Host experiences and testimonials thread

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  • warlord0
    Member
    • Apr 2012
    • 53
    • 4.1.x

    We recently moved away from a 1&1 VPS :yikes: It was awful, did us huge amounts of reputational damage due to lack of performance We should have moved sooner. May have been our fault to some degree, purchased insufficient resources due to budget and went onto the "wrong" OS

    Anyway, enough about that. We went over to Kimsufi (www.ovh.co.uk) and was almost instantly amazed. Not a shared or virual host, but our own physical box with a huge amount more resources for LESS money! £45 per month for 16GB RAM 2 x Dual Core i5 processors, 2TB storage, 100GB FTP Backup and a range of OS'es to choose from. We went Debian, stuck on Nginx, PHP, MySQL, XCache etc. and this thing flys!

    If I look at webmaster tools it used to show an average page fetch time of 5 seconds, this is now sub 1s. Searches which generated 500 errors, mostly due to time outs have gone. That was even with Sphinx (which is awesomeness by the way). Now Sphinx reports our average search time as 0.00s :blink: and VB delivers it in 0.04 seconds.

    So far I highly rate Kimsufi/OVH.

    Customer service too!

    Proof #1: I messed up iptables and locked myself out They had me back on within an hour... I did this twice :blush:

    Proof #2: I setup a recurring bank payment. They said it probably wouldn't reach them in time so I paid by credit card. My bank or me messed up and they got paid again for the same month. Not a problem. I didn't even contact them - first I knew of it was when they emailed me telling me they'd credited me for the payment and it's back on my card.

    So if you're looking for a host I'd highly recommend Kimsufi.

    Downsides? Well for those of you who want a ready made web server with database etc. they just provide the tin - the processors, disks etc. not an installed solution. But for those who want to build from their own OS up - brilliant.

    Comment

    • 6impy
      Senior Member
      • Dec 2000
      • 144

      Nimbus Hosting

      Nimbus Hosting - http://www.nimbushosting.co.uk/ - Custom, Managed, Dedicated Hosting Plan (we do 5 million pageviews a month)

      PROs
      - Nimbus Hosting lives up to being a PROACTIVE, managed, vBulletin-specific host. Before them, I just didn't think that actually existed.
      - Tim follows up with you on issues you brought up in the past, the results of changes made, or even discussed changes. These aren't all related to increasing revenue for Nimbus. It feels like Tim genuinely cares. I think he does.
      - Tim is the main point of contact (at least in our case), but there are other people on staff who are knowledgable and experienced, so the "bus factor" isn't one (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor)
      - Price. Despite the high level of service, the price is competitive in the managed/dedicated hosting space and a little bit lower than our previous host.
      - Trust. Overall, the most important thing is, I trust Tim and I trust Nimbus Hosting to step up when needed for our site. That means a lot. When you're hosting a large website where some unique issues can come up, it's good to know your host has your back.

      CONs
      - I was concerned about speed given that the server was going to be in the UK. There is a slight difference when you ping the server (I'm West Coast), but it hasn't been a problem because we are using a CDN and actually, it's less noticeable on the East Coast, plus we do get visitors from the UK, Aus, NZ, etc. If we ever felt having our server being in the UK was an issue, we'd start using CloudFlare or Incapsula (essentially "CDN" our whole site, instead of just the images and static files...CloudFlare has their Railgun technology and Incapsula has intelligent caching of dynamic content), but we'd want to stick with Nimbus.
      - My bank charges a small point percentage fee for a payment in British pounds from US dollars. Same thing if I go credit card route. I guess I could go PayPal? I'm not sure if they would charge a percentage for conversion between currencies to the buyer. EIther way, we are still paying less than we were with our last host.
      - Potentially, the time zone difference, but it hasn't been a problem for us so far because I don't sleep, much to the detriment of my overall health.
      - We setup the server without a control panel, which once or twice I wish I'd had, but also has brought me back to the days when I was hosting my previous site, because I didn't have a control panel then either. The thing is, if I requested it, Tim would definitely set one up for us. (Tim, if you are reading this, please don't setup a control panel for us, heh. It's probably better I don't have access through a control panel as I should be focusing my time elsewhere.)

      I wanted to include those CONs because they are relevant, but they certainly aren't anything like the CONs we've had with other hosts, in that they don't make me start thinking about switching to another host.I've used vBulletin on two 100,000+ member sites since 2000 (as well as on a number of smaller websites). The first site, which I sold, I handled all the hosting myself. I'm far from an expert, but I have the experience of at least attempting to effectively host a high traffic vBulletin forum. On this second site, out of necessity I've had to do away with the "do everything myself" attitude. I've had three different hosts (I'll write about the other two later, I just don't like to speak ill of hosts because I know it's such a hard gig and both were good hosts in a lot of ways), two Fully Managed vBulletin-specific Hosts (Nimbus being one) and one a general Fully Managed Host. Nimbus is a host I hope to stay with for a long time because (and I'm repeating myself), overall, the most important thing is, I trust Tim and I trust Nimbus Hosting to step up when needed for our site. That means a lot. When you're hosting a large website where some unique issues can come up, it's good to know your host has your back.
      Last edited by 6impy; Mon 16 Jul '12, 2:15pm.

      Comment

      • craigvm
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2012
        • 189
        • 4.2.X

        unlimited web hosting
        Fast, secure and reliable web hosting in the UK. Host unlimited websites with SSD webspace, SSL, daily backups and fast UK-based support.

        i use there cloud vps with 3gb of ram GenuineIntel, Intel(R) Xeon(R)CPU X3430 @ 2.40GHz and 20gb disk space and 100gb bandwidth
        £24 a month
        pro`s
        fast server
        100% uptime so far
        first class support

        con`c
        none so far
        www.fordmodified.co.uk
        the home for modified fords

        Comment

        • Carpenter1
          New Member
          • May 2007
          • 2

          I use Host-international.com
          Very affordable, support is always there and great guys to work with......

          Comment

          • Dozman
            Member
            • Mar 2008
            • 35
            • 3.6.x

            I am currently looking for a new Web Host

            I am with 1&1 that e-mailed me that in April 2013 will be forcing me to upgrade PHP5.2 to PHP5.4
            My VB 3.81 site is locked and any version of VB 3.8 will not work with PHP5.4

            My 1&1 site plan is 4.99 a month and I have been with 1&1 since 2008.
            I do not have a lot of traffic, so I do not need a big plan.

            Thank you for this post and I will go through it to find a new host.

            Comment

            • Inspector G
              Senior Member
              • Dec 2012
              • 136
              • 4.0.x

              Wow I read this and called Hostrocket as suggested above, I have to say from the sounds off the sales rep very knowledgeable,
              I only waited 3.5 minutes on hold. and all my requirements have been met. awesome support do far...
              Here I go again...
              I have 15 Live members on my site...So even if you want to bash me stop in and visit please...
              www.freedomofspeech.cc
              ... Been around for yrs

              Comment

              • Crazy8sNYK
                New Member
                • Jan 2013
                • 11

                I have recently signed up with bluehost and started a phpBB forum. I really don't like the layout and have now decided to bite the bullet and run with vBulletin.

                A simple but very nooby question, can I use bluehost as my host for a vBulletin 5 beta forum? vBulletin is by far the best looking and I'm still able to delete my bluehost account within 30 days.

                Thanks in advance for any advice/help.

                Comment

                • XiTCLUB
                  Senior Member
                  • Jan 2010
                  • 190
                  • 4.0.x

                  I am Using IntoVPS from 6 Months, with 99.93% Uptime, and super fast speed VPS servers, they are giving very quality VPS with dedicated features in very low price, i m raelly enjoying their service, 2 minute ticket reply awesome support.
                  My Forum is vb 4.1.X and 200 to 400 users online. and amusing there 2nd vps plan with 1 GB dedicated and 2 GB Burstable RAM.

                  Comment

                  • lashamaro
                    New Member
                    • Mar 2013
                    • 2

                    EURO-SPACE



                    Currently on a shared cPanel account.



                    URL: [URL="http://www.euro-space.net"]http://www.euro-space.net[/URL="http://www.euro-space.net"]



                    Shared hosting in the UK, reseller hosting plans and VPS in the US and UK datacenters. Most reliable company from my experience



                    Pros:
                    • Great tech support - with high grade of knowledge, fast responses and friendly attitude
                    • Highest server uptime - Haven't experienced any unscheduled downtime yet
                    • Latest software and hardware - PHP 5.3 , MySQL 5.5 , etc.
                    • Preinstalled scripts and features in the cPanel
                    • Raid-10 drives with daily, weekly and monthly backups
                    • Free assistance with moving of the site
                    • Cheap prices on the hosting accounts
                    • Money back guarantee (though never used)



                    Cons:
                    • Account was setup in 2 hours after payment was made

                    Comment

                    • iraqiboy90
                      New Member
                      • Sep 2012
                      • 14
                      • 4.2.X

                      Leaseweb | www.leaseweb.com | (sharedHosting)

                      Have website for 7-8 months now. www.thefamilygamingclan.com

                      Pros:
                      1. Cheap
                      2. Lot of bandwidth for a cheap package. Only using 4-5gb/month

                      Cons:
                      1. Very slow support. Usually isnt helpfull.
                      2. Extremely few control options at panel (Parallel Plesk 9). None of the important, like nameserver and advanced DB options.
                      3. Performance issues
                      4. Slow website loading
                      5. Alot of downtimes.
                      6. DDoS attacks: Not rare.
                      7. SSL option was available, but then disabled after website moved to another machine
                      8. No cache option. They dont want to install one either. None in the near future.
                      9. MySQL was under attacks several times. Lots of downtimes before.
                      10. phpmyadmin is old version: 2.11.9.6
                      11. Not up to date Mysql and php version.

                      Comment

                      • David Mckinley
                        New Member
                        • Jun 2012
                        • 4
                        • 5.0.X

                        Originally posted by Crazy8sNYK
                        I have recently signed up with bluehost and started a phpBB forum. I really don't like the layout and have now decided to bite the bullet and run with vBulletin.

                        A simple but very nooby question, can I use bluehost as my host for a vBulletin 5 beta forum? vBulletin is by far the best looking and I'm still able to delete my bluehost account within 30 days.

                        Thanks in advance for any advice/help.
                        Check reviews on BlueHost, they're excellent in all shapes and forms, and yes it's possible to host your vB5 on it.

                        Comment

                        • zimworker
                          New Member
                          • Jul 2013
                          • 1

                          Hello people,

                          I'm a newbie here. I found someone to help with a forum i intend to build. He's charging $100 for the script (no idea what that is), and $50 for installation and theme customization. I already have the theme, and I'm supposed to handle the hosting part of the deal. I was going to go with godaddy because they looked more professional, and have a good support system. However on coming here, I have read 'not-too-good' reviews on godaddy. It's a small forum really, and I'm definitely going with a shared plan as I'm on a tight budget.

                          I would appreciate your thoughts on
                          1) The hosting plan, provider...and how best to maximize my use
                          2) The price of the script, or licence...if it's a fair price. Dont want to spend a 100 bucks and not know what for...

                          Comment

                          • fholbert
                            Member
                            • Oct 2007
                            • 72

                            Originally posted by trulylowcarb
                            Hostgator

                            So many negative posts here about Hostgator - surprise!! this one is a thumbs-up.
                            I too have used Hostgator, their shared server $3.96 a month plan ( 3 year ), and have no issues. I had 2 websites and 1 vBulletin Forum with them for the last 4 years. My forum isn't real big supporting about 900 people.

                            Con: They only backup once a week. Then again I've never needed a restore.

                            Comment

                            • Zadar
                              New Member
                              • May 2013
                              • 4
                              • 2.3.4

                              Downtime can be very annoying for average website, for forums it is simply a disaster.
                              Does anyone have any experience of running small to medium size forum on shared hosting account?

                              Comment

                              • GamBun
                                Senior Member
                                • Jun 2006
                                • 148
                                • 4.2.X

                                JustHost is excellent! I recommend their "Premium Plan" AKA "JustPak" (cheap: $8.95 per month)
                                Here's what you get:
                                One Free domain name registration for life
                                Email Accounts = infinite
                                Subdomains = infinite
                                Parked Domains = infinite
                                Addon Domains = infinite
                                FTP Accounts = infinite
                                Mailing Lists = infinite
                                SQL Databases = infinite
                                PostgreSQL Databases = infinite
                                Mailing List Disk Space = infinite
                                cPanel Version = 11.32.7 (build 3) of cPanel Pro 1.0 (RC1)
                                Apache version = 2.2.25
                                PHP version = 5.2.17 - they keep this up to date based on safe release!
                                MySQL version = 5.5.34-log
                                Operating system = linux

                                Database Tools:
                                MySQL® Databases
                                MySQL® DB Wizard
                                phpMyAdmin
                                Remote MySQL
                                MySQL Usage
                                Reset MySQL Pswrd
                                PostgreSQL Databases
                                PostgreSQL DB Wizard
                                phpPgAdmin
                                Remote PostgreSQL

                                File Management:
                                Site Backup Pro
                                File Manager
                                Legacy File Manager
                                File Count
                                Disk Space Usage
                                Web Disk
                                FTP Accounts
                                Unlimited FTP

                                Software Services:
                                CGI Center
                                Perl Modules
                                PHP PEAR Packages
                                PHP Config
                                RubyGems
                                Ruby on Rails
                                Cloudflare

                                Web Builders: WordPress
                                Simple Scripts
                                Weebly
                                goMobi Mobile

                                Excellent Up Time! I have a company that monitors this for me and all has remained at least at 99.5 up time worst case, but the daily usually is 100%, and page loads stay worst case 11-16 seconds.
                                I have two big sites and 4 small and still all runs well!

                                They have a lot of addon buy-in stuff as well such as:
                                Domain Privacy
                                Search engine services/submission
                                $100 AdWords
                                Twitter $50 Ad Credit
                                Facebook $50 Credit
                                Free Yellowpages USA $25 Offer
                                Site Builders
                                Shopping Cart Services/ E-commerce
                                PayPal
                                ShopSite
                                AcceptSafe
                                Cashie
                                Mojo Marketplace
                                Just to name a few...

                                The reason I went with them is the up time.
                                Just a warning about Startlogic it crashes large sites due to shared server traffic. They pushed me to get a dedicated server once I was only reaching a daily average of a 1000 visitors (quite small). I have never had a problem with JustHost on their shared servers.
                                Last edited by GamBun; Thu 7 Nov '13, 7:40am. Reason: typos

                                Comment

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