Any free ASP hosts still running out there?

[Mark P]

I looking for something I can quickly set up a test site at. It only
needs to last a few weeks.

ASP, MS Access engine,

A subdomain will be fine.

No setup fee or rental.

I've already tried searching for one and all the hosts I've found seem
to waste time getting a registration but providing nothing is the way
of actual working hosting.

The best I have, so far, is a host which allows me to upload one page
at a time via a web-based 'control panel'. The FTP account they
provided doesn't work. That was www.7host.com

I can see I might have to capitulate and pay - so if there are any
very cheap solutions for a test site (very low volume traffic) your
replies will be appreciated. But, please don't bother replying unless
you've personally used the service.

 

[Tom B]

The only one I've used is Brinkster
http://www.brinkster.com/AboutSolutionComparison.asp
worked fine for me(but that was a while ago)

 

[Mark P]

The only one I've used is Brinkster
http://www.brinkster.com/AboutSolutionComparison.asp
worked fine for me(but that was a while ago)

Thanks,

But brinkster seems to be closed to new registrations.

I think 7host and 1asphost may still be working but I haven't actually
managed to get them to work for me.

 

[middletree]

Brinkster also doesn't let you use Access under the free plan, which you
said was one of your requirements.

If it's just for testing, you could always use your home machine, or you
could go to www.webstrikesolutions.com for a free site, but there is s $30
setup fee.

 

[Adrienne]

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed Mark P

I looking for something I can quickly set up a test site at. It only
needs to last a few weeks.

ASP, MS Access engine,

A subdomain will be fine.

No setup fee or rental.

I've already tried searching for one and all the hosts I've found seem
to waste time getting a registration but providing nothing is the way
of actual working hosting.

The best I have, so far, is a host which allows me to upload one page
at a time via a web-based 'control panel'. The FTP account they
provided doesn't work. That was www.7host.com

I can see I might have to capitulate and pay - so if there are any
very cheap solutions for a test site (very low volume traffic) your
replies will be appreciated. But, please don't bother replying unless
you've personally used the service.

I've been using http://www.domaindlx.com for testing sites. They also
don't have FTP, but you can put all your files into a zip file, upload
that, and they'll be unzipped on the fly.

My biggest complaint with them is a nasty pop-up. But, I always warn
clients about this beforehand (I even tell them to download Opera to
prevent this).

Their servers aren't the fastest in the world, but they do allow Access,
and they have Persists ASPemail installed so you can test mailing scripts
as well.

 

[Grunff]

Adrienne wrote:

My biggest complaint with them is a nasty pop-up. But, I always warn
clients about this beforehand (I even tell them to download Opera to
prevent this).

Their servers aren't the fastest in the world, but they do allow Access,
and they have Persists ASPemail installed so you can test mailing scripts
as well.

I'm *never* going to get my head around this one. How can
someone who does web work professionally (charges for their
time) justify hosting anything, even a test site, on sh!t free
hosting???

 

[Tom B]

Again, I haven't used it in a long time, but Brinkster's website says that
Access is usable under the free plan.

 

[Tom B]

OK, I went to sign up and even though it's still listed(the free account)
you can't select it.

 

[Tom B]

Wait, I found it...
Yes, I've signed up for a free account, with Access database access.

http://www32.brinkster.com/shuckle/Test.asp

 

[middletree]

Hmm, I guess I was wrong. Hate saying that, but I say it a lot.

Oh well. I found how to register for it, but no listing of features for the
free account. Can you give me a hint how you found that it gives you access
to Access?

 

[middletree]

Never mind. I found it.

Hmm, I guess I was wrong. Hate saying that, but I say it a lot.

Oh well. I found how to register for it, but no listing of features for the
free account. Can you give me a hint how you found that it gives you access
to Access?


point

 

[Adrienne]

Adrienne wrote:




I'm *never* going to get my head around this one. How can
someone who does web work professionally (charges for their
time) justify hosting anything, even a test site, on sh!t free
hosting???

I do it because I have to have somewhere I can show my customers mockup
sites, and I'm not going to go through the expense of having a static IP.
I only do this for ASP sites, for others, I have space on a "real" server
that I can send customers to.

 

[middletree]

I don't see what problem you have with this. Having something to test on is
important, and you can only do so much with your home machine.

 

[Grunff]

I do it because I have to have somewhere I can show my customers mockup
sites, and I'm not going to go through the expense of having a static IP.
I only do this for ASP sites, for others, I have space on a "real" server
that I can send customers to.

What???

How about buying some hosting, and either using subdomains (e.g.
http://test1.yourdomain.com), or even just subdirectories
(http://www.yourdomain.com/test1/)?

 

[Grunff]

I don't see what problem you have with this. Having

something > to test on is important, and you can only do so much
with your > home machine.

[top post corrected]

Yes, of course you need somewhere live to upload your test
stuff, but why does it need to be crappy free hosting? If you're
doing this for a living, presumably you value a/ your time and
b/ the impression you put across to your customers.

Spending a small amount on decent hosting, rather than wasting
time searching for and messing around with free hosting will
save you time and present you in a much better light. Is it
really worth it to save a few pounds?

 

[Adrienne]

What???

How about buying some hosting, and either using subdomains (e.g.
http://test1.yourdomain.com), or even just subdirectories
(http://www.yourdomain.com/test1/)?

I have hosting that I pay for, but it's a Unix server. I'm not going to
pay for two hosts. When the client approves the site, it gets moved to a
paid host. If the client does not like the site (I'm not perfect, after
all), then no harm is done, and I'm not out any money.

 

[Grunff]

I have hosting that I pay for, but it's a Unix server. I'm not going to
pay for two hosts. When the client approves the site, it gets moved to a
paid host. If the client does not like the site (I'm not perfect, after
all), then no harm is done, and I'm not out any money.

That is a truly bizzare attitude.

You say "If the client does not like the site (I'm not perfect,
after all), then no harm is done, and I'm not out any money".
But surely you've spent some time building this site. If you're
using some server side scripting, then you may well have spent a
fair bit of time, no? Is your time worth /nothing/ to you?

Surely if you spent say £50 on asp hosting, and used it over and
over again to demo sites, then that £50 a year is tiny compared
to your time costs - or am I missing something fundamental?

Instead you choose to demo your sites on crap, slow hosting
which may force popups on your clients!!

 

[Jim Ley]

middletree wrote:
Yes, of course you need somewhere live to upload your test
stuff, but why does it need to be crappy free hosting? If you're
doing this for a living, presumably you value a/ your time and
b/ the impression you put across to your customers.

Well, in the UK, most of the country is covered by some form of
broadband, and site demoing can be done through this at very little
cost increase, a single fixed IP is common, 5 doesn't cost much, and
even without as long as your DHCP lease is reasonable, you can use
dyndns (or even just a short TTL on DNS, as it's only once a month or
so it may change, and you're not demoing sites daily.)

I trusted running my genuine site that was remote from me and running
software that was being demoed at 2 conferences off a home ADSL line,
without too many problems (okay the 1am call I recieved the night I
flew back to the UK having been up for 32 hours and drunk, with Liz
asking WhereTF it was for her talk in the morning was a problem.

That was a hardware failure though, and it's always possible it
would've happened if it was hosted remotely, and a hardware fix for it
to be ready by 9am the next morning would've cost a lot of cash, but
hosting where I was, I just made a couple of calls, and luckily it was
back up at 2:30am.

Spending a small amount on decent hosting, rather than wasting
time searching for and messing around with free hosting will
save you time and present you in a much better light. Is it
really worth it to save a few pounds?

Absolutely, it doesn't need high performance, high bandwidth, or
decent reliability, it's just for demos to a few clients after all.

Jim.

 

[Grunff]

Well, in the UK, most of the country is covered by some form of
broadband

Bwahaha!! You should come visit sometime. Took them 2 days to
put ISDN in, which involved replacing 3 miles of cable.

I've tried satellite, but the latency frankly sucks. So I'm
happy to live with my 128k for now.

But yes, of course you're quite right, most of the UK's
population is covered.

 

[Jim Ley]

Bwahaha!! You should come visit sometime. Took them 2 days to
put ISDN in, which involved replacing 3 miles of cable.

Yes but you live out in the wilds and don't count, just like the rest
of you uk.diy'ers *. however you must know someone, a great aunt or
someone who's willing to do front line tech-support (power-cycle...)
and host a box for you and get onto that there interweby for free.

That's what I do, although I don't have my own broadband through being
homeless...

Jim.

* Although http://jibbering.com/piccies/2003/09/1/Img_0002.jpg shows
the garden of where I am right now, and I think it looks sufficiently
diyish.

Jim.