I really hate rackshack - they're so good at hyping their servers ;) Anyone have any details regarding "Project 6000" or know when they are planning on revealing more info? Sounds pretty interesting.

It is always fun to guess...... Free/low cost set up until they hit the 6000th dedicated server? :)

It's in the Rackshack forum. Just some new servers and a quest to conquor the world.

Robert Marsh
Head Surfer Rackshack.net

Unbillycord - U R a great guesser!!!!!

Originally posted by headsurfer
. . . . . . . . a quest to conquor the world.

Robert Marsh
Head Surfer Rackshack.net :pimp:eh heh heh




:D

why do you hate rackshack? r u their customer? or their competitor?

Web Master 2
Junior Guru Wannabe. Eligible for WHT Hall of Fame.... In 5 years time when I'm earning 100+K.

Weird this thread was kind of started two hours after rs made the announcement. (Assuming both boards have their times configured properly... I put myself down on eastern time in the preferences).

So he kinda guessed after the fact. :)

web master - i don't hate rackshack at all...I have a server with them and I have had an overall, excellent experience. I just get frustrated with the fact that they pique my interest and make me wait for the details :D

HeadSurfer,
Who currently holds the record for the most servers in their Data Center. And how many servers does RackShack currenty have?

Rackshack are getting better by the days.

Details of Project 6000 are here.

http://forum.rackshack.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4875

Customer with the most is around 30-40, but I am not sure since we have the sale.

For us, we have about 4000. We have embarked upon Project 6000 in our quest to reach 6000 servers within 60 days max.

Volume brings buying power and we're adding to our buying clout every day and passing that along to our customers.

Robert Marsh
Head Surfer

I'm seeing all this hype about RackShack and when I check out their boxes all I see is low-end crap. What is in those lame boxes? I KNOW WebReselle.net uses all server Intel server moterboards, server processors and server chassis. Does anyone know what's actually in those RackShack boxes?

How do you know its crap if you don't know whats in them?

you consider compaq boxes low end crap :eek:

First off, yes a DL320 is low end crap. Second off, I wasn't talking about Compaqs. All I see in any mug shots is low end PC boxes with all I can presume is low end components, but I did post ASKING for a spec list of what's inside, duh...

Yea, dude, I was ASKING for someone to give me some real specs. All I can judge by is what I see and all I see, other than some lost leaders on their website for extemely low end Compaq boxes are plain old plain Jane PCs on a wire rack shelf, with God-only knows what inside them.

Very funny john_cap... now those compaqs are much more powerful then what some top end sites like sitepoint.com uses, of course they'd probably need more ram.

What feature do you have a problem with? I think the main weakness might be ram or hd...

Obviously if you have a good deal of hits and or poorly written scripting you might need more.

My server receives over 600,000 server hits (I can only dream of that many pageviews but these are server hits) daily and about 3 gigs of bw daily. I am a little too large for a virtual hosting account so this is perfect for me.

P.S. ***** recently bought a some ads (only 30 k impressions, buying 100k more later) for a pretty high rate :) from me. They might not be the best host but I like their ad department :)

well you didn't expect them to charge those low prices and provide top-end hardware did you? When you pay low prices for equipment, you get bottom of the barrel equipment, which is their business plan.

How can you expect high-end "crap" from the price rackshack offer? Rackshack is providing very low price for low-end server (or so you call). If you really want top quality server, try rackspace or something.

Regardless of the low-end crap, I've seen rackshack servers running just fine. As long as it works as it should, what's the problem with low and high end "crap"? Of course, top quality server probably last much longer but then again, look at the price, it's almost unbeatable.

"You get what you pay for".

Originally posted by johncap
First off, yes a DL320 is low end crap. Second off, I wasn't talking about Compaqs. All I see in any mug shots is low end PC boxes with all I can presume is low end components, but I did post ASKING for a spec list of what's inside, duh...

Absolutely, you get what you pay for. The problem in the computer business in general, and hosting specifically, is the buyers of these items have no clue what they're buying and when they hinge a business and investment on what may or may not be "crap", they're the ones left holding the bag when it all comes tumbling down. I CANNOT believe that people would sign on and buy this kind of stuff sight unseen. The only concrete details I've seen are on the occasional Compaq box and from what I see, they're just being used as loss leaders to lure people in. I see no other substance. Show me some real specs, motherboard part number, chassis details, power supply, hard drive model, etc. not what CPU is in there. The CPU is the absolute least important component in a hosting box.

"...you get bottom of the barrel equipment, which is their business plan". There it is , very succinct for everyone to see. Is that what people want from a hosting vendor? Do you people really believe you can build a hosting business with infrastructure that one of your oiwn just described as "...you get bottom of the barrel equipment, which is their business plan"?

I'm not in the hosting business. We're in the technology business and I came into this space to see what is going on here because much to my amusement, there seems to be a lot of buzz about what looks to me like a house of cards. I'll let you guys fill me in as to whether my eyes are decieving me or the quote above is an accurate observation by one of your own.

Not all people are into technology. Often and most cases I have seen, they want cheap servers. Some are aware of that they are buying low-end sever. Some are unaware of it. This doesn't really matter. "Cheap but it works. It does what it supposes to do." is what many people count when they are signing up with rackshack.
No one would personally purchase a low-end PC because you can see it directly but when it comes to hosting, buying cheap server doesn't really give you a clear picture. You got no idea how the server will look like. Who knows the servers may be in paper box but that does not matter. "The server works and it's cheap. I can afford it. I can do what i wanted to do with this cheap plan."

I'd say rackshack is doing a good job as a "Host" although to your eyes, they may be providing "junks".

You're right. The problem is those who don't know what they're buying for their money and what lurks around the corner... Hey, millions of unknowing consumers made Packard Bell, yes Packard Bell, the number one computer compnay in the world buying, well, crap would be a compliment. And when you tried to explain to someone back then exactly what they had purchased, well, some would be put out or offended, That is, until the crow came home to roost and PB went belly up and everyone swa very clearly they had been taken. The point you make that I don't agree with is that you assert that whatever you buy is worth it so long as it works. Hey, the old Yuog would get you to the corner store too...but I don't see many of them around. Nor, would I spend my money on one. Value is what you should buy, whether the purchase is food, clothing, or technology. Not price. Price, and lawyers, are the ruination of this country. The best value should always prevail, and that is seldom the cheapest product.

Well, I don't disgree with you but I don't *fully* agree with you.
If this is where the industry is heading, what can I do, I'd just have to follow the wave....
With rackshack's lowest price on net, other hosts will try to beat rackshack and some will remain as they are (such as rackspace).
People will have choices between low and high -end servers.

But I can assure you that much more percentage of people will go for low-end server because it's cheap.

Originally posted by johncap
You're right. The problem is those who don't know what they're buying for their money and what lurks around the corner... Hey, millions of unknowing consumers made Packard Bell, yes Packard Bell, the number one computer compnay in the world buying, well, crap would be a compliment. And when you tried to explain to someone back then exactly what they had purchased, well, some would be put out or offended, That is, until the crow came home to roost and PB went belly up and everyone swa very clearly they had been taken. The point you make that I don't agree with is that you assert that whatever you buy is worth it so long as it works. Hey, the old Yuog would get you to the corner store too...but I don't see many of them around. Nor, would I spend my money on one. Value is what you should buy, whether the purchase is food, clothing, or technology. Not price. Price, and lawyers, are the ruination of this country. The best value should always prevail, and that is seldom the cheapest product.

So long as they know what they're getting and not believing they're getting equal products for less money....

Originally posted by klisis

But I can assure you that much more percentage of people will go for low-end server because it's cheap.

They just believe if they pay more, they get better stuff. It's their money.

1.3 GHZ celeron/512mb ram/60gb 7200rpm hd/400 gb monthly transfer/red hat 7.2

$99 setup/$99 monthly

one very good thing about rackshack buy is: you get the server up instantly, once you submit the credit card order, you will receive an email with server ip address and login information, there is zero wait time, in the next 10 minutes, you can start tarnsfering stuff to the new server

the fact rackshack sells at this price means one thing:
the others are running on huge profit margins

Whose moterboard? What model? Whose chassis? What model? What power supply? Whose hard drive? What model? Whose RAM? What's the uptime guarantee?

Originally posted by Web Master 2
1.3 GHZ celeron/512mb ram/60gb 7200rpm hd/400 gb monthly transfer/red hat 7.2

$99 setup/$99 monthly

one very good thing about rackshack buy is: you get the server up instantly, once you submit the credit card order, you will receive an email with server ip address and login information, there is zero wait time, in the next 10 minutes, you can start tarnsfering stuff to the new server

the fact rackshack sells at this price means one thing:
the others are running on huge profit margins

Originally posted by Web Master 2

the fact rackshack sells at this price means one thing:
the others are running on huge profit margins

No one, on our side or yours, is making "huge profit margins". Not in this business. And the difference between a quality machine as that which you spec'd, and a cheap one is only $60- $100.

Originally posted by johncap
Whose moterboard? What model? Whose chassis? What model? What power supply? Whose hard drive? What model? Whose RAM? What's the uptime guarantee?



Calm down, calm down! :D
It's not like the earth is being destroyed. ;)

No one, on our side or yours, is making "huge profit margins".

I guess that means you are a competitor of RackShack?

All RackShack is doing is filling a need in the market for low cost servers. You make it sound like people who buy servers from them are morons who don't know what they are getting in to. There are many people who don't need SCSI disk drives, RAID, Dual processors, branded components, etc. They don't care about the parts in the machine only that it works as advertised.

For example, RackShack prices are competitive with shared hosting solutions. If you had a ~50 gig a month bandwidth site that could be hosted on a RackShack server and in the worst case a couple of days downtime didn't matter, what would you prefer? Paying $100+ for a quality shared solution but not having much control over what you can install on the machine, or go for a $100 dedicated machine from RS and have the flexibility to install whatever you need and not having to answer to any hosting admin on what you run.

For me at least, the answer was simple.

Also, at RS's prices, I can pick up two servers, configure them to synchronize themselves automatically, and have a nearly identical backup at all times, and for less than most places, reduce the likelyhood of any downtime (between the two servers) to almost nothing.

Originally posted by Tubs


I guess that means you are a competitor of RackShack?

No, we're not in the hosting business or anything remotely close to it, but we're in a related industry...

All RackShack is doing is filling a need in the market for low cost servers. You make it sound like people who buy servers from them are morons who don't know what they are getting in to.

Your words, not mine.

There are many people who don't need SCSI disk drives, RAID, Dual processors, branded components, etc.

Do you drive a Hyundai? A Yugo? Do you go out to buy a car and just saym hey Mr Car Dealer, I want me a car. Give mt he cheapest one you have! Or, do you buy a $1000 lawn mower and not ask or consider what kind of engine it has, how long it'll run, what the warranty is? I doubt it. But, for some strange reason, in the computer business, people have been so boondoggled into thinking that a box is a box, they're either too stupid or too intimidated to investigate what they spending their money on. And for someonel like most of you people, who I assume are buying space to resell, how on earth can you in any logical process just take the cheapest thing you can find as the foundation for whatever endeavor it is you are embarking on and then try and justify it as saying something like, hell, I'll buy two loaves of stale bread and I'll bet I get enough edible slices to make it worth my while.

They don't care about the parts in the machine only that it works as advertised.

They don't care because they're not educated and they're being bombarded by FUD and hype.

For example, RackShack prices are competitive with shared hosting solutions. If you had a ~50 gig a month bandwidth site that could be hosted on a RackShack server and in the worst case a couple of days downtime didn't matter, what would you prefer? Paying $100+ for a quality shared solution but not having much control over what you can install on the machine, or go for a $100 dedicated machine from RS and have the flexibility to install whatever you need and not having to answer to any hosting admin on what you run.

For me at least, the answer was simple.

:eek: :confused: :eek:

You just quote someone and don't comment it? :stickout
LOL

I don't mean to be rude johncap, but are you actually interested in buying a server from rackshack? From what I can tell, you are basically just trying to point out the ignorance of users not knowing their own server specs and info. Is this ignorant on their part? Probably, but if you would like to get answers regarding rackshack hardware, rackshack has a chat room, forums, and an 800 number and I'm sure they'd be happy to help you out.

I simply asked a question, to which I'm getting all this justification for what people are buying and not much else. I asked for some detailed specs. So far I've gotten generic parameters, not much else. This is a forum for this topic, and that's what is being "discussed", so far as I can tell. Seems to me the number of responses indicates a fair interest, from both sides, in the value of buying on price alone, which, I guess, is the bottom line issue here.


Originally posted by MadSkilage
I don't mean to be rude johncap, but are you actually interested in buying a server from rackshack? From what I can tell, you are basically just trying to point out the ignorance of users not knowing their own server specs and info. Is this ignorant on their part? Probably, but if you would like to get answers regarding rackshack hardware, rackshack has a chat room, forums, and an 800 number and I'm sure they'd be happy to help you out.

Sorry, I quoted the thread, and tried to respond to each issue, but this software doesn't distinguish between the quoted text and response.

Originally posted by .::DefCon::.
:eek: :confused: :eek:

You just quote someone and don't comment it? :stickout
LOL

Wait a minute,

johncap, the analogy you have quoted above with car etc. does not fit into web hosting business.

no one is buying a server from rackshack or for that matter from any dedicated server provider. everyone pays a monthly price for bandwidth and system/hardware uptime.

if there is a lousy hard disk which burns out, then the server provider has to replace it. simple as that.

hope this helps,

Nah, I disagree 100%. A dedicated server is a purchase, for lack of a better word. Your case would be true of shared space, not of a dedicated box. If your opinion was valid, then there'd be no issue of brands, models or anything else, just storage capacity and bandwidth, and that's not the case at all.

Originally posted by masood
Wait a minute,

johncap, the analogy you have quoted above with car etc. does not fit into web hosting business.

no one is buying a server from rackshack or for that matter from any dedicated server provider. everyone pays a monthly price for bandwidth and system/hardware uptime.

if there is a lousy hard disk which burns out, then the server provider has to replace it. simple as that.

hope this helps,

Originally posted by Web Master 2
the fact rackshack sells at this price means one thing:
the others are running on huge profit margins

That is absolutely not true at all. RackShack basically purchases very cheap custom-built mid-tower personal computers in very large quantites. As for the Compaq servers, they struck a special deal with Compaq which also involved purchasing in very large quantities. As for bandwidth, they also purchase that in bulk, and a large portion of their network is Cogent. They also have so many customers that aren't using what they're offering that they're able to hugely oversell their bandwidth. They have extreme power in numbers. They have many things automated, and they don't offer managed servers, which reduces support costs. They also make some money on the setup fees and the monthly fees for upgrades. Those are many reasons why they're able to offer dedicated servers for such a low price.

Many providers are not running on huge profit margins. Many would go out of business if they tried to match RackShack's pricing. So why doesn't everyone just go with RackShack? There's many reasons. Most dedicated server providers will allow you to request a custom server configuration. You can tell them what you need instead of them telling you what you can have. They'll build a server made specially for your needs. With RackShack, you're stuck with what they have, and if they're sold out, that's just too bad. You'll just have to wait because they're not going to build a server just for you. Also, RackShack doesn't have any SCSI servers at the moment, which some people need. Many dedicated server providers will also install the operating system of your choice. With RackShack, you're stuck with what they preinstall. You can't even pay them to install another operating system. RackShack does not have an uptime guarantee, so they're not good for mission-critical servers. RackShack makes data travel the cheapest route, not the fastest route, so their network isn't the fastest, but it's not the slowest either. If you need many IP addresses, then RackShack is not a good option. Also, they have so many customers that you many feel more like a number rather than a person. Oh wait, you are a number: RS-XXXXX! With a smaller provider, you get more personal support with sometimes faster response times. Many providers charge a one-time fee for upgrades, which saves you money in the end. Heck, some providers will even let you buy the server and colocate it there, which saves you even more money in the long run.

So you see, RackShack is not for everybody. They're good for hosting your own high-bandwidth site for a great price. They're also good for hosting many small sites on your own server for a great price. They're also good if you want a server to experiment with, and if you totally mess everything up, the price of a restore is very reasonable. Just don't expect them to help you find problems. That's not part of their offer. If you need a Windows or FreeBSD server, they're obviously not the place for you. If you need to run a mission-critical server, they're not the place for you. In that case, RackSpace might be the place for you. If network speed is your top priority, they're not the place for you. If you need many IP addresses, they're not the place for you. If you need more personal support or a managed dedicated server, they're not the place for you. It all depends on what you need or want. My goodness, this has to be one of my longest posts.

Very good, nice, and well, um, concise. The only thing I'll dispute is the volume thing. Maybe 4,000 computers is a lot to a hosting company, but it's a drop in the bucket to a company that builds systems, so the hype they lay out there about buying in volume to provide the low cost is bunk. And, the Compaqs I've seen up there are disco'd models, closeouts as it were, so perhaps they got a good deal, and perhaps to someone who either doesn't know, or doesn't care if the box their buying into is current, it doesn't matter, but people should know what they're getting, that all my point is... And, one size does not fit all. Buying what someone has in stock rather than what fits best is worse than buying on price! Hey, Dodge has a bunch of purple trucks down the road there, Great deal, so long as you like purple!

Originally posted by ToastyX


That is absolutely not true at all. RackShack basically purchases very cheap custom-built mid-tower personal computers in very large quantites. As for the Compaq servers, they struck a special deal with Compaq which also involved purchasing in very large quantities. As for bandwidth, they also purchase that in bulk, and a large portion of their network is Cogent. They also have so many customers that aren't using what they're offering that they're able to hugely oversell their bandwidth. They have extreme power in numbers. They have many things automated, and they don't offer managed servers, which reduces support costs. They also make some money on the setup fees and the monthly fees for upgrades. Those are many reasons why they're able to offer dedicated servers for such a low price.

Many providers are not running on huge profit margins. Many would go out of business if they tried to match RackShack's pricing. So why doesn't everyone just go with RackShack? There's many reasons. Most dedicated server providers will allow you to request a custom server configuration. You can tell them what you need instead of them telling you what you can have. They'll build a server made specially for your needs. With RackShack, you're stuck with what they have, and if they're sold out, that's just too bad. You'll just have to wait because they're not going to build a server just for you. Also, RackShack doesn't have any SCSI servers at the moment, which some people need. Many dedicated server providers will also install the operating system of your choice. With RackShack, you're stuck with what they preinstall. You can't even pay them to install another operating system. RackShack does not have an uptime guarantee, so they're not good for mission-critical servers. RackShack makes data travel the cheapest route, not the fastest route, so their network isn't the fastest, but it's not the slowest either. If you need many IP addresses, then RackShack is not a good option. Also, they have so many customers that you many feel more like a number rather than a person. Oh wait, you are a number: RS-XXXXX! With a smaller provider, you get more personal support with sometimes faster response times. Many providers charge a one-time fee for upgrades, which saves you money in the end. Heck, some providers will even let you buy the server and colocate it there, which saves you even more money in the long run.

So you see, RackShack is not for everybody. They're good for hosting your own high-bandwidth site for a great price. They're also good for hosting many small sites on your own server for a great price. They're also good if you want a server to experiment with, and if you totally mess everything up, the price of a restore is very reasonable. Just don't expect them to help you find problems. That's not part of their offer. If you need a Windows or FreeBSD server, they're obviously not the place for you. If you need to run a mission-critical server, they're not the place for you. In that case, RackSpace might be the place for you. If network speed is your top priority, they're not the place for you. If you need many IP addresses, they're not the place for you. If you need more personal support or a managed dedicated server, they're not the place for you. It all depends on what you need or want. My goodness, this has to be one of my longest posts.

My RackShack ENSIM is a 1Ghz Duron with a SIS chipset on the board - everthing integrated.

Hasn't been realiable since I got it.

That's a real surprise! SiS chipset board and Duron, cheap chassis, hard drive and some RAM......$275 PC! Damn, maybe I am right!

Originally posted by Fish_Saver
My RackShack ENSIM is a 1Ghz Duron with a SIS chipset on the board - everthing integrated.

Hasn't been realiable since I got it.

Originally posted by johncap
Hey, Dodge has a bunch of purple trucks down the road there, Great deal, so long as you like purple!


Hey, I'd trade my '92 corolla for a purple truck...I'd just make a quick trip to Maaco ;)

SIS5513: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 01
SIS5513: chipset revision 208
SIS5513: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
hda: Maxtor 4D040H2, ATA DISK drive
eth0: SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet
Floppy drive(s): fd0 is 1.44M

All low end consumer-grade, actually more like value-grade stuff. $50 motherboard, at best. Those Maxtor drives are also consumer grade.

Originally posted by Fish_Saver
SIS5513: IDE controller on PCI bus 00 dev 01
SIS5513: chipset revision 208
SIS5513: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
hda: Maxtor 4D040H2, ATA DISK drive
eth0: SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet
Floppy drive(s): fd0 is 1.44M

Um... john_cap your forgetting something... Now ALOT of webmasters happen to be in this situation:

-Has Hobby Website
-Happens to get a tons of hits
-To Large for shared account
-Don't earn heap loads of money from this hobby

Alot of people are in that situation believe it or not. Now would i spend up to two-three times more money on better parts. I mean for the most part these equipment are reliable enough for the task it's doing, at least 90% chance of not failing. If they do fail then i don't have to pay to replace them.

Why the hell would i spend $100-$300 more on this hobby of mine. Especially when i get the uptime i need and lack the support i don't need.

There are many people who seem to have realized that rackshack was a big mistake for them. Too bad... hard life lesson learned, usually best when you feel it first hand.

Now if i were to do something mission critical i would never even think "rackshack" and maybe think "rackspace." As long as there is a demand for what niche rackshack is serving then why care?

Now i'm sure there are plenty of situations where this would be perfect... Or else most of their customers would be leaving pretty quickly.

Very well said web_res - with regards to the typical rackshack customer, I'd say they see the 400 GB of transfer for $99 a month and are hooked. The hardware is only incidental to them, and I think that in some cases thats fine, I mean, if you run a high bandwidth site that not very profitable, rackshack is the ideal setup.

http://www.compaq.com/products/servers/ProLiantdl320/index.html

They have 30+ available for $129 monthly fee


I had experience with expensive hosts such as exodus and above.net, they claimed to have this and that, and frequently, CPU board got burned and site down for a day. These companies are now BKed or near BK. But small guys like rackshack is growing.

When you evaluate a purchase, you are weighing on price/acceptable performance, the performance at rackshack is more than acceptable, for my servers, they run very well with huge loads. The only time I need a reboot is when it's too busy, but that's a software issue coupled with memory limitations.

And rackshack's network is good, just ping my server, the time is only 60ms, 50% smaller than some other hosts. (try with yours)

If you want to pay more for less, it's your business.

Originally posted by Web Master 2
just ping my server, the time is only 60ms, 50% smaller than some other hosts. (try with yours)


your server address?

Originally posted by MadSkilage
Very well said web_res - with regards to the typical rackshack customer, I'd say they see the 400 GB of transfer for $99 a month and are hooked. The hardware is only incidental to them, and I think that in some cases thats fine, I mean, if you run a high bandwidth site that not very profitable, rackshack is the ideal setup.

Everyone here seems to assume that RS uses totally bs equipment. Now if you did not purchase in mass then the compaq with ensim would cost about $3000. The software, webappliance unlimited domain license is about $1k and the hardware is about $2k.

That package is only $30 dollars more per month then the regular no name amd boxes with the ensim software. Also hardware is very important but in our case it wouldn't have mattered much unless a failure occured, which doesn't seem to be a problem. As far as performance goes, any high traffic site that is well written and using optimal languages for webserver performance can easily be handled by the "weak" amd duron 1 ghz chip. HD is doing fine with our 1 gb ram which cache's most of our content.

Network uptime at rackshack is imo above average :) so that's another plus.

I'm sorry, dude, but you can buy a DL320 for slightly more than $1,000 depending on configuration and/or closeout availability. It's a VERY low end 1U rackmount box. Based on what you're saying, the profit margin the mid towers must be extreme because if a box costing over a grand is only $30 more per month, the margin on the $275 cheapo tower must be pretty sweet, since by my estimates, without knowing exact cost structures, the payback to them on those things is considerably less than three months.

Originally posted by web_res


Everyone here seems to assume that RS uses totally bs equipment. Now if you did not purchase in mass then the compaq with ensim would cost about $3000. The software, webappliance unlimited domain license is about $1k and the hardware is about $2k.

That package is only $30 dollars more per month then the regular no name amd boxes with the ensim software. Also hardware is very important but in our case it wouldn't have mattered much unless a failure occured, which doesn't seem to be a problem. As far as performance goes, any high traffic site that is well written and using optimal languages for webserver performance can easily be handled by the "weak" amd duron 1 ghz chip. HD is doing fine with our 1 gb ram which cache's most of our content.

Network uptime at rackshack is imo above average :) so that's another plus.

Rackshack is great if you want high bandwidth, a cheap server that may, or may not work, and crappy support to boot.

You get what you pay for, and they are offering exactly what you're paying for, they just don't say that however in their TOS when you sign up.

If you want a better server go colo with someone else, and just pay for bandwidth.

I personally don't like Rackshack, as they sent me a crappy box once that was going to take them more than a week to replace. My credit card company took care of that in the end, as they think with their TOS that they can just send you crap and then you're stuck with it, as per their TOS. Well buddy beware.

I learned that you get exactly what you pay for with Rackshack, and I got exactly that from the old headsurfer. My mistake I should have done some due diligence before ordering, but Rackshack should also outline in their TOS as well as their web site, that you are getting just basically bandwidth on a cheap box that may or may not work, with crappy service for the price, and then it would be fair to one and all.

If you get the old shaftola from Rackshack like I did, be aware that your credit card company will work with you, where Rackshack won't.

I'll tell you I was some pissed when I received my box in quick time only to find that it didn't work, and their support could do nothing to get it going, so they had to pull it, and I had to wait until they got another in. All this of course was supposed to be at my expense, and on their time frame, as they wouldn't refund my money for their defective product that they'd originally sent out.

Well the old credit card company didn't agree neither, and sent back their claim on my money for a server with their set up fees that never worked, but I wasn't going to get this from Rackskack, as they stated that they had that right, so buyer beware. ;)

I am cancelling a server today that has not worked since I got it and I will keep that in mind.

Although the first line in RackShacks TOS states

"RackShack, Inc. ("The Company") agrees to furnish services to the Subscriber, "

To date I have not received service - kind of void the rest don't you think?

It seems like every rackshack thread on wht is a can of worms just begging to be opened. It's funny how any thread even remotely related to Rackshack degenerates into,

"I like them!"
"I hate them, they suck!"

I mean, an entire forum could be built up to debate whether or not you like rackshack - esp. in light of recent revelations ;)
This isn't to say that people don't have valid reasons for hating them, I just find it interesting how quickly even this thread moved off-topic - and I know that I'm guilty of perpetuating that too :blush:

Well, I think it's a fact of life that contented people don't speak up near as much as those who are unhappy. Don't you think?

Originally posted by MadSkilage
It seems like every rackshack thread on wht is a can of worms just begging to be opened. It's funny how any thread even remotely related to Rackshack degenerates into,

"I like them!"
"I hate them, they suck!"

I mean, an entire forum could be built up to debate whether or not you like rackshack - esp. in light of recent revelations ;)
This isn't to say that people don't have valid reasons for hating them, I just find it interesting how quickly even this thread moved off-topic - and I know that I'm guilty of perpetuating that too :blush:

Originally posted by Web Master 2
the fact rackshack sells at this price means one thing:
the others are running on huge profit margins

Believe me, that's simply not true.
Don't compare apples with bananas. Count in good and fast support and you will see what difference it makes. Hardware and bandwidth may be cheap, but don't tell me that for $99 per month you really expect support.

Originally posted by Walter


Believe me, that's simply not true.
Don't compare apples with bananas. Count in good and fast support and you will see what difference it makes. Hardware and bandwidth may be cheap, but don't tell me that for $99 per month you really expect support.

Walter,

If you quote that support is available for your plans regardless of price, then you should be following through on that commitment regardless of what someone is actually paying for their server. I know for fact that Rackshack does state support as part of their pitch to woo their potential clients to their servers, so if you say it, you should be supplying it.

I have absolutely no problem with RackShack whatsoever... But I just have a gut feeling that there's some huge secret that, if revealed, would create some giant fiasco. It's a matter of whether or not you can decide to trust this company, based on their quality of services and overall satisfaction rate based on testimonials from current or past customers.

- Brandon
------------

They aren't getting great profit margins because most of the big guys, verio, etc., aren't even turning a profit!

Rackshack uses far lower priced components but the only downfall about them is expandibility. Performance seems to be okay for what they are doing and they seem to be going after higher quality "value" parts now. Namely celeron and compaqs with 1 ghz p3 chips.

They are putting less emphasis on the lower quality amd systems (AMD isn't low quality but you know what i mean).

The only mistake i believe might be the fact that they are going with 60 gb 7200 rpm drives. This isn't a home machine where you might want to store lots of multimedia or other files that will be accessed one at a time by one user.

As a server many users will be connected to it and the drive might not be able to handle it.

The other problem is that when you go above 40 gb 7200 rpm drives, failure rate increases as well. I think a higher quality (more hd cache etc.) 40 gb ide hard drives might have been a better option.

We have been with RackShack since July 2001. I must say they have given us the best service of all the companies we have tried. I can go into their chat any time day or night and there is always someone there to answer my questions. It is a fact of life that no matter how good you are, you can NEVER please everyone. I have had other servers that when I email for support it takes 24 to 72 hours to get a response to the email. I have NEVER had that with RackShack. I think for the $99 a month we are paying we are getting MORE than our money's worth. I salute Headsurfer and the wonderful RackShack/EV1 employees.

Amen to that. :)
Just the same over here, except that we're having our servers through Saburovo.com (RS reseller)
Looking at the speed of their replies I can get an idea of how fast RS must be. They're good.
And oh: those 20 people who aren't happy with them, and had some trouble setting up their server, just had bad luck. I mean: RS has like 6000 servers/customers or so to take care of, right? What are those 20 people in comparision to them??? :confused:

Just my 0.02 ... :rolleyes:

;)

Originally posted by pobox300
If you quote that support is available for your plans regardless of price, then you should be following through on that commitment regardless of what someone is actually paying for their server. I know for fact that Rackshack does state support as part of their pitch to woo their potential clients to their servers, so if you say it, you should be supplying it.

What are you talking about? And I am not even a competitor to them :)
All I said was "Hardware and bandwidth may be cheap, but don't tell me that for $99 per month you really expect support". If you don't get the point, do the math. At decent companies Techy hours usually are charged at $60 and more....

Originally posted by Walter


What are you talking about? And I am not even a competitor to them :)
All I said was "Hardware and bandwidth may be cheap, but don't tell me that for $99 per month you really expect support". If you don't get the point, do the math. At decent companies Techy hours usually are charged at $60 and more....

What do you mean do the math? There's no math to do. I wasn't asking for an upgrade of parts. You were talking support at Rackskack, as this was is Rackshack thread is it not?. You said: "Hardware and bandwidth may be cheap, but don't tell me that for $99 per month you really expect support" . Well if you state that you have 24/7 support available for that price then 24/7 support should be available for that price.

Just stating I'm very happy with Rackshack. Been a customer for about a year now, I have 2 servers with them. Someone hit the nail on the head talking about hobby websites that grow too big for shared accounts. My website was too big for shared and I couldn't find any accounts that were cheap enough, until I hit upon rackshack.

Now I'm doing 1.4 Mbs average on my duron, and 1.2 Mbs average on my raq4i. Both of which haven't been rebooted in forever, and last time they were, I did it intentionally.. heh.. Granted they don't hold your hand through everything, but that's fine with me, price is more important as I don't make much money off my high bandwidth hobby. :)

You started down the right pathr but veered... IDE drives are asynchronous; one task at a time. SCSI is the only way to ensure synchronous disk access, and if you're getting a lot of hits, the only way to ensure they can get to what's on the drive is via SCSI devices. The size of the drive is relatively unimportant. As for longevity, size is also irrelevant. You're hearing about IBM 40GB drives failing because they're just bad, allegedly, although the jury's out I guess until the court cases are settled. In general, new high speed IDE drive are spinning faster and generating far more heat than say an 8GB drive from two years ago. If they are coupled with a low cost, chassis with inferior cooling, they'll die. Then too, it will vary by manufacturer. I'm not gonna get into the quality disparity between drive manufacturers and between drive lines from each manufacturer, those being generally consumer models and commercial models, with their varying MTBF and other characteristics.

Originally posted by web_res
The only mistake i believe might be the fact that they are going with 60 gb 7200 rpm drives. This isn't a home machine where you might want to store lots of multimedia or other files that will be accessed one at a time by one user.

As a server many users will be connected to it and the drive might not be able to handle it.

The other problem is that when you go above 40 gb 7200 rpm drives, failure rate increases as well. I think a higher quality (more hd cache etc.) 40 gb ide hard drives might have been a better option.

I've got some prime swampland for sale. Interested?

Originally posted by .::DefCon::.
Amen to that. :)
Just the same over here, except that we're having our servers through Saburovo.com (RS reseller)
Looking at the speed of their replies I can get an idea of how fast RS must be. They're good.
And oh: those 20 people who aren't happy with them, and had some trouble setting up their server, just had bad luck. I mean: RS has like 6000 servers/customers or so to take care of, right? What are those 20 people in comparision to them??? :confused:

Just my 0.02 ... :rolleyes:

;)

Hmm... you maybe more of an expert in this area then i am but... I thought that newer ide drives were able to do more then one task at a time. I guess i could be wrong.

Why, because they spin faster? Random access times are faster, in general all processes are faster, but the interface is still asynchronous.

Originally posted by web_res
Hmm... you maybe more of an expert in this area then i am but... I thought that newer ide drives were able to do more then one task at a time. I guess i could be wrong.

No single drive can do more than one thing at once, if the drives were equal (in all aspects), there wouldn't be that big a difference between IDE and SCSI for ONE drive. If you have more than one drive on a chain, then you hit a significant difference. Of course you can only get the fastest drives on SCSI, but you pay a significant premium for it too.

RS does have 24/7 support, but what they can do is limited compared to more expensive places (and from my occasional dealings with them it appears to slowly be getting better).

SCSI drives are synchronous, and can in fact perform multiple tasks simultantously. That is what makes a SCSI drive so much more appropriate for production servers, along with far superior reliability. The chain and how drives are configured has nothing to do with what the SCSI bus can do and how data is accessed. AND, contrary to popular beliefs RAID0 striping does not significantly improve perfromance. Of course, we all know that RAID1 and RAID5 decrease performance, so multiple drives, it would seem, do not increase performance relative to a single drive, whether SCSI or IDE. Now, that won't stop a hobbyist from doing an IDE RAID0 rig, but he'd be far better off with a single U160 SCSI drive if it were the ultimate bang for the buck. For feel there's no comparison on the desktop; in a server, well, IDE is a joke. Go read about all the problems surrounding the certain popular brand of IDE hard drive controversy and the apparent statement made by the company regarding the intended application of IDE hard drives.

Originally posted by meballard
No single drive can do more than one thing at once, if the drives were equal (in all aspects), there wouldn't be that big a difference between IDE and SCSI for ONE drive. If you have more than one drive on a chain, then you hit a significant difference. Of course you can only get the fastest drives on SCSI, but you pay a significant premium for it too.

RS does have 24/7 support, but what they can do is limited compared to more expensive places (and from my occasional dealings with them it appears to slowly be getting better).

From tests I've seen, for reading, RAID 0 and RAID 1 improve performance, for writing, RAID 1 would usually be slightly slower (but it shouldn't be by much), but RAID 0 is faster, usually not double, but that depends on the implementation more than anything else. Also, with a dedicated chip that is sufficiently fast, RAID 5 can be faster too, it all depends on implementation.

A single drive can't physically do more than one thing at once (the head can only be in one position at any one particular moment in time).

For multiple drives, if data is spread out between them, that can make a difference in speed.

Whether IDE is a joke in a server depends on the usage of the server.

New becnhmarks have and are being devloped that go beyond the rudimentary data that was used to determine that RAID0 provided a significant increase in read/write performance. Maximum PC just recently published data that conflicts with this and it shocked them, being a performance-focused publication that almost always recommends RAID0 (and the only one I think is relatively unbiased about this stuff). They're working on a whole new series of tests to prove once and for all whether striping does or does not improve performance with both SCSI and IDE drives. I know of no circumstances where RAID1 and RAID 5 will NOT result in a significant performance penalty. Obviously, off loading RAID by utilizing a RAID controller will provide significant relief as opposed to relying on the O/S for RAID, but there is still a performance hit for fault tolerant RAID schemes.

The fact that the heads (and there are more than one, THE head doesn't move from platter to platter to retrieve or write data...) can each only be in one physical location at a time is only a small portion of the story. I'm not gonna get into the nuances and factual explanation of how and why SCSI can and does perform multiple tasks, there's not enough space and it's way off this forum's topic, there are plenty of published papers on synchronous drive performance and explanations of what the difference is and what occurs during requests from multiple users on a server. To simplify though, do you really believe that if you have 30 users accessing a server, and all 30 ask for data, that everyone just waits for each other tasks to complete before theirs starts? Gee, I guess you'd consider that a rather latent server or you'd start testing the wires.... An IDE-equipped server might actually result in this scenario; a SCSI server would commence completing all requests as received, all at once, obviously splitting time as the heads travel over the platters, but all tasks at once, as opposed to the asynchronous route of the IDE drive. The only scenario where a known increase in perormance would be gained from the simple addition of drives would be in a situation where the O/S and perhaps applications were isolated on one drive from the data (or even just partitioned). Fragmentation would be seriously reduced resulting in far less head travel. The IDE drives, however, would still be limited in what they could accomplish vs. SCSI drives configured similarly.

Originally posted by meballard
From tests I've seen, for reading, RAID 0 and RAID 1 improve performance, for writing, RAID 1 would usually be slightly slower (but it shouldn't be by much), but RAID 0 is faster, usually not double, but that depends on the implementation more than anything else. Also, with a dedicated chip that is sufficiently fast, RAID 5 can be faster too, it all depends on implementation.

A single drive can't physically do more than one thing at once (the head can only be in one position at any one particular moment in time).

For multiple drives, if data is spread out between them, that can make a difference in speed.

Whether IDE is a joke in a server depends on the usage of the server.

johncap, stop trolling. I won't warn you again.
Originally posted by johncap
...when I check out their boxes all I see is low-end crap. What is in those lame boxes? Does anyone know what's actually in those RackShack boxes?
So you don't know, but seem to already have an opinion.
Originally posted by johncap
All I see in any mug shots is low end PC boxes with all I can presume is low end components, but I did post ASKING for a spec list of what's inside, duh...
Is that how you *ask*, interesting. That's how a troll asks. "HostABC sucks, their equipment sucks and is crap! By the way, anyone know what they use?"
Originally posted by johncap
Yea, dude, I was ASKING for someone to give me some real specs.
No you weren't. If you were, you would have emailed them and asked them. I don't see every part number of a server listed in the majority of server offers, you somehow seem to this this is odd.
Originally posted by johncap
Absolutely, you get what you pay for. The problem in the computer business in general, and hosting specifically, is the buyers of these items have no clue what they're buying and when they hinge a business and investment on what may or may not be "crap", they're the ones left holding the bag when it all comes tumbling down.
As was said, if buyers have no clue of what they're buying, they shouldn't even be considering buying something. If they advertised Sun Enterprise and delivered white boxes, then you'd have the basis for your posts. They don't, so stop *asking* in a troll-like way, as it won't be permitted. Not for RS, not for any host here.

Any questions about this are to be emailed to moderators@webhostingtalk.com

Trolling? Is that what I'm doing? Trolling? I've asked questions on a number of occasions and all it has seemedto do is incur thae wrath of what seems to me to be a number of defensive people. I'll draw my own conclusions as to why they seem defensive. As for your assertions, you too are being defensive. There is nothing in anything I've written that is not factual followed by a question to acertain wherher what I'd seen was in fact to be construed as the bottom line. For me to reference a prticular configration as crap is based on the details provided, if you peruse back through the thread you'll see, very clearly that the drivation of the terms you describe didn't originate with me. And yes, I'm entitled to my opinions based on what I've seen. And until you either throw me off, which I fully expect since I smell and agenda, oprt someone gives me some answers, well, they already have actually, so case closed. Throw me out!

Originally posted by Chicken
johncap, stop trolling. I won't warn you again.

So you don't know, but seem to already have an opinion.

Is that how you *ask*, interesting. That's how a troll asks. "HostABC sucks, their equipment sucks and is crap! By the way, anyone know what they use?"

No you weren't. If you were, you would have emailed them and asked them. I don't see every part number of a server listed in the majority of server offers, you somehow seem to this this is odd.

As was said, if buyers have no clue of what they're buying, they shouldn't even be considering buying something. If they advertised Sun Enterprise and delivered white boxes, then you'd have the basis for your posts. They don't, so stop *asking* in a troll-like way, as it won't be permitted. Not for RS, not for any host here.

Any questions about this are to be emailed to moderators@webhostingtalk.com

Originally posted by johncap
I'm seeing all this hype about RackShack and when I check out their boxes all I see is low-end crap. What is in those lame boxes? I KNOW WebReselle.net uses all server Intel server moterboards, server processors and server chassis. Does anyone know what's actually in those RackShack boxes? Crap? Compaq DL320 512mb ram PIII 1gig 400gb transfer... 99 bucks down 129 a month...

Crap??

Geez.. what exacty constitutes good?

Shortz :rolleyes:

I'm coming into this thread late, so excuse multiple responses in a row...

Originally posted by johncap
I'm sorry, dude, but you can buy a DL320 for slightly more than $1,000 depending on configuration and/or closeout availability. It's a VERY low end 1U rackmount box.So am I getting ripped off if I pay 99 bucks down for this server that I'm perfectly happy with paying 129 bucks a month for.. Or would I be better off going to someplace like interland and paying 250 per month for nothing better?

What in hell is your beef? Seriously?

Shortz

Originally posted by johncap
There is nothing in anything I've written that is not factual followed by a question to acertain wherher what I'd seen was in fact to be construed as the bottom line.

]Originally posted by johncap
All I see in any mug shots is low end PC boxes with all I can presume is low end components

So your factual information comes from assumptions you made based on looking at pictures. You made no attempt to contact Rackshack and your main interest in this thread appears to be to badmouth them and their *crap*. Fine, you are entitled to an opinion but I hope you would be willing to be more friendly in the future and promote some positive discussion instead of, "I'm right, you're wrong and a moron"

And until you either throw me off, which I fully expect since I smell and agenda, oprt someone gives me some answers, well, they already have actually, so case closed. Throw me out!

What exactly is your question? If it regards hardware, many people have responded, enumerating hardware configurations and you have been provided with other sources to obtain this info. Perhaps it is you who has a hidden agenda :confused:

Originally posted by MadSkilage
What exactly is your question? If it regards hardware, many people have responded, enumerating hardware configurations and you have been provided with other sources to obtain this info. Perhaps it is you who has a hidden agenda :confused: Ahh.. I think the title of your message sort of hits the nail on the head here.. and we're all forgetting.. feeding trolls just makes them happy...

Shortz

Do you know who or where a Dell Insprion is manufactured by? Or a Hewlett Packard Pavilion? I doubt it... Your assertion is that a Compaq DL320 is a quality product because it says Compaq on the label. Yipes. Pentium III 1Ghz has been out of production by Intel for months now... Define quality. Brand name? High spec? Well made? Good reputation? Reliable? Based on what?

If there's a way for me to stop getting notified of all these responses can someone turn it on because it's getting real boring trying to resolve what I came here for. Stop the world, I wanna get off!!! :eek:

Well, if trolling is what I'm doing, then let's just throw the hook, reel and rod in the water and have you boys eat up. Trolling...how quaint. I can't find an emoticon for that one.

Originally posted by shortfork
Ahh.. I think the title of your message sort of hits the nail on the head here.. and we're all forgetting.. feeding trolls just makes them happy...

Shortz

Originally posted by johncap
You started down the right pathr but veered... IDE drives are asynchronous; one task at a time. I'm not going to claim to know beans about hardware but last week on my simple little Cobalt at Rackshack, (yes I have two there, one, a just acquired Compaq and one several months ago, a Cobalt) with only 512mb of ram, two 5400mb drives and one nic card, I had a client site that had a popular game demo that was being accessed by what looked like some 50 users or more at a time, a 54mb demo, and the other sites on the server never even noticed a thing.

In fact, the only way I knew something was up was by a glance at my bandwidth meter and then the site stats..

Yep, you can get better machines than at RS.. and I can drive to Reno in my 13 year old Chevy truck, and you can drive there in a 200,000 dollar exotic car and guess what..

We'll both get there..

Shortz

Originally posted by johncap
Do you know who or where a Dell Insprion is manufactured by? Or a Hewlett Packard Pavilion? I doubt it... Your assertion is that a Compaq DL320 is a quality product because it says Compaq on the label. Yipes. Pentium III 1Ghz has been out of production by Intel for months now... Define quality. Brand name? High spec? Well made? Good reputation? Reliable? Based on what?

If there's a way for me to stop getting notified of all these responses can someone turn it on because it's getting real boring trying to resolve what I came here for. Stop the world, I wanna get off!!! :eek: Hey, if you can't take the heat dood.. get the hell out of the damn kitchen?!>

I do not state nor do I believe that the compaq that I got for a cheap setup fee and cheap montly fee are the best available hardware.. the best... by no means.. crap.. by no means..

You are the one throwing around the "crap" terminology...

WTF?? Go pay for it elsewhere, if you don't like what you see at the Yugo dealer, by all means, go to the Porsche shop and plink down 60 or 80 grand for what, at the end of the day, will get you and the yugo driver to the same damn place..

I love guys who troll.. start a bunch of crap and then complain that the thread is bugging them.. God Chicken.. by all means.. throw this ******* off... and me with him for swearing if you wish..

Geezuz..

Shortz

Originally posted by johncap
Trolling? Is that what I'm doing? Trolling?
Torlling. Yes. Trolling. You saw some pictures, decided it looked like low-end lame crap, then asked what is in the boxes.

And until you either throw me off, which I fully expect since I smell and agenda, oprt someone gives me some answers, well, they already have actually, so case closed. Throw me out!

You asked... and we aim to please.

Originally posted by johncap
Do you know who or where a Dell Insprion is manufactured by? Or a Hewlett Packard Pavilion? I doubt it... Your assertion is that a Compaq DL320 is a quality product because it says Compaq on the label. Yipes. Pentium III 1Ghz has been out of production by Intel for months now... Define quality. Brand name? High spec? Well made? Good reputation? Reliable? Based on what?

If there's a way for me to stop getting notified of all these responses can someone turn it on because it's getting real boring trying to resolve what I came here for. Stop the world, I wanna get off!!! :eek:

ALERT TO ALL HOSTING COMPANIES

You must get of your P3 servers - they have grown out of date ;)

Mods - since this thread has grown way off topic feel free to close it.