Next step up from Host Gator to VPS, advice?

[swiftor]

I am currently on a shared Host Gator plan, which is good for my forums about 95% of the time with my current configuration, but I feel it's holding back my potential traffic and user conversion rate when I get large spikes of traffic (which I can create during my live shows on a streaming site).

When I send several hundred people over to a particular thread, understandably many of the users get white screens saying that the server isn't available. I am also limited to 25 processes, which means I can't run more intensive scripts and mods like the multiplayer poker game in the Casino mods without killing my site. But I do run VBSEO, and while demanding, Host Gator seems to hold that up like a champ. But otherwise, Host Gator says that I need a dedicated server to solve my processes and traffic spike issue. They have no ETA on a VPS solution, which is a let down.

Right now, my forums have about 200 registered users stop by everyday, which is practically nothing, but during peak periods it can easily reach between 300 and 500 concurrent registered and unregistered users (this number is growing). And I want each of those users to have a good, responsive experience, when they are there.

I have not yet optimized my databases (crashed my site the last time i tried to optimize all the tables at once, shame on me), but I'm guessing it won't solve the problem of the spikes in users anyway. I also have a bunch of mods, I can list them if requested.

So if the following is my current wish list, what host do you guys suggest I go with? I'd ideally like to pay less than $100 per month, but will reasonably pay for quality. Anything much less would be fantastic =D

• Can handle bursts of around 300-500 concurrent visitors. Maybe I'm overestimating, but my show can currently get around 600-800 live viewers that may click on my links.
• Currently using about 5gb in disk space, mostly images, but that I expect to increase sharply, but it seems to be well under the limits of most VPS plans.
• Currently 100 gigs of traffic per month, I hope to increase this on a new host.
• Can handle VBSEO with all features turned on.
• Can handle image hosting for the users on the site. No video hosting.
• Can handle some other hungry stuff like that multiplayer casino game.
• Currently 5 databases, but I can hold on to host gator for my smaller stuff perhaps.

I'm completely open to sugestions, if I'm asking for too much, or you think I need less than I think I do, I'd appreciate the honest feedback! I just want to create a great experience for my users when they go to the site.

Thanks for reading this long post, and I hope others out there will find the info in this thread helpful from the kind folks participating useful.

[Mark.B]

Speak to Tim at Global Gold.

https://www.globalgold.co.uk

Not only do they offer VPS but they specialise in vBulletin hosting, they know the software very well. Also Tim will organise migrating your site for you so you have to do virtually nothing yourself.

Search these forums and there's a long list of people who will vouch for the company. I moved to them in March 2009 and have had no trouble at all since.

[swiftor]

I saw all the great reviews, the problem is they are located in the UK, a bulk of my users are in the US (even though I have a fantastic UK base), and SEO is pretty important to me =P

How I wish they would expand here.

[Mark.B]

Being in the UK should make no perceptible difference to the speed of the site and it shouldn't affect SEO at all. I'm in the UK, but prior to using Globalgold I used two hosts in the US with no affect on speed whatsoever (perhaps if I'd started measuring in fractions of a nanosecond there might have been I guess).

[swiftor]

Hey Mark, thanks for the feedback! Most of my searches show (and other comments on this forum) that the geographic location of an IP should be in the country of the people you are targeting. Here's a link from a reputable SEO site check out the bottom

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/rewriting-the-beginners-guide-to-seo-rewriting-server-hosting-issues

[bigwater]

Check out ServInt swiftor. Their entry level VPS should fit your needs nicely and the cost is within your budget. You might need a bit more ram than the minimum guaranteed for the entry level VPS package, but if I'm not mistaken you can upgrade that at a very reasonable price.

[swiftor]

I just spoke with David from ServInt, and he stats they can't adjust the minimum ram for the entry level vps, but even if I did need to move up to next level after doing some stress tests, that's ok.

I'm going to try out ServInt using their back to school promo code to see how it goes.

[SOL_R]

Hi, I can't say enough about URL Jet. We have a VPS with them and the support is the best I have seen. The response time to a support ticket is very fast. They specialise in vBulletin hosting.

What are the two things that we look for? Customer service and price?

URL Jet has both hands down. They also have dedicated servers too.

Everyone there is friendly and very helpful. In my opinion this would be a great fit for you. Their prices are very competive as well.

I moved from a shared host and actually even though I could have done it they moved my forum for me. The move was very fast and it gave me time to do other things.

I am so glad I went with URL Jet! Check them out and I am sure you won't regret it.

URL Jet

Thanks

R.

[SnapOff Racing]

Hi, I can't say enough about URL Jet. We have a VPS with them and the support is the best I have seen. The response time to a support ticket is very fast. They specialise in vBulletin hosting.

What are the two things that we look for? Customer service and price?

URL Jet has both hands down. They also have dedicated servers too.

Everyone there is friendly and very helpful. In my opinion this would be a great fit for you. Their prices are very competive as well.

I moved from a shared host and actually even though I could have done it they moved my forum for me. The move was very fast and it gave me time to do other things.

I am so glad I went with URL Jet! Check them out and I am sure you won't regret it.

URL Jet

Thanks

R.

Couldn't agree with this post more. They're the best host I could ask for

[anthonyparsons]

If you want reliability, then you want ServInt for US based hosting. Their basic VPS package will accommodate what you are asking above, without issue. As the forum grows, you can upgrade without any hassles to the next VPS... without even a single change or any downtime, as they will do it for you so you don't even know its happened. Very customer pleasing company with really above normal servers. A little more than most, but you get what you pay for.

[R1lover]

you really need a dedicated server for 300-500 concurrent connections, anyone telling you otherwise is just plane wrong lol

If it was me, I would set you up on a fully managed dedicated dual Xeon 5xxx, 4gb ram, with SataII in a Raid I for about 350.00 a month. The time alone you will not have to spend on troubleshooting your issues will be worth it. Any VPS with 500 Concurrent connections to the database will be running like a ford escort, no matter what anyone tells you.

[mainstreamnet]

Any VPS with 500 Concurrent connections to the database will be running like a ford escort, no matter what anyone tells you.

That would depend on the node and the vps specs itself.

[R1lover]

That would depend on the node and the vps specs itself.

I expect this from someone selling VPS boxes lol

and yes you "Could" get this to run properly on a VPS.... but the odds of a host actually doing it are very very rare, to the point of it being perfectly normal to say it's not going to happen. :lol

VPS's are typically not designed or setup to handle this type of load.... you being a provider should know this as well.

[swiftor]

Just a heads up to all that we moved over from Host Gator to ServInt's Essential VPS, and so far it does not seems to perform as well as the shared account on Host Gator. It's only day one, and we've posted an optimization request here on the forums to see if there's anything we can do.

SQL loads seem to be at 12% even with only 40 users online, and it the forums seem sluggish then too. Although, SQL is throwing errors about not being able to perform operations, so hopelly it's just a missing extension or something. Unfortunately the ServInt engineers weren't able to spot anything. I'll check with them again.

The ServInt folks suggest it may be the ram limit on the plan im on, and I'd consider moving up, but I hope I can at least squeeze out the performance I was getting from an $8/mo. shared plan on Host Gator on the Essential vps.

I will update this thread with how things go over the next couple of days.

[R1lover]

Just a heads up to all that we moved over from Host Gator to ServInt's Essential VPS, and so far it does not seems to perform as well as the shared account on Host Gator. It's only day one, and we've posted an optimization request here on the forums to see if there's anything we can do.

SQL loads seem to be at 12% even with only 40 users online, and it the forums seem sluggish then too. Although, SQL is throwing errors about not being able to perform operations, so hopelly it's just a missing extension or something. Unfortunately the ServInt engineers weren't able to spot anything. I'll check with them again.

The ServInt folks suggest it may be the ram limit on the plan im on, and I'd consider moving up, but I hope I can at least squeeze out the performance I was getting from an $8/mo. shared plan on Host Gator on the Essential vps.

I will update this thread with how things go over the next couple of days.

Keep in mind that other customers on the same node will effect your sites as well.... this is why when dealing with a VPS it's important to find a top end one... otherwise it's just the same shared hosting problems all over again.