Setting up a domain

[elSicomoro]

Since many of you seem tech-savvy, I'll throw this one out there.

After 3 years of dealing with Tripod and Geocities, I would finally like to establish Sycamoreland (my website) on its own domain. I'm looking for some advice here.

I see all these DNS registrars now, like register.com, that offer "cheap and easy" registration. How reliable are these people though? Is it better to simply go through Network Solutions?

Now then, my site itself: Currently, it's about 13MB, but will probably go up to 20MB or so in the next few months. (Most of the space is taken up by the photos that I upload for my "exhibits." I really don't upload much these days though.) What kind of cost am I looking at to have someone host it? Or am I better off using one of those URL redirects? My site is mainly a labor of love, although it gets steady traffic, so I'm wondering if getting my own domain is really cost efficient.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Undertoad]

I register about 30 names a year.

I can't stand Network Solutions any longer. From the original problems when they were a monopoly, to the ridiculous changes, to the spam, to their lack of ability to get their services web-ized.

Over the last two years, tons and tons of name registrars have sprung up. I've used Dotster (dotster.com) for incredibly cheap registrations ($15/year) and have been generally pleased. I hadn't had any problems at all with them until having to send a TON of information to transfer a domain's owndership recently. They require so much documentation to do that, it's really ridiculous.

On the other hand, they've recently redone their web site, and have web-based services for almost every other matter. So I think I'll stick with them.

I don't know anything about pointing your name at the free web hosting services. You'll need information from your hosting provider before setting out to get a domain name. Otherwise, you'll wind up paying the service extra, useless money to "park" the domain.