Vital Statistics:

• Internet Access: Zen's ADSL service. Static ip addresses (6 usable -- awesome) and it's cheap and it's fast.
• Domain Name Registrar: domaindiscover.com is more than cheap but has good legal policies (read: they are less than a page and do not steal any of your rights).
• Hosting: Virtual hosting with me controlling the primary DNS. I have forgotten the name of my web hosting company. I suppose that is a good sign.
• DNS: I could have hosted my DNS with either the registar (domaindiscover, above) or hoster, but decided I wanted full control over where the email went and what hostnames I could have. This turned out to be a very useful thing. I now have unlimited email addresses and control over anything.martindengler.com. However, you have to be ready to administer the monster that is the DNS application (BIND v8), which is not for the faint of heart.
• Network: SOHO-ware 100Mbps switch, two hubs, and one wireless access point connecting an undisclosed number of computers (including my Zaurus) with my ADSL modem & color printer.
• Firewall Software: Not telling you. Try and find out.

Today, getting online is sort of like learning how to drive in America. If you take a course with a big driving school, you will be safe and secure and learn how to drive an automatic through totally automated instruction. You will have the same skills/problems as everybody else. Or, you can go with your local driving instructor who will teach you automatic and manual (stick), but he/she will probably explain things really briefly in order to get to teaching the other hundred people behind you in line.

The many web-site resellers out there are mostly semi-technical people renting one server from a big hosting company and using shrink-wrapped software to host hundreds of sites like yours on it. Visit some of the resellers' web sites and you can see what most of them are in it for: "Customer acquisition is king" and "It costs you $3/month, and you can charge $15" articles abound.