – start uploading web files, installing web apps, and so on to get your website running.

Nevertheless, the website DNS might take a little longer to process. Depending on whether it is a new registration or a domain transfer, DNS might takes 24 – 48 hours to be fully sorted out.

Thus it would be wise to expect a day or two for the website to be visible in front of your users.

Here’s something you might not know: I’m cranking out some funny jokes on Bluehost’s hosting plan where I show how downloading the Internet might be possible.

The joke is picking up in Stumble and that particular web page is receiving a few hundreds visits per day, not bad huh?

Find out about the joke at here.

“How can I upgrade my Bluehost features in my old account?” This is a frequent asked question by new Bluehost customers whenever Bluehost offer a new hosting features or hosting plan.

In case you signed up for a BlueHost account days, weeks, or even months ago and realized that Bluehost is offering additional features to new clients, you can always contact Bluehost Helpdesk and have them to upgrade your account with the updated features.

For example, I used to have only 5 addon domains in my quota. My request for upgrades to unlimited addon domain is granted as soon as I shoot an email to Bluehost Helpdesk. This works the same to any other hosting features – disk sapce, bandwidth, web promotion voucher, and so on. Be assure that Bluehost treat their new and old customers the same thus don’t be hesitate to ask for what you deserve with them.

It should be noted, however, that this will require some downtime as they move your files from server to server. Also, if you do not have a real need for these features, it probably isn’t worth the effort. BH does monitor account usage and if they believe that you have a need for the additional features, they will automatically move you (to the server with upgraded features).

The Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a standard protocol for interfacing external application software with an information server – for example, a web server.

In contrast with a plain HTML document that the Web daemon retrieves is static, CGI program is executed in real-time for dynamic information output.

Generally, web servers (including Bluehost) often have a cgi-bin directory at the base of the directory tree to hold executable files called with CGI.

Implementation of CGI

An instant example on the usage of CGI quoted from NCSA.

For example, let’s say that you wanted to “hook up” your Unix database to the World Wide Web, to allow people from all over the world to query it. Basically, you need to create a CGI program that the Web daemon will execute to transmit information to the database engine, and receive the results back again and display them to the client. This is an example of a gateway, and this is where CGI, currently version 1.1, got its origins.

Does Bluehost limit CGI script usage?

No, as long as the CGI scripts are not harmful to the web servers, there’s no limitation on your CGI scripts usage at Bluehost.

One big advantage of Bluehost is that they offer two auto-install scripts services instead of one. By hosting with Bluehost, you’ll get free auto installation services by both Fantastico and Simple Scripts.

What’s Fantastico?

Fantastico is a well known script library that automates the installation of web applications to a website. Generally, Fantastico services are executed from the cPanel at Bluehost. At the time of writing, Fantastico’s officials claims that the auto-install scripts services are installed on ten thousand servers, with a million users worldwide, which would make it the leading product of its type.

Fantastico Library

What’s Simple Script?

SimpleScripts is the new name in town that offer the same services as Fantastico. SimpleScripts officials claim that their service works faster and covers more web scripts in their library.

A huge plus point on SimpleScripts is that the service works perfectly well on cPanel and Plesk; whereas Fantastico works only with cPanel.

Simple Scripts Library

Advantages of Fantastico and SimpleScripts

Installation/updating of blog/CMS software like WordPress and Joomla used to be complicated but not with SimpleScripts anymore.

With the smart installer function, SimpleSripts will automatically checks to make sure your web host is compatible upon installation; also, web software updates are done within seconds as SimpleScripts will take care of all the dirty work back scene.

What’s good about having both Fantastico and Simple Scripts?

Both Fantastico and Simple Scripts cover a wide range of open source web application.

By having both services in your web hosting simply means you have more choices. Take CMS for example, Simple Scripts include Joomla, Drupal, MODx, and e107; while for Fantastico: Joomla, GeekLog, Mambo, phpNuke, phpWCMS, phpWebsite, Drupal, Post-Nuke, SiteFrame, and Xoops – that’s 12 CMS application for Bluehost customers.

Bluehost hosting support a wide range of multimedia features that other web hosting companies can’t compare. In fact, Bluehost is my top recommendation to all webmasters who’re planning to publish multimedia content intensively.

Multimedia Features support by Bluehost

In a quick glance, here’re the multimedia features supported by Bluehost hosting:

• Supports Streaming Video
• Supports Streaming Audio
• Real Audio & Video Support
• Flash Support
• Macromedia Shockwave
• MIDI File Support

I would say it’s pretty comprehensive and I have all the features I need with Bluehost.

The non-www and www pages used to be a critical treat to SEO works as Google sees it as two different pages and assign two different page rank to the same page.

Generally, the problem has now been solved within Google (by sorting out the issue in their algorithm and introducing Google Webmaster Tools).

Nevertheless, it is more professional to have a standardized website URL thus redirecting non-www pages to www is still necessary.

Redirect with .htaccess files at Bluehost

One good thing about hosting with Bluehost is that Bluehost users are allowed to access (create/modify/delete) the .htaccess files at root. Hence, redirecting all non-www web pages to www counterpart is easy.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Create or locate your .htaccess file

A .htaccess file is an Apache directory-level configuration file which can be used to password protect or redirect files. To redirect your non-www pages, you will first need to create or locate the .htaccess file. If it doesn’t exist, create it on your Bluehost root (yes, this means public_html in Bluehost); if it exist, open it with wordpad or any other text editing software.

2. Add the following lines to your .htaccess file

Replacing ‘example.com’ with your website domain, copy and paste the lines below to your .htaccess file. Save and replace the original file at your root folder and you’re now done.

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.example\.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*) http://www.example.com/$1 [L,R=301]

To test, simply type in the non-www URL of your website to your Internet browser and see your web URL being redirect to the www.

It’s important to learn about Bluehost refund policy to avoid unnecessary spending on your hosting cost.

At the time of writing, Bluehost offers one single hosting plan (shared hosting) that can be paid in 5 payment methods – 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, and a new 36 months payment terms. All hosting costs are paid for upfront upon signup. For hosting plans less than 12 months, customers will be charged on a non-refundable setup fees.

Refund on your Bluehost subscription

All Bluehost accounts canceled in the first 30 days will be refunded immediately with no question asked.

Example of full refund at Bluehost

Two Year 24 Month Account is $7.95 a Month x 24 months = $190.80 paid at sign up. *If you cancel in the first 30 days Your refund would be $190.80

Once your hosting account had bypassed the 30 days barrier, hosting account cancelled will be refund on monthly prorated basis.

Example of pro-rated refund at Bluehost

Two Year 24 Month Account is $7.95 a Month x 24 months = $190.80 paid at sign up. If you cancel two months into it then you would be reimbursed at the $7.95 a month rate for a period of 22 months. Your prorated refund would be $7.95 x 22 = $174.90.

How about domain registration?

Website owners that registered domain with Bluehost, take cautions!

While canceling your hosting account at Bluehost is super simple, the cancellation might cause long processing time for domain transfers (due to domain registration legals work).

First, when you cancel your Bluehost account prior to your accounts end of term, your free domain registration (for 12/24/36 months hosting plan) will be forfeited and you’ll be charged $10 for domain fees. Money will be deducted from your final refund amount.

In case you are canceling your account within the first 5 days of purchase, the domain name will be released immediately. However, if the cancellation is done after 5 days, the domain name will be with Bluehost until the end of registration period. Of course, you get to retain ownership of your domain but not without Bluehost as the registrant.