Network Solutions is a popular web host and domain names provider that is owned by the Web.com group. They also offer security services, marketing services, professional email, IT support services, and more valuable resources for business owners. But they are far from the only option out there – so what makes Network Solutions different?
In this Network Solutions review, we will cover everything you need to know about this popular service.
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Pros:
- All-in-one suite of services
- Offers web hosting, domain names, email, IT/security services, marketing and more
- Frequent special offers can help you save money
- 25+ years of industry experience
- Simple website builder – no coding experience necessary
- Powerful tools to grow your online business – not just build it
- Easy scalability – “room to grow”
Cons:
- Prices are high – .com domains renew for $37.99 per year
- Domain privacy is expensive – $1.99/month for most plans
- Cancellation fees and other hidden fees
- Poor ratings on TrustPilot, G2, etc.
- Mediocre customer service
Who is Network Solutions best for?
Network Solutions is best for small to medium-sized businesses that want tools to grow their web presence and traffic, and who prefer to get all necessary services from a single company.
Network Solutions offers standard features like domain registration and hosting. However, their prices for these services are well above average. Thus, if you’re only looking for a domain registrar and/or website host, you can save money by going elsewhere.
On the other hand, if you want more services like professional email, IT services, enhanced web security, or online marketing/SEO services, Network Solutions offers all of the above. For simplicity’s sake, many businesses prefer to keep all these services in one – and few services offer as much variety as Network Solutions.
Network Solutions features
The features offered by Network Solutions will vary depending on the specific products and services you choose – as well as the tier of web hosting you select. With that said, here is an overview of some notable features from the service:
Full-featured web services
Network Solutions offers dozens of useful services and features that can combine to help your business thrive online. With this provider, you can register your domain, host your website, promote your business, optimize your website for SEO, and even run ongoing marketing efforts like email marketing.
Beginner-friendly features
Network Solutions makes it easy to get started, even with zero experience. Their hosting plans are simple to set up and include 1-click WordPress installation. And scalable hosting solutions mean that you can scale up services as your business grows.
Here are some more features from Network Solutions:
- Register domain names with dozens of extensions (.com, .net, .org, etc. as well as ccTLDs)
- Host your website, blog or online business presence
- Obtain extras such as SSL certificates, SiteLock site security and more
- Hosting optimized for WordPress
- Support for all common content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Drupal and Joomla
- Support for e-commerce operations
- Flexible billing (terms from 1 month to 10+ years)
- Discounts on longer terms
- Online marketing tools, including SEO, directory tools and email marketing
- Paid services for professional help with SEO, pay per click advertising and more
- Business tax savings analysis offered for free with hosting plans
- Professional email services
Available hosting types
Network Solutions offers just two hosting types, each of which has different tiers to choose from:
Shared cloud hosting
Shared hosting means that you will essentially share a cloud web server with many other Network Solutions clients. This is far cheaper than getting your own dedicated server and is sufficient for most purposes. However, with any shared hosting plan, there is slightly more risk of downtime, as an issue on another website could potentially cause a server crash.
WordPress hosting (WP-optimized shared hosting)
This is shared hosting from Network Solutions that has been specifically optimized for WordPress websites. WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) and is a good choice for most websites.
Hosting plans are available in both Windows and Linux formats. All plans offer universal support for PHP MyAdmin, MySQL, and Python. For those looking for support for Ruby on Rails, Zend Libraries, Cron Jobs, or Java Servlets, opt for a Linux plan. For support for ASP, ASP.NET, or MS Access, opt for a Windows plan.
Notably, Network Solutions does not offer virtual personal server (VPS) or dedicated server hosting. As such, the service is best suited for newer websites with relatively limited bandwidth needs.
All hosting packages come with an uptime guarantee and 24/7 customer service. However, the specifics of the uptime guarantee do vary depending on the tier of hosting you choose.
Shared hosting plans come with a technical advisor who can help with the FTP process and other key setup tasks. There are also extensive guides and other resources to help you get started. And if you have any issues, you can always contact support for help (via chat, support ticket, or phone).
Network Solutions performance & reliability
Network Solutions guarantees 99.9% uptime for most plans, and higher-tier plans have guarantees of up to 99.99% uptime. Performance is adequate and about typical for shared hosting. This means that sites hosted on the Network Solutions servers typically load quickly, although may experience more delays during times of heavy use.
Data centers are spread out throughout the world to ensure stability and performance, regardless of the location of the website visitors. And server maintenance is performed routinely to keep things running smoothly.
The hosting solutions that this company offers are primarily aimed at small to medium-sized websites. Because they don’t offer VPS or other higher-end hosting plans, it’s not recommended to use this company if you have a high-traffic website.
Network Solutions security
NetworkSolutions.com has many features built into their hosting services that aim to keep your sites and information safe and secure and secure peace of mind for website owners. Some features come standard with all plans, while others require upgrades to higher-tier plans, or are sold as add-ons to domain registrations. Here are some of the security features and services that Network Solutions offers:
Daily malware scans
Network Solutions scans their servers every day for malware and other harmful code and removes threats automatically. This feature comes standard with all hosting plans and can help to keep your site secure. For even greater security, opt for the SiteLock Premium service.
24/7 Live Support
Network Solutions has support staff available 24/7 to help with any questions you may have. There is also an in-house security team working round-the-clock to neutralize any threats that arise.
Here are some additional security features from Network Solutions:
- “CodeGuard” feature automatically backs up website files to keep information safe
- SSL certificates available (costs extra with most plans)
- SiteLock service (costs extra) enables total malware protection
- Trusted Site Seal from nsProtect (costs extra)
- Cyber Security services (cost extra)
- IT support and other business services
- WhoIs privacy protection for domains (costs extra)
Network Solutions offers all the security features that you would expect, and just about everything that most businesses will need. With that said, there have been some complaints that the company doesn’t perform server updates as often as perhaps they should. If you are concerned about security, it may be worthwhile to opt for a plan that includes SiteLock Premium or add on other paid security features.
Network Solutions pricing
Network Solutions offers several different hosting packages, each with its own pricing structures. Likewise, pricing for domains and other services varies depending on various factors. Here is an overview of pricing for some of the most popular products and services from Network Solutions.
Network Solutions domain name pricing
Network Solutions can help you register a domain name with dozens of different TLDs. The pricing depends on the specific TLD, as well as the term you register it for.
- .com domain registration – $25.00 first year
- .net domain registration – $15.00 first year
- .org domain registration – $25.00 first year
- .info domain registration – $25.00 first year
- .biz domain registration – $25.00 first year
- .co domain registration – $20.00 first year
- Other extension domain registration – prices vary
- Premium domain name registration – prices vary
- Domain name privacy (add-on) – $1.99 per month (first month free)
- SiteLock Premium (add-on) – $3.99 per month (first month free)
- Premium DNS (add-on) – $4.99 per month (first month free)
Do note that with domains, renewal rates are generally higher than the first-year rates. For instance, a .com domain is $25 for the first year but renews at $37.99 after the first year. You can save money by prepaying, as generally, you will get the promotional rate for whatever term you prepay for. For example, you could register a .com domain for $25/year for 5 years if you prepay, but if you renew it yearly you will be charged $37.99 per year after the first year.
It is worth noting that domain name registration services pricing is higher than average for this provider. Many other domain registrars, such as GoDaddy or NameCheap, are cheaper for small businesses.
Network Solutions hosting pricing
These are the standard shared hosting plans available from Network Solutions:
- Starter – $5.69/mo first year
- 15 GB disk space
- 1 website
- 5 email boxes
- Business tax savings analysis
- Essential – $9.96/mo first year
- 300 GB disk space
- 3 websites
- 1000 email boxes
- Includes free domain name registration (first year)
- SiteLock
- Business tax savings analysis
- Professional – $15.78/mo first year
- Unlimited disk space
- 10 websites
- Unlimited email boxes
- Includes free domain name registration (first year)
- SiteLock Premium with malware scanning and auto malware removal
- Business tax savings analysis
- Premium – $21.62/mo first year
- Unlimited disk space
- 10 websites
- Unlimited email boxes
- Includes free domain name registration (first year)
- SiteLock Premium with malware scanning and auto malware removal
- SSL certificate
- Business tax savings analysis
WordPress hosting plans available from Network Solutions:
- WordPress for Entrepreneurs – $7.99/mo first year
- 50 gb storage
- 10 email boxes
- 1 WordPress site
- On-demand cloud backup
- Domain name included for first year
- WordPress for a Growing Business – $13.98/mo first year
- 100 gb storage
- Multi Site management
- 25 email boxes
- 3 WordPress sites
- On-demand cloud backup
- SSL certificate included
- Domain name included for first year
- WordPress for Professionals – $18.98/mo first year
- 200 gb storage
- Multi Site management
- 50 email boxes
- 5 WordPress sites
- On-demand cloud backup
- SSL certificate included
- Domain name included for first year
Hosting prices from Network Solutions are roughly in line with industry averages. There are cheaper options out there, but overall the company offers a good balance of features at reasonable prices.
Network Solutions customer support
Network Solutions offers customer support via email, online chat, and phone. To contact them, users can navigate to the Knowledge base section of the website, then either search for the solution to the issue in the included documentation or scroll down to see contact options.
If you’re signed in to your account, you can send a support ticket through your Account Manager. This is typically the best way to quickly reach the right department – and because communications are tied to your account, it will be easy for support reps to pull up your information.
You can also contact Network Solutions via an online chat system, or via phone at 800-362-0553. Support reps are available 24/7. Premium support is also available with some hosting packages, for an additional cost.
Keep in mind that Network Solutions is not known for having good support. In fact, poor support is one of the most common complaints about the company on their TrustPilot and Better Business Bureau (BBB) profiles. Mediocre support is certainly a drawback of this company.
FAQs
Can I design a website using Network Solutions?
Yes, Network Solutions offers two different routes for designing a website. Users can opt to use the Site Builder tool to create websites on their own. Or, they can opt to get professional help with web design, directly from Network Solutions.
Is Network Solutions right for me?
If you are looking for a company that can offer many compatible services (hosting, domain registration, marketing, SEO, IT support, etc.) all in one place, then Network Solutions is a good option. If you just need hosting or a domain name, there are cheaper options.
Does Network Solutions have WordPress hosting?
Yes, NetSol has shared hosting plans specifically optimized for WordPress websites.
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