Network Solutions is well-known for being one of the first domain registrars. It’s been around for over 40 years. However, it is only natural that the company has expanded into other fields after so many years.
This in-depth Network Solutions review will put their claims to the test. We will look into the following:
Reliability: Will your website be available 24/7 or there is chance of downtime in the middle of the night or on the weekend?
Pricing: Do they offer competitive prices? If there are any discounts available for Network Solutions?
Performance: When hosted by Network Solutions, how quickly will your website load?
Customer Support: Is Network Solutions reliable when you need immediate assistance with your website?
Features: Do they provide everything you need to create a website?
This is a thorough examination of Network Solutions, which examines the hosting service in great detail. If you don’t have time to read our comprehensive review of Network Solutions’s hosting services, here’s a scorecard that summarises our findings and concludes with our recommendation.
Network Solutions Review Summary
Performance grade B
Average load time 3.25s
Free SSL No
Free domain name No
Support Phone/E-mail/Knowledge base
About Network Solutions
Network Solutions has been in operation since 1979. They were once one of the best hosting solutions on the market. It appears that they have declined since their acquisition by Web.com in 2011.
Pros and cons of Network Solutions
Every web host has both benefits and drawbacks. In some cases, the advantages may outweigh the disadvantages, but in others, certain disadvantages may be a deal breaker.
Before making a final decision, consider the advantages and disadvantages of using Network Solutions.
Let’s start with the advantages.
- Uptime guarantee: Network Solutions guarantees 99.99 percent uptime if you choose Linux as your server operating system. Network Solutions guarantees 99.9% uptime for Windows-based servers. I dug a little deeper and read their terms of service to see what kind of guarantee they provide. Unfortunately, no information about the compensation offered in connection with this guarantee was provided.
- Included website builder software: Every hosting package includes access to their website-creation software. Its capabilities pleasantly surprised us. Forms, maps, social media links, and other elements can be dragged and dropped directly into the Web-based website builder. In HTML, you can even drag and drop code such as JavaScript. Other businesses charge extra for some of these features. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that we could do the majority of this for free.
- Custom and advanced options: Network Solutions begins as a low-cost solution for your Web hosting needs, but with all of the advanced options available, they can quickly become prohibitively expensive. They do offer some unique packages, such as a special Facebook marketing package, and they will offer to build your website from the ground up for you. Network Solutions offers a variety of add-ons, such as marketing packages that submit your site to local registries as well as Google, Yahoo, and Bing search engines, a store package that allows you to sell items on your site, and a full e-commerce package. Each of these packages is available for purchase separately.
- Windows and Linux based servers: Customers can choose between Linux-based and Windows-based servers at the Network Solutions data centre. Neither is superior to the other; it is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer the customization options provided by Linux, while others prefer the familiarity of Windows-based servers.
- Multiple hosting plans: You can pay for your hosting up to ten years in advance with Network Solutions. The majority of the hosting is geared towards small-business owners. Network Solutions provides WordPress dedicated hosting, shared hosting, VPS hosting, and SharePoint hosting. Plans for e-commerce and mobile website hosting are also available.
Cons of choosing Network Solutions:
- Not so good customer support: There are over 26 different support solutions available on the Network Solutions support page. Half of them are for sales, and the other half are for support. This page is confusing, and it may take some time for them to respond to your question. Some of the support options even require you to send an email. Many support solutions have multiple channels, which only adds to the confusion. Network Solutions claims to provide support 24/7, but many of the solutions are only available during US business hours. Having email support available 24/7 isn’t exactly a selling point. You can email anyone at any time and not receive a response until the following business day.
- Upsells: Network Solutions has an excessive number of selling options. Every step of the way, it feels like they’re trying to nickel and dime you. If you want a specific feature, you must pay an additional fee. Furthermore, without informing the customer, every single sale they make is placed on an auto-renewal subscription plan.
- Exorbitant cancellation charges: Network Solutions charges exorbitant cancellation fees. The full charge increases with the length of your initial contract. They’ll charge you just under $40 to cancel after a year. They will charge you up to $180 to cancel a 10-year contract. When it comes to the response to your cancellation requests, that barely scratches the surface. They will bombard you with upsell attempts and promises of lower fees if you cancel the cancellation request, which the majority of the time will not be honoured.
- Some worst reviews: This one is destined for the woodwork. When it comes to Web hosting companies, Network Solutions has some of the worst reviews I’ve ever read. Support appears to be a farce; they make you jump through hoops to transfer domains away from them, and they never deliver on their promises. People have lost domains and are being charged exorbitant fees, and it can take several weeks – sometimes months – to get support, only to discover that support was never available in the first place.
Network Solutions Performance
When choosing a web host, cost is frequently the most important factor to consider, but performance should never be overlooked.
As a result, we decided to conduct our own tests in order to conduct a thorough analysis of Network Solution’s performance.
Network Solutions Speed Test Results:
One of the most important performance metrics to consider when looking for important performance metrics is speed. A faster website not only improves the user experience, but it also improves your website’s search engine optimisation. (SEO).
For example, a one-second delay can result in a 15% drop in customer satisfaction, a 6% drop in conversions, and a 10% drop in page views. All of these changes can happen in a split second.
To assess the performance of our tests, we used Pingdom’s website speed testing tool. We obtained the following results as a result of the circumstances:
As you can see, it loaded in 3.25 seconds, which is quiet high.
Network Solutions Plans and Features
There are two types of hosting services available to you.
Web Hosting:
Network Solutions uses cloud hosting, which distributes your files across multiple servers, so if one fails, they will automatically route to another.
In addition, every server is scanned for malware every day. If anything malicious is discovered, it will be removed as soon as possible to protect you and other customers.
There are four professional web hosting service plans to choose from:
- Starter: $5.69 per month
- Essential: $9.96 per month
- Professional: $25.78 per month
- Premium: $31.61 per month
Their cloud packages with an annual term include a free domain.
Depending on the plan you choose, you’ll also get email accounts, free business LLC formation, malware scanning, and an SSL certificate.
Network Solutions hosting provides easy access to tools such as Joomla, Drupal, PHP, Python, WordPress, Rails, MySQL, Ruby, and Perl.
WordPress Hosting:
Network Solutions’ WordPress hosting plan is designed specifically for WordPress sites and delivers lightning-fast speeds.
If you intend to build your site with WordPress, you should consider purchasing this plan. Depending on your requirements, you can select from a variety of packages.
- WordPress for Entrepreneurs: $7.99 per month
- WordPress for a Growing Business: $13.98 per month
- WordPress for Professionals: $18.98 per month
Every annual plan includes a free domain, email boxes, and on-demand cloud backup.
You will receive a free SSL certificate with the business and professional plans. There is also a multisite management option. This allows you to easily manage a network of WordPress sites.
Network Solutions provides hosting services. It’s simple and straightforward, and it provides you with everything you need to get your site online. There is no complicated jargon or unnecessary add-ons, just powerful features with clear pricing.
Network Solutions Customer Support and Service
Network Solutions provides three customer support channels: live chat, phone, and a ticketing system. All three are only available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. EST. Aside from that, the provider has a knowledge base if you need assistance right away.
Overall, Network Solutions’ customer service could be improved. The lack of 24/7 support and a fairly jumbled knowledge base are inconvenient.
Bottom Line
Network Solutions is one Web hosting provider that I strongly advise against. They once had a monopoly on Web domain registration and were regarded as a good solution for your Web hosting needs. Even with Web.com’s support, the number of people trying to get away from Network Solutions is alarming.