I was just wondering about this matter. Everybody seems to concern if they host their website with a reseller.

Anybody has valid reason why you have to be hosted to a provider that actually host your site on a dedicated server?

Again, just wondering :) All feedback are greatly appreciated :)

Theres no point in hosting a website on a dedicated server unless it uses alot of bandwidth or is a large corporate type site. Most websites will be hosted on a reseller plan in some way or other.

I think some people worry that a reseller may have less control over the hosting environment. A company with their own dedicated servers will have more control over things than a reseller. That could be good or bad, though, depending on who is running the dedicated servers.

The real opportunity for resellers to shine is by offering better support for day to day questions. Since the reseller has outsourced the server management to another company, the reseller should be freed up to do all of the other important day to day tasks. In some markets, a reseller could do a better job, since the reseller could focus on tasks other than running the servers.

Unfortunately, a lot of resellers fail to take advantage of the situation and end up missing their chance to shine.

Personally, I'd rather host with a reseller that uses a reliable, well known provider, than be hosted on a dedicated server managed by a rookie. :)

Personally, I'd rather host with a reseller that uses a reliable, well known provider, than be hosted on a dedicated server managed by a rookie. :)

But if that 'rookie' has a fully managed dedicated server with 24/7 support from the company he/she leases the server from, then they are not entirely alone are they. ;)

It's just that people have this negative against reseller hoster. I mean I use to have a managed dedi and I did shine with my day-to-day support but it costs me arm and a leg, my profit nothing to be proud of. Doing it as a reseller hosting is better for me to maximize my profit. Most of my clients are not from WHT so all they care is that their site is up and running. Luckily, most of the support I can handle it without crazy control needed so I can resolve it quickly with my limited access as a reseller hosts.

I'd rather be in business (since I love doing this stuff) with a reseller account rather than shutting down so quickly just because I want it hosted with a dedi. I have a pretty good reseller account that's still kickin' butt in performance. My customer still happy, I'm happy :)

But if that 'rookie' has a fully managed dedicated server with 24/7 support from the company he/she leases the server from, then they are not entirely alone are they. ;)

In a sense, reseller hosting is kinda managed too, right? So yup, we're still not alone :)

Personally, I'd rather host with a reseller that uses a reliable, well known provider, than be hosted on a dedicated server managed by a rookie. :)

Yup, just don't fall off with lots of space reseller account that costs very little to get them. I'd like it small, cost a little more and still kickin' ass in performance :)

Yup, just don't fall off with lots of space reseller account that costs very little to get them. I'd like it small, cost a little more and still kickin' ass in performance :)

Totally agree with that.

Not a bad thing at all. Many great hosts you see now started with a simple reseller and grew from there. If the server is handled properly, and everyone stays honest and knows what they are doing, it could be just as good as having your own fully managed dedicated

But if that 'rookie' has a fully managed dedicated server with 24/7 support from the company he/she leases the server from, then they are not entirely alone are they. ;)

But that 'rookie' can mess up the entire server in a few seconds by 'accident' :)

Not a bad thing at all. Many great hosts you see now started with a simple reseller and grew from there. If the server is handled properly, and everyone stays honest and knows what they are doing, it could be just as good as having your own fully managed dedicated



But that 'rookie' can mess up the entire server in a few seconds by 'accident' :)

So true. :)

It's just that people have this negative against reseller hoster. I mean I use to have a managed dedi and I did shine with my day-to-day support but it costs me arm and a leg, my profit nothing to be proud of. Doing it as a reseller hosting is better for me to maximize my profit. Most of my clients are not from WHT so all they care is that their site is up and running. Luckily, most of the support I can handle it without crazy control needed so I can resolve it quickly with my limited access as a reseller hosts.

I'd rather be in business (since I love doing this stuff) with a reseller account rather than shutting down so quickly just because I want it hosted with a dedi. I have a pretty good reseller account that's still kickin' butt in performance. My customer still happy, I'm happy :)
That's really true. Even with a dedi, you're actually a reseller of your dc.

Reseller hosting is the way for a new host to get start with cut of need and cost instead of starting with VPS and dedicated server. It is the best way to get stuck in the webhosting business if with low risk.

Well I put in for a dedicated server due to my own hobby sites being too much to be hosted in a shared hosting environment. Now I have a dedicated server my hobby sites run perfect. And as I have loads of extra diskspace/bandwidth not being used I thought I may as well put it to good use. :)

You should go for a dedicated hosting if your website requires customized options or if your site need dedicated resources due to the high amount of traffic.

Many hosts sell reseller hosting. I do not think its bad at all.

The thing about reseller hosting is that frankly you're going to effectively resell something just about regardless of how large your operation is or how much capital is involved. Our modern economy is unique in that much of our business revolves around a form of the reseller model. Businesses from small mom and pop operations to large multinational corporations discovered that it is sometimes better to buy parts or services from another business rather than trying to do everything on their own.

Reseller hosting unfortunately has a stigma attached to it for some. While the generally lower cost to entry does provide a more appetizing menu to the fly-by-nighters, an inexperienced person can just as easily sign up for a dedicated server and appear to operate their own stuff these days. Yes a good provider can help this, but keep in mind that web hosting is a chain and a good chain worth its salt is only as good as its weakest link.

It has always worked this way for me, but I'm more interested in finding a capable and reliable host than I am ensuring I'm on a dedicated server. When you get down to it, I think most serious people will pay a bit more for better hardware and a reliable provider. Some actually prefer the more intimate relationship that a small host (such as a reseller) can provide.

I see no issue with hosting with a reseller, unless of course you have special configuration requirements, large resource requirements or complicated support needs.

I say this because resellers do not have access to configuration and many are not experienced as a reseller platform is normally used as a springboard to bigger things - VPS / Dedicated - for people just starting out as hosts, or by web-designers who host their own clients.

If you do need one of the above you are best of hosting either directly with the provider, or on a managed VPS or Dedicated Server platform where your needs can be properly catered for. It's always best to research your potential host to make sure that they will be able to do everything you will need from them.

If you find a host that doesn't pack their shared hosting environments with lots of sites, there's no reason why you can't have a reseller using shared hosting and still get excellent performance.

We also allow end-customers to be added to reseller accounts, so the reseller/end customer can have their own arrangements as to how their account is managed. We find it works well, and benefits everyone.

It will be next to impossible to find a host that doesn't oversell etc. If a host sells shared hosting then they will pack that full as they need to make money

It will be next to impossible to find a host that doesn't oversell etc. If a host sells shared hosting then they will pack that full as they need to make money

Hmm... there may be some truth to the first sentence, though I must disagree with the second. Semi-dedicated hosting is shared hosting, and its main selling point is the limit on "packing" the server full. A limit on the number (and size) of accounts put per server will be used by hosting providers specializing in high performance shared hosting as well.

The host has to put more accounts on the server when selling diskspace/bandwidth for cheaper prices than they should be (Overselling).

Hosts that don't Oversell don't need to overload their servers. They can afford to just setup new servers instead.

It will be next to impossible to find a host that doesn't oversell etc. If a host sells shared hosting then they will pack that full as they need to make money

We don't, and never will.

I don't see a reseller is a bad thing. You should take care that the investment to get a reseller is less than for a dedicated server or a VPS. In that way, a reseller can disappear from the Internet from the night to the morning without lost so much money and more easily than a provider that have a dedicated server or a VPS.

Perhaps look as a reseller as a partnership type thing and play its advtanges to end users. You are able to concetrate on running your business, supporting your customers and doing things you are good at. By using a reseller you are allowing people who know how to run a server to look after the other technical parts of the business so therefor in that view its a good thing. Its similar to letting a mechnaic look after your car in that you pay someone for their knowledge

It is not bad to host with a reseller host until reseller has competency levels to support your needs.

Reseller hosting is the way for a new host to get start with cut of need and cost instead of starting with VPS and dedicated server. It is the best way to get stuck in the webhosting business if with low risk.

I do have the same point of view.

It really depends on your needs and budget. There are many good hosts that are resellers and like many of the previous posts state if you really think about it we are in essence all reselling someone services. Whether its as a reseller hosting plan or the bandwidth from your carrier which you bring into the data center whose services you are both reselling yourself. Hope that is not too confusing and you get the point.

Some people shy away from resellers because of stability issues. I'll preface my comments by saying there are large and stable resellers who have been in business for years and aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Now with that said, I think we can all agree, the majority of resellers on the 'net are the small one-man-show operations run as a sideline for beer money or to help pay the household bills. Often these resellers are wanna-be webmasters who pickup some local businesses as customers for whom they can build and host simple websites. Is that a bad thing? Not in and of itself.

But it does become problematic when the reseller doesn't pay his hosting bill and all his customers lose their websites. We've all seen posts here on WHT about such things.

When you're dealing with hosts who actually own and colocate their own equipment, they have (a) a larger investment in the business and thus probably deeper pockets to begin with, and (b) more of a vested interest in paying their hosting bills to keep it all online.

Yes, there are companies colocating many servers who've failed to pay their bills and get cut off. But when we look at the entire hosting picture, from small shared resellers, to those who rent a dedicated server with a control panel, to those who own the servers, to the large datacenter operations-- who most often gets shut off for non-pay?

In my experience, it's the small shared reseller with a few accounts who either ran out of money, or got bored with the business and walked away because he wasn't making much money at it, or because he took a new "day job" and doesn't need (or have time for) the sideline biz anymore.

I think some people worry that a reseller may have less control over the hosting environment. A company with their own dedicated servers will have more control over things than a reseller. That could be good or bad, though, depending on who is running the dedicated servers.

The real opportunity for resellers to shine is by offering better support for day to day questions. Since the reseller has outsourced the server management to another company, the reseller should be freed up to do all of the other important day to day tasks. In some markets, a reseller could do a better job, since the reseller could focus on tasks other than running the servers.

Unfortunately, a lot of resellers fail to take advantage of the situation and end up missing their chance to shine.

Agreed! I am reseller and the advantage I offer to my clients over let's say hosting with godaddy or any other cheap hosting is that they can email me or call me and I walk them through their problems. I charge more than the usual cheap hosting companies but my clents have stayed with me for years and they are happy and never complaint about price or service.