Company: Network Solutions
Background: Established in 1979, Network Solutions was one of the first companies to launch in the DNS registry business. Though it started out as a technology consulting company focused primarily on systems programming services, the company quickly grew and expanded into other areas, IPO-ing in 1997. Over the years, this Washington, D.C. metro area organization has withstood numerous acquisitions, including the most recent acquisition in 2011 by Web.com, a takeover that cost $405 million and 18 million shares.
Starting Price: $3.79/mo
Currency: USD
Visit Online: https://www.networksolutions.com/
Review Summary & Ratings
Network Solutions used to be an excellent one-stop web service provider. Unfortunately things don't do well after Web.com's took over the company in 2011.
Network Solutions Alternatives
We recommend the following hosting solutions who are looking for an affordable and reliable option.
| Web Host | Cheapest Plan | Renewal Price | Free Domain? | Free Site Migration? | Site Hosted | Money Back Trial | Learn More | Order Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hostinger | $1.99/mo | $3.99/mo | No | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | Hostinger Review | Get Hostinger |
 InterServer | $2.50/mo | $7.00/mo | No | Yes | Unlimited | 30 Days | Interserver Review | Get InterServer |
 A2 Hosting | $2.99/mo | $10.99/mo | No | Yes | 1 | Anytime | A2Hosting Review | Get A2 Hosting |
 GreenGeeks | $2.95/mo | $10.95/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | GreenGeeks Review | Get GreenGeeks |
 TMD Hosting | $2.95/mo | $4.95/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 60 Days | TMD Hosting Review | Get TMD Hosting |
 InMotion Hosting | $2.29/mo | $8.99/mo | Yes | Yes | 2 | 90 Days | InMotion Hosting Review | Get InMotion Hosting |
 ScalaHosting | $3.95/mo | $6.95/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | ScalaHosting Review | Get ScalaHosting |
 BlueHost | $2.95/mo | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | BlueHost Review | Get BlueHost |
 HostPapa | $2.95/mo | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | HostPapa Review | Get HostPapa |
Network Solutions Products
Though Network Solutions is most known for its domain registration services, the organization also provides a myriad of web services, including website development, online marketing services, email hosting solutions, and web hosting services.
Domain Name Registration
The full-scale domain hosting services provide more than 50 different extension options, including the standard .com, .net, and .biz extensions, as well as state and country-specific origin extensions, among others.
The scalable price chart offers domain registrations for as little as a one-year term with options through a 100-year registration – price breaks are given for lengthier registration terms. Some extensions, such as .biz, .com, and .info come free with a one-year registration with the annual package, though of course other fees and charges are associated.
Email Solutions
Network Solution’s email solutions are truly scalable to meet the needs of everyone from the sole proprietor to the corporate enterprise and everyone in between.
The most basic level, Professional Email, includes 25 GB of cloud storage per account, spam and virus protection, access through an internet connection, and compatibility with your favorite email client for pricing at just $1.75 per month. The mid-tier option, Professional Email Plus, provides 80 GB cloud storage with shared calendars; tasks; and contacts, shared document management, and hassle-free management with Network Solutions’ managed servers for as little as $4.99 per mailbox per month. Next, Mobile Email able to synchronized and provide real-time access to Network Solutions webmail or Outlook® email, calendars and contacts at anytime and anywhere. And the top-tier plan, the Microsoft® Hosted Exchange, starts at $9.99 per month per mailbox and supports a complete Office Outlook® experience, ActiveSync® and BlackBerry® mobility, and built-in business continuity and disaster recovery.
Web Design
In the website design arena, Network Solutions offers a few options to create and launch a website in just moments.
You can customize your new website design, enhance your existing site or create a unique logo design for your business together with the expert team.
Web Hosting
But, as ever, my main interest lies in the provider’s hosting capabilities. Upon landing on Network Solutions’ webpage, I am immediately greeted by a clean interface with easy to understand pricing with easy to read solutions comparisons. I see two hosting options: Cloud hosting and WordPress.
Cloud Hosting
For those just started use web hosting, you can go for the lowest package at $3.79 per month with 15 GB disk space for 1 website. You also get 5 email boxes and business LLC formation.
If you are using for personal websites, you can go for Essential package, $9.96 per month with 300 GB disk space for 3 websites. It includes 1000 email boxes, domain name, SiteLock (Malware scanning) and also business LLC formation.
Professional package is ideal for entrepreneurs and freelances. It starts at $34.95 per month with unlimited disk space for 10 websites. It includes unlimited email boxes, SiteLock Premium (Malware scanning and auto malware removal) and same features of Essential package.
If you are business owner, Premium package is your best choice and it starts at $40.78 per month with same features of Professional package. In addition, you can get SSL certificate that make your life easier.
WordPress Hosting
The WordPress hosting is available in three different levels: Entrepreneurs, Growing Business and Professionals.
Entrepreneurs hosting starts at just $7.99 per month and serve for 1 WordPress site. It includes 50 GB of storage, 10 email boxes, on-demand cloud backup and free domain.
Growing Business hosting starts at $13.98 per month and serve for 3 WordPress site. It includes 100 GB of storage, 25 email boxes, multisite management, on-demand cloud backup, free domain and SSL.
Professionals hosting starts at $18.98 per month and serve for 5 WordPress site. It includes 200 GB of storage, 50 email boxes, multisite management, on-demand cloud backup, free domain and SSL.
Pros: What I Like About Network Solutions
1. Room to Grow; Instant Account Activation
In my opinion, Network Solutions seems to offer many of the features that organizations need to solidly host their websites.
The instant set-up tools are key for users who want to have a hosting account immediately without needing to wait for verifications, validations, and other pre-set-up requirements. I like the easy scalability from basic hosting to advanced or VPS hosting within the same provider.
Cons: What I Dislike About Network Solutions
1. Terrible Server Management and Customer Service
Additionally, there are some key service concerns, starting with the terrible server management – there is a known issue with lack of backups and server upgrades.
Beyond that, Network Solutions is known for overselling the host – though they certainly are not the only ones to do it. The organization, unfortunately, has a very bad reputation for customer service – search the web and you will find customers consistently complaining about slow response times and ineffective support staff.
2. Web 2.0 Takeover
Notably, during the Web.com takeover in 2011, Web.com laid off more than half of Network Solutions’ original staff, which explains why the complaint rats have steadily risen over the past several years.
It’s unfortunate because there are some redeeming factors to Network Solutions’ hosting and other services – however, in this case, the negatives outweigh the positives. The most important thing to successfully running your website is to successfully keep it up and running reliably, consistently, and quickly – and, unfortunately, I just don’t feel confident that Network Solutions can deliver on those requirements.
3. Too Much Overselling
Though it does boast 99.9% uptime, the customer service issues and overselling the host are huge issues that the company needs to address.
What happens in that 0.01 percent of downtime if you have questions?
Or if the website creation tool isn’t working right and you can’t get your site up at all – who will help you? You need to look for a hosting provider who is able to provide the same great customer service and response times that your clients expect of you.
User Feedback
The following is from WHSR visitor Barry Tuber. Barry has a client whose site is hosted on Network Solutions, under IP 209.17.116.160 and the following is his email (unedited) sent to us on March 17, 2015.
Network Solutions broke my client's site, and won't/can't fix it.
My client, who is a non-profit, had an old Front Page based site on a Windows shared host at Network Solutions, that for some reason they paid for the hosting fees 10 years in advance.
We built them a new WordPress based site, and when I asked Network Solutions if that could run ok on their Windows host, they said “sure”, then “maybe not”, then “try it and see”, then “well, you'd better switch to a Unix host”, then “we'll let you out of the current hosting plan”, then “we won't let you out of the current hosting plan, but we'll let you switch the 10 year credit to a Unix plan”.
So the client agreed to get the Unix hosting, we copied the old site over, and we asked Network Solutions to flip thing over to Unix. They said they would do that last Wednesday, and they changed something which left the site totally unavailable (with an ugly 403 error page). First they said it would take 24-48 hours for the domain to resolve, then they said something was broken with the hosting setup and they would get back to us in 24-48 hours. It is now 6 days later and the site is still broken.
The last client before this one who hosted at Network Solutions had a shared server go down with a disk error. The site was down for a couple of days, and when it came back Network Solutions could only restore it from an old backup, so the client lost more than a day of paid transactions that they either had to reconstruct from credit card activity, and copies of emails, or in some cases completely lost.
I do not and would never recommend that any client host their web site at Network Solutions.
*The screenshot of the ticket in NS support area (sent by Barry).
Verdict: Do I Recommend Network Solutions Hosting?
The answer is NO – a big no. Terrible customer service, unreliable hosting servers, absurd cancellation policy – Network Solutions is the typical hosting company you want to avoid to protect yourself.
Network Solutions Alternatives And Comparisons
In case you have not noticed – we do not recommend Network Solutions and have rated them 1.5 stars. They are one of the lowest rated companies in WHSR's history due to a number of terrible business practices (more about this later).
If you were considering Network Solutions, I strongly recommend you to reconsider. Instead, check out GreenGeeks or HostPapa. Not only that they are cheaper compare to Network Solutions, they also offer better speed and security features – which are essentials for today's business websites.
Why GreenGeeks?
- Environmental friendly- 300% green hosting (industry's top)
- Excellent server performance: Rated A in all tests
- Choice of four server locations
- Convenient and newbies friendly
- Shared hosting starts at $2.95/month (March 2022)
- Learn more in our GreenGeeks review or visit GreenGeeks
Why HostPapa?
- Solid server performance + good live chat support
- Free site migration for first-time customers
- Generous server resources offers
- WHSR users get exclusive 70% discount – shared hosting starts at $2.95/mo (March 2022)
- Learn more in our HostPapa review or visit HostPapa
More Cheap Hosting Services
Also, in case you are running on a tight budget, here's a list of cheapest web hosts (below $5/mo) you can consider.
| Web Host | Cheapest Plan | Renewal Price | Free Domain? | Free Site Migration? | Site Hosted | Money Back Trial | Learn More | Order Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | $1.99/mo | $3.99/mo | No | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | Hostinger Review | Get Hostinger |
| InterServer | $2.50/mo | $7.00/mo | No | Yes | Unlimited | 30 Days | Interserver Review | Get InterServer |
| A2 Hosting | $2.99/mo | $10.99/mo | No | Yes | 1 | Anytime | A2Hosting Review | Get A2 Hosting |
| GreenGeeks | $2.95/mo | $10.95/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | GreenGeeks Review | Get GreenGeeks |
| TMD Hosting | $2.95/mo | $4.95/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 60 Days | TMD Hosting Review | Get TMD Hosting |
| InMotion Hosting | $2.29/mo | $8.99/mo | Yes | Yes | 2 | 90 Days | InMotion Hosting Review | Get InMotion Hosting |
| ScalaHosting | $3.95/mo | $6.95/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | ScalaHosting Review | Get ScalaHosting |
| BlueHost | $2.95/mo | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | BlueHost Review | Get BlueHost |
| HostPapa | $2.95/mo | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes | 1 | 30 Days | HostPapa Review | Get HostPapa |
