Baby steps to vBulletin: please help a newbie

[CSU-CYS]

I've recently spent alot of time here on the site and board trying to piece together what i'll need to go from 0 to functional vBulletin, but have not been able to come up with anything. There's just so many specifics and jargon i don't understand, it's all a bit overwhelming.
I'm assuming the 1st step is to get a hosting company.
My question is..
what to look for in a company? I want to run a small/moderate board. No need for e-mail or anything... just the board. I tried a search @ http://www.webhostingratings.com/ and came up with
AveHost (http://www.avehost.com/?AID=522118&PID=945015) as a good looking candidate. However, i'm not sure what specifics to look for. Can anyone please point me in a good direction? Obviously i am very new to this whole thing, but am willing to learn. just need to know where to start.
Thanks much
matt

[ccd1]

www.venturesonline.com offers plans startin at less then $10 that will allow you to run a board that can take several thousand posts per month

[Steve Machol]

Ventures Online is a great host as baragon0 says.

Also if you've already purchase vB then you should follow the link in my sig and add your user name to the list. This will make posting and getting support much easier.

[CSU-CYS]

Wow,
Thanks guys for the quick replies. I'll go with them; the name seems familiar from some of my readings on here and both of your recommendations are worth more than a month of my own "groping in the dark" research, so that'll work for me.
I havn't purchased the software yet because i was wanting to set up a host 1st, so i could make sure i wasn't sticking myself with a huge monthly bill.
Thanks so much guys; i'm sure more questions will follow, but for now i'm off to explore their site and what they have to offer.
Thanks again,
matt

[CSU-CYS]

Ok, i'm looking at the "V50" package. it says it includes 50MB web space and 5000MB bandwidth. It also mentions that it has NO dedicated IP (is that a problem?) and 2 MySQL Data Bases.
I've read a small ammount about these MySQL data bases; are they necessary to making the board work?
Are 50MB space and 5000MB bandwidth enough to keep a moderatly sized board up and running without problems? I ask because of your personal experience with heading these boards. That is very valuable advice to me.
Thanks again guys (sorry for the really newbie questions. :rolleyes: )

EDIT: also, am i liable to be hit with hidden costs beyond the 9.95/month fee?
matt

[ccd1]

You need just one mySQL database to run a vBulletin, so technically, you can run two with this.

The only hidden charges you ma be hit with is if you go over your allocated bandwidth or disc space limit, in which case they will warn you in advance.

I'm currently hosting a vBulletin under that plan, I got around 1000 posts in a month and didn't even go through half the bandwidth or a quarter of the space.

[CSU-CYS]

Good to know. Sounds like a good deal. Have you found their tech-support service to be helpful? I'm a college student right now, and don't have time for alot of hassle in the way of dealing with constant problems. I'm hoping to be able to set it up and (for the most part) leave it alone.
(this is not to imply that i'm not serious about being an administrator)
I appreciate your responses.
matt
Sorry: one final question before i take the plunge: with this company, do you have to already own the domain name, or is that included in the per month charge (ie. i'll be able to specify the domain name i want during the hosting "order" process)
Thanks so much.

[ccd1]

You will need to get a domain name, venturesonline can register one for you if you wish for an additional fee.

VO has a reputation of having very good customer support, all of my help tickets have been responded to in less than 12 hours.