How many E-mail addresses do you have? For the longest I guess I took it for granted that most people used multiple E-mail accounts but I guess I was wrong. Here lately, I seem to be getting more E-mails about people having problems because they can’t get E-mail out or contact their hosting providers because there is no E-mail to use.

The basic rule that you should remember when signing up for a Web hosting account is do not sign up with an E-mail address that is attached to the Web site you wish to host. If I wanted to go setup and sign up Lockergnome.com I wouldn’t use my mitch@lockergnome E-mail address to do so. You see, when you do this you are cutting yourself off from your hosting provider if you have any issues.

Your Web host maybe trying to notify you when your E-mail might be down. You would never see it because they are trying to contact you via the E-mail address that is down.

Now the solution to a problem like this would be to sign up for a free E-mail address somewhere to just use for situations like this. I have a few Gmail addresses that I use for sign up information that has to do with my hosting accounts. This way if anything goes wrong I have another way for hosting to contact me.

I wish more Web hosts would warn against this when you sign up, but I am afraid many still do not.

Tags: e-mail, support, hosting, domains, questions, solutions