ISP Recommendations

[Solecismic]

As I'm currently almost three full days without a web site, my frustration with Avvanta's lack of backup plans grows, now that most of the heavily populated areas around Seattle have power again.

I'm starting to wonder if Avvanta isn't just gone. Their phones don't pick up, they don't even have a web site. Maybe this was just too much for them.

So, if this continues into tomorrow, I'm going to find a more reliable ISP. There's really no excuse for just disappearing for this length of time.

I know a lot of you have experience in this area. I'd like to find an ISP with the following qualities:

1. No down time. Avvanta was excellent here until Friday.

2. Decent amount of web space. Avvanta was not very good here - only 50MB per account.

3. No extra costs for high traffic on busy days. The reason I didn't switch from Avvanta because of the limited web space is they have what they call "unmetered" traffic for business accounts. If I put out a demo and 1,000 people download it on the first day, I don't get killed with a high usage fee.

4. Ability to use scripting, some formmail stuff, ability to configure email accounts, decent spam blocking.

5. Responsive customer service.

[Ben E Lou]

I've been very happy with aplus.net for the web space that I use to mirror FOF2K7, host the FOF2K7 downloads, and used for YL purposes. Download speeds are great, and in five years, I've never had unplanned down times that lasted more than an hour or so, to my knowledge. The one piece I can't speak to is their customer service. I guess that's a good sign, because I've never had to use it since I signed up five years ago. The maintenance down times seem pretty few and far between (as in probably no more than once or twice a year), and they've always given me plenty of notice for the 1-3 hours that they last. It looks like they're currently running a special for new accounts:

http://hosting.aplus.net/windowshosting.html


<table style="margin-top: 16px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>http://hosting.aplus.net/images/primoxr-price_new.gif</td> <td>http://hosting.aplus.net/images/btn_signupnow.gif (https://secure.aplus.net/csx-new/win-primoxr.xml)</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="td_nrmltext">Pricing:</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="18"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#SetupFee) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Setup fee: $20 - or FREE with annual payment</td> </tr> <!-- <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> </td> <td valign="top" class="td_nrmltext">Free setup with annual payment</td> </tr> --> <tr> <td style="padding-top: 2px;" align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#MonthlyFee) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Monthly fee - <s style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">$19.95</s> $9.95/mo.¹</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="td_nrmltext">General:</td> </tr> <!--PRIMOXR--> <tr> <td style="padding-top: 2px;" align="center" valign="top" width="18"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#DiskStorage) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Storage: <s style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">1 GB</s> 170 GB¹ </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding-top: 2px;" align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#BandwidthAllowedPerMonth) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Monthly Transfer: <s style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">45 GB</s> 2000 GB¹</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding-top: 2px;" align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#emailboxes) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top"> <s style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">250</s> 3300 Email Addresses included (add 10 more for $1.99/mo.)¹</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Virus & Spam protection included</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding-top: 3px;" align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#DomainNameRegistration) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">FREE domain name registration²</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#freesoftware) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">$495 FREE Software</td> </tr> <!--ENDPRIMOXR--> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top">http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif</td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Free $25 http://hosting.aplus.net/images/google_logo.gif Adwords coupon</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="td_nrmltext">Your own identity: </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="18"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#NumberofDomainsPerServerWin) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Your very own domain name: (www.your-domain.com): 1 included</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#matchingemails) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Matching emails: [email protected]</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="td_nrmltext">Your own identity - optional:</td> </tr> <tr align="left"> <td valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#matchingdesignlogo) Matching design of your logo, stationery and web site ($$)</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="td_nrmltext">Convenience: </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="18"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#WebBasedControlPanel) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Control Panel – Manage and add services from one interface</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#InstantSetup) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Instant activation</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#onevendor) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">One vendor, one bill, one call for all of your Internet needs</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#DetailedOnlineBilling) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Review your billing invoices and statements online 24/7</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="td_nrmltext">Guarantee: </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="18"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#UptimeGuarantee) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">99.99% uptime per year</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#30DayMoneyBackGuarantee) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">30 days money back guarantee</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="2" class="td_nrmltext">BONUS: </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top" width="18"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#bonuswebaphoto) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">Photo storage online www.web-a-photo.com (http://www.web-a-photo.com/) , software for photo manipulation and automated upload. - 45 MB http://hosting.aplus.net/images/logo_a.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/primoxr.html#onlyfromaplus)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" valign="top"> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/?pg=serv_webhst_features_explained#bonuswebafile) </td> <td class="td_nrmltext" valign="top">File storage online www.web-a-file.com (http://www.web-a-file.com/) and software for automated online backup /restore. - 45 MB http://hosting.aplus.net/images/logo_a.gif (http://hosting.aplus.net/primoxr.html#onlyfromaplus)</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="10"> <tbody><tr> <td class="td_nrmltext">Legend:</td> </tr> </tbody></table> http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif - Feature available. Click on http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif for details.
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($$) - Extra cost. Click on http://hosting.aplus.net/images/tips/question.gif for details.

¹ Reduced monthly fees and increased features available to new accounts only. Limit one offer per customer, and one use per customer on a single account.

² Free domain name registration applies to .com, .net, and .info domain names for the first year of registration only.

[cartman]

I've been using 1 and 1 for about three years now, and have been very happy with them. They have a ton of different hosting plans to choose from. They are one of the biggest hosting companies in the world, and have a huge presence in Europe, where they got their start. Here is a link to their website:

http://www.1and1.com

edit:

With the plan I'm currently signed up for, I have 150GB of disk space, 2.5 TB of transfer allowed each month for $10 per month.

[Logan]

I like SD's service, in that if 3300 e-mail addresses aren't enough, you can get 10 more for $2.

[SackAttack]

I used to be with 1 and 1 for Gamenikki, and we ended up switching to Rawserve.

Rawserve's got their own issues right now, but they've been fairly reliable. The reason we left 1 and 1 is, at the time, we were having some significant issues with Gamenikki building to their servers, and reaching their tech support was far easier said than done; even when we did get a hold of somebody, it took a few days for them to get back to us.

Maybe they've improved since then, but my experience with them was not a happy one.

[Cuckoo]

1and1's support is absolutely terrible from my experience. You can't ever get anyone, and when you can, they don't do much. Communication is a big problem for them.

That said, I've been with them for a couple of years now. Price is good, speeds are solid, and I can't remember the last downtime.

[cartman]

I guess I've just been lucky with their support. I've always gotten someone on the phone within 5 minutes, and gotten the info I need within 15 minutes.

[Solecismic]

I've never worried about transfer amounts before. Is 2,000 GB/month a good amount? What does FOFC use?

[Ben E Lou]

I've never worried about transfer amounts before. Is 2,000 GB/month a good amount? What does FOFC use?FOFC's amount would be insane, because of all of the hits. I'm not sure there's a good way to tell, either, since we're hosted by Gamespy. Here's my usage from immediately before the release, and since, with many people using my site for downloads:

<table border="2" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" width="600"><tbody><tr><th colspan="11" align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">Summary by Month</th></tr> <tr><th height="4">
</th></tr> <tr><th rowspan="2" align="left" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">Month</th> <th colspan="4" align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">Daily Avg</th> <th colspan="6" align="center" bgcolor="#c0c0c0">Monthly Totals</th></tr> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="#008040">Hits</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#0080ff">Files</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#00e0ff">Pages</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#ffff00">Visits</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#ff8000">Sites</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#ff0000">KBytes</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#ffff00">Visits</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#00e0ff">Pages</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#0080ff">Files</th> <th align="center" bgcolor="#008040">Hits</th></tr> <tr><th height="4">
</th></tr> <tr><td nowrap="nowrap">Dec 2006 (http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/stats/usage_200612.html)</td> <td align="right">1301</td> <td align="right">757</td> <td align="right">275</td> <td align="right">42</td> <td align="right">1805</td> <td align="right">10679374</td> <td align="right">725</td> <td align="right">4687</td> <td align="right">12880</td> <td align="right">22133</td></tr> <tr><td nowrap="nowrap">Nov 2006 (http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/stats/usage_200611.html)</td> <td align="right">1770</td> <td align="right">1357</td> <td align="right">105</td> <td align="right">39</td> <td align="right">3608</td> <td align="right">20089199</td> <td align="right">1172</td> <td align="right">3162</td> <td align="right">40724</td> <td align="right">53100</td></tr> <tr><td nowrap="nowrap">Oct 2006 (http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/stats/usage_200610.html)</td> <td align="right">655</td> <td align="right">433</td> <td align="right">80</td> <td align="right">37</td> <td align="right">2092</td> <td align="right">9608110</td> <td align="right">1167</td> <td align="right">2499</td> <td align="right">13432</td> <td align="right">20326</td></tr> <tr><td nowrap="nowrap">Sep 2006 (http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/stats/usage_200609.html)</td> <td align="right">459</td> <td align="right">292</td> <td align="right">63</td> <td align="right">30</td> <td align="right">1070</td> <td align="right">1610970</td> <td align="right">928</td> <td align="right">1904</td> <td align="right">8788</td> <td align="right">13775</td></tr></tbody></table>

[Ben E Lou]

Ah. October 2004 was when FOFC was down (and early November as well), and here are the stats for benelou.com that month, and afterward. Not everyone at FOFC went over there during that time, but at least this gives us *some* context:

<table border="2" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" width="498"><tbody><tr><th bgcolor="#999999">Month</th> <th bgcolor="#00cc00">Hits</th> <th bgcolor="#0000ff">Files</th> <th bgcolor="#ffff00">Cached</th> <th bgcolor="#9900ff">Pageviews</th> <th bgcolor="#ff0000">Sessions</th> <th bgcolor="#ff6600">KB sent</th> </tr> <tr><td height="4">
</td></tr> <tr><td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">December 2004 (http://benelou.com/stats/www2004/stats1204.html) </td> <td align="right">900939</td> <td align="right">38537</td> <td align="right">16934</td> <td align="right">12615</td> <td align="right">2380</td> <td align="right">741022</td> </tr> <tr><td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">November 2004 (http://benelou.com/stats/www2004/stats1104.html) </td> <td align="right">182233</td> <td align="right">94273</td> <td align="right">82604</td> <td align="right">25039</td> <td align="right">3589</td> <td align="right">1654614</td> </tr> <tr><td align="left" nowrap="nowrap">October 2004 (http://benelou.com/stats/www2004/stats1004.html) </td> <td align="right">1341877</td> <td align="right">672801</td> <td align="right">613756</td> <td align="right">171983</td> <td align="right">14929</td> <td align="right">8775435</td></tr></tbody></table>

[Cuckoo]

I guess I've just been lucky with their support. I've always gotten someone on the phone within 5 minutes, and gotten the info I need within 15 minutes.

The phone is definitely better than e-mail with them. But I always seem to get someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. I've been given misinformation many times.

And I swear that they make a genuine effort to not answer your question by e-mail as many times as possible. I suppose they figure if they do it enough, you'll eventually give up.

[Solecismic]

I just had a chat session with aplus. Very frustrating. They said they needed me to purchase a more expensive dedicated server in order to transfer my domain quickly. Very evasive when questioned about that.

[Ryan S]

I've never worried about transfer amounts before. Is 2,000 GB/month a good amount? What does FOFC use?

2000 GB per month is a huge amount of bandwidth.

FOFC used 90.24 GB last month and we are at around 48 GB so far in December. This bandwidth usage is almost entirely down to the forum as we have no downloads stored on the site.

[Solecismic]

Thanks guys. I will be changing hosts soon, just to consolidate all my domains and save a little money if nothing else. I hate being limited to 50MB as well. It looks like Avvanta is finally showing signs of life in the last few minutes.

[Draft Dodger]

My wife and I have 3 sites hosted through bluehost - they've been pretty solid for me, although I haven't had to use their tech support yet (which is where my previous 2 hosts folded like a deck of cards), and are constantly adding more stuff to their plans to remain competitive.

I don't use a ton of bandwidth - I think 12 gigs was my highest month when I was mirroring OOTP, but normally I'm around 2 or 3, and I've never noticed a hiccup.

http://www.bluehost.com/track/draft_dodger/itcs
full disclosure: that's a referral link - I get $ if anyone signs up through it.

[VPI97]

I just had a chat session with aplus. Very frustrating. They said they needed me to purchase a more expensive dedicated server in order to transfer my domain quickly. Very evasive when questioned about that.
I moved us off of Aplus due to their sales methods. Once we were on there, they added a new daily limit to SQL transactions that would have forced me to go to a dedicated server. I told them to blow me and moved onto Site5...and now we're on Liquid Web because of the opportunity to share a VPS account with the FOxL bunch.

Anywho, Liquid Web seems nice so far...this is probably what you would be looking at:
https://www.liquidweb.com/shared/plan1.htm

[gstelmack]

I've been using easycgi.com for my hosting. The primary reason I chose them was .NET support: I really wanted to start messing around with ASP.NET, and just haven't quite found the time (Draft Analyzer on the web as a league drafting utility is my ultimate dream that continues to fizzle...)

I've had very good luck with support (a couple of questions, notably when setting up a domain for my in-laws business) with quick turnarounds to e-mailed questions. I have yet to need to phone them.

[lordscarlet]

I just recently switched to dreamhost, which is very cheap, but only average on reliability. But if you want a lot of space and a lot of transfer, it's a decent way to go.

[Coffee Warlord]

I use 1and1 at the office for our dedicated windows webserver (ugh - thank god we have our linux boxes too), zero issues in about six months now.