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General discussion

Burned by server downtime need sincere server advice

Oct 27, 2005 8:53AM PDT

I was recently burned big by a long (12 days) server failure. Six Websitea were gone for the duration along with all access to their email accounts. Even trying to transfer the domains has been hampered because in each instance the official contact email was at the affected site. (Catch22 Internet style a mistake I don't intend to repeat) Now I am looking to find a reliable server with guaranteed uptime (I know they all say they are 99.99% up) I also want to make sure I can contact said server via phone for support. (Phone numbers for previous server were either unresponsive or "changed or disconnected")
I have tried searching on many of the web hosting search sites (including CNet web hosting recommendations) I keep running up against a couple of problems.
1. Most of these sites are supported by advertising from the web hosting companies being reviewed.
2. There seems to be no strong consensus across these sites to support any particular hosting companies.
3. User reviews, when available, tend to reflect only the most extreme reactions. (Hate filled "This is the worst company ever" or "This company is wonderful I love them to pieces.") In either extreme I am inclined to dismiss the review because there are no hard facts introduced to support the opinions.

Bottom line I am appealing to this forum's users for some help. I would like recommendations of both sites that offer reliable reviews of web hosting companies and personal recommendations from members of this forum. Please include hard facts including approximate duration you have used the services of any suggested web hosting company, what type of support is available and your satisfaction with the advice and guidance you were given. Domain registration services are a plus but not a requirement. Domains must continue to be registered in our name and those of our clients. Our major requirements include CPanel or like site management tools, FrontPage Extensions enabled. Reseller capacity is desirable but not of primary concern. Email accounts unlimited would be nice, but frankly we have never needed more than a couple of dozen at any one site. Bandwidth capacity should be at least 30GB and include ability to upgrade without excessive additional fees. Storage capacity should be at least 1000MB.

It is ok to "pitch" your own services of course, but if you do, please offer me some pertinent data.
How long you have been in business?
Can I access information about your company at a known physical address through the better business bureau?
What sort of security do you employ and how often is it updated? Does any of the responsibility for security and updates fall to me?
How is your data backed up and what type of server redundancy do you rely on? What kind of power backup source or sources do you employ?
How are payments handled? Do you use an automatic credit card billing system? If so are any kinds of charges made without contacting me for prior approval?(Constantly reading nightmare stories about those)

Yes I guess I want it all and of course at a minimum price, but seriously my primary concern if to find an honest and reliable company to do business with.

Thanks in advance for helpful replies

Discussion is locked

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Burned
Oct 27, 2005 11:55AM PDT

You might want to try westhost.com. I've been using a programmer to do some application work on my site and she suggested that I take a look because of the constant arrogance and abuse that I received at amray.
They offer vps hosting which is a bit different than shared hosting(they explain very well) and have a plan for 11.95$ month that has 2000mb disk space and 40gb of transfer. 30 day money back and you can actually talk with them on the phone. You can pay monthly, quarterly or annually. You can transfer domain(they said between 10-14 business days) or redirect your registra to their servers for free.

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Westhost - Great Customer Service.
Mar 16, 2006 5:22AM PST

We used them for a couple of our clients. Their service and support are excellent. We also dealed with 1and1 a bit. No comparison there - we plan to sign up another hosting plan with Westhost within a couple of weeks. Good luck.

YQ.

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Try these
Nov 11, 2005 5:20AM PST

I tend to trust Cnet, so when I went looking for a web host I tried their #1 rated Aplus.net.

I've been with them for almost a year now, and they are always helpful, seems like there's always someone available for live support chat (haven't had to call them on the phone yet). Never had any downtime.

The best part about them compared to other hosting companies is you can have multiple domains under one account, so if you host several sites like I do, you have all your info in one spot.

They send you an email whenever you have a new billing statement, and they are all accessible under their control panel.

I don't know offhand what their backup power supply is like, but I think you can find that information on their web site.


The other hosting company I've used in the past is Dot5 Hosting. They've been very good and I still have 1 site with them, but they don't match up to Aplus in the certain areas (like the multiple domains under one account), and they don't give you access to billing statements (I didn't mind because I just pay them $60 a year for my one site).

Those are the 2 I think you should check out.

www.aplus.net - the best
www.dot5hosting.com - still very good

Cheers,
Matt

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Thanks for the helpful advice
Nov 16, 2005 1:03AM PST

Thanks for both the replies to my original post.
We have decided to give Aplus.net a go. So far they have indeed been very reliable. Both phone calls and contact through the control panel have met with immediate response. All technical issue support answers have been on the mark. They have also been 100% in response to any email inquiries.

Thanks again

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Bottom Line
Nov 24, 2005 7:03PM PST

I was following this thread with interest as I have some of the same needs. Interestingly enough, I expect server failures, I expect glitches and I expect the unexpected. But the one thing that will make a company stand out is how they respond to your needs.

No answer at all is not good. As long as I am in the loop and understand the what's where's and how's I am typically alright about it. But when I am ignored.. then that is a differnt story all together.

The best any company can do is mitigate.