If you are considering a new Joomla website or converting your old website into a Joomla website, start with finding out whether your current hosting provider supports Joomla properly. Joomla runs best on the *nix apache type of servers (not Windows apache), Linux apache is often the best choice if you are getting a Joomla-driven website.

Most hosting companies say that they "support Joomla", but in reality they often support only "plan vanilla" Joomla but for more advanced requirements they implement "work-arounds" or don't support them at all. Some advanced Joomla security components do not run well on these servers. In theory, you can add plugins and customize configuration on any server to get it all working, but in practice - it results in endless communication, hosting support folks are not always knowledgeable, and in some cases, additional tweaks destabilize the site and can even break it.

It is best to do things in the right way right from the start. Get a Linux apache server to host your Joomla websites.

Joomla Website Hosting Requirements

1. LAMP server: Linux + Apache Server + MySQL + PHP/Perl
2. PHP scripting available (PHP Version 5.3.10+, 5.5+ recommended)
3. Access to MySQL database. MYSQL Version 5.1+
4. FTP/Control Panel Access. Database access.
5. Support for mod_rewrite (for SEF) - a Linux apache server supports it natively
6. Support for apache/PHP modules: mod_zlib, mod_sql, mod_xml, curl, curlwrapper, GD library, ionCube, rewrite.

To be sure, please review the official Joomla Technical Requirements page.