Server/Host specs to look for?

Hello everyone! I know all about the certified hosts link at the top of every page, that's not what I'm looking for. What I'm looking for is what makes them better than the others out there?

Currently I'm using 1and1 and I've noticed it seems a little slower than most other sites. I currently only host a Zen Cart site on there but I do use another domain for some light file sharing and image hosting. I did find a few threads where people have tried 1and1 and found them to be slow as well and upon moving to other hosts their sites sped right up.

Some things I've noticed about 1and1: The PHP Memory limit is set to 20M (though phpinfo says 40M). The MySQL server is on a separate server farm in the datacenter (other hosts use MySQL on the webhost). Beyond these two things, what else should I be looking for in a web host? Or for that matter are those two things I noted even an issue? I suspect I can't get 1and1 or any other host to up the php mem limit but a VPS would let me do it (I'd essentially have full control over the host parameters).

Thanks,
Joel

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4536

What I'm looking for is what makes them better than the others out there...

I suspect I can't get 1and1 or any other host to up the php mem limit but a VPS would let me do it (I'd essentially have full control over the host parameters).
Specifically what you seek will probably not be shared. While they are only settings, it is the time invested in testing and evaluating combinations that make them semi-proprietary.
A "General" host such as the one you referenced, usually does not "optimize" their settings for any particular type of application and in general are "accountant" driven and provision many many accounts on a single server. NAS or SAS DB clustering each have their benefits and drawbacks.

Simply stated, there are application specific business hosts that specialize in providing services to the non-hobby or serious business niche.

With a VPS with sufficient resources and knowledge of how and what to configure and or tiime for experimentation, along with your willingness to be your own host and solve your own server issues- This can be a viable alternative to an un-managed dedicated server of your own.

The normal extent of support for these is that of 110 to the box and the remainder is your baby as you referenced -
"I'd essentially have full control"
You really have not only full control but also "full" responsibility beyond insuring that the box has power.
That is 24/7/365 responsibility!

Kim, thanks for the link. I did actually search for this for several days now but somehow did not run across that thread.

Kobra, I know most hosts don't optimize their settings for one particular app. Though it does seem like the certified hosts do offer something unique. I do realize though that if my sites get busy (only one right now but have immediate need for two more) I'll most certainly need to jump up to a dedicated server or colocation. I was thinking of going to a VPS now if I can get one for the right price but otherwise I'm going to stick with shared hosting for now just to keep expenses to a minimum.

Like you said though, an un-managed server is going to be a bit of headache for me. That's one reason why I didn't just host it internally. I've got the servers and bandwidth (16/2 Comcast business) but not the time to make sure everything is in tip top shape. When and if I move to something like that it will be a managed server most likely but I'd have to make sure I can adjust the settings as needed. The other issue with an un-managed server is I'm primarily a Windows guy. I've kinda self taught myself how to get around in Linux but I'm no where near as good as I am with Windows.

I was thinking of going to a VPS now if I can get one for the right price
A VPS from a management perspective is no different than a dedicated. You can load the OS of your choice, change settings etc just as a dedicated - It is just a adaptation of mainframe "partitioning" or VM on the micro level
I'm primarily a Windows guy.
You can add the AMP functionality to IIS....
16/2 Comcast business
If your shop gets busy I think you will find this lacking and then if you have 3 or more that are also busy ???

Cable is a shared environment also so when there is alot of other traffic, your queued....granted this is for ms's but when the request is for many pieces of a php page each delay adds up

Well I decided to go for a VPS. 1and1 is running a 6 month special on them where they are half price. I'm essentially getting a VPS for the same price as the shared hosting. I went with Windows though as it's what I'm more familiar with but already it seems MUCH faster.

I did a traceroute from the VPS (while in RDP) to my site and it hit about 5 hops all 1ms or less. Then I decided to browse my site from the VPS, it was still a bit slow. That basically took the entire internet out of the equation and left me with a LAN to LAN connection. I'd say the shared host just isn't up to it. Thanks for the help everyone.