May you guys suggest me numerous ways to check a host to see if it is a reseller and also its parent host. Checking DNS server on a whois database won't work as reseller do have their own DNS nowadays.

Please advice.


James Yap

ask 'em

resellers have their advantages too.

You can always just ask them, they should tell you.

Yep I am a reseller and if asked I will tell them that I am. I can't see why a reseller would hide if asked...

I think most people don't prefer reseller as a host, and the minute they hear you say "I am a reseller", is the minute they are turning away and look for someone else.

True, Finalz, BUT you know how many millions are being serviced by resellers and don't care:)

There are plenty of customers to be found out there (i think :eek: ) so "if" I were a reseller I would tell them. I may not tell them for who seeing that in many cases they would be able to get the product cheaper going direct, unless you are setup with enom (just an example)...as you are aware you can purchase basic .tld's for $6.95 and if a potential customer goes to the enom site they will see $29.95 so you will still come out okay.

When I used to resell hosting 3 years ago, I never told people that I was a reseller. When I discovered the personalized nameservers that was IT for me:D Not fool proof and as the avg user has become more learned and aware it no longer fools them.

I do however make it a point to offer personalized DNS services to my resellers now.

:D

Long as you're professional about it there's no good or bad either way. The customer will choose you based on their views of your ability to perform whether that be honesty, speed, or willingness to host controversial information. ;-)

I wouldn't advertise it on the site, but be honest when asked.

Sincerely,

-Matt

Yes I agree don't advertise it on the site.

If asked I would tell them but I would explain why my business has chosen to become a reseller first before getting and managing a dec server which is a part of my furture plans. I will be moving sites over once I get one however reselling is profitable at the moment for me and thats what counts.

Hey everyone, the topic is how to identify the reseller, not the pro and cons of a reseller!!! :bawling:

I am not looking for a web host. I do already have 3 web hosts hosting my site and I don't really care about whether they are a reseller or not.

As long as they provide good customer service and they have professional looking website (not a kindergarden masterpiece) and MOST important, list down all the features clearly. I will like them. OK? Happy resellers?

So go back to my question, is there anyway else other then asking to indentified a reseller? Again, I am not looking for a web host right now.

It is also wrong if you say you 'ask' and they will tell you the truth! You see, I am managing a web hosting directory and for so many hosts that I have invide to list their plan + those who came and submit themselves. NOT A SINGLE HOST admit that they are a reseller! (I put the question 'are you a reseller in the form'). I just can't believe this!!! If 80% of the host is reseller, why my directory have 0% resellers. Actually I didn't publish the information of whether they are a reseller, I am just asking. Maybe placing a small note 'this information will not be shown' will make them tell the truth.

So guys, any ideas on how to identify resellers?

y not look up the servers host name then do a whois on it?

I can't find any useful information using whois as I say the resellers have their own DNS server nowadays.

You can do a tracert on the IP number of their domain name (or primary nameserver IP) and get an idea where the server is that hosts the website. But that doesn't answer your question either, because many *non-resellers* have their servers in NOCs with resellers.

Maybe you should define *what is a reseller*. Because the way I see it, unless a web hosting company owns their servers, networks, routers, etc, and the NOC where they're located, aren't they in essence *reselling*?

These days there are so many forms of web hosting companies, it's hard to categorize them into 2 classes..... resellers and non-resellers. Here's a brief list:

Types of Resellers:
1. Hosting company that offers the same hosting accounts as their hosting provider, on their provider's shared server
2. Hosting company that offers custom accounts (that look nothing like their provider's) on a shared server
3. Hosting company that leases a dedicated server from their provider, and sells the same hosting accounts
4. Hosting company that leases a dedicated server from their provider, and sells custom accounts
5. Hosting company that leases several dedicated servers from their provider, and perhaps *resells* servers as well
6. Hosting company that leases several dedicated servers from several providers
7. Hosting company that owns their own servers and has them *co-located* in their provider's NOC
8. Hosting company that is the provider of all the above companies, because they own the NOC

Did I miss any?

Read the following scenario. It probably isn't too far from the truth :eek:

Company A sells web hosting plans, dedicated servers, and offers Co-Location services to their clients.
Company B is a client of Company A, because they Co-Locate their servers at that NOC.
Company C is a client of Company B because they lease servers from Company B, and sell dedicated servers as well as hosting plans.
Company D buys dedicated servers from Company C, and only sells hosting plans (including reseller plans) to their customers (i.e. no dedicated servers)... but their customer support sucks.
Company E signs up as a reseller for Company D, and sells hosting plans. They also offer a reseller plan.
Company F is a reseller of Company E, and sells thousands of hosting plans, and has a great reputation for quality support and timely responses to emails.
Company G has a web hosting account with Company F and absolutely loves them. Their support is the best. They used to be a customer of Company D, but their support was awful. Besides... they heard Company D was a reseller for Company C, and they didn't like that. They're MUCH happier now that they're being hosted by Company F.

Company G is thinking about becoming a reseller for Company F.

So of the above companies, which ones are resellers?

Cheers :D

Greetings:

1. Ask.

2. Do a WHOIS on the hosting company's domain name.

Are the NS records based on their domain name or anothers?

Note the IP addresses assocated with the domain name.

3. If the NS records don't have the domain name of the hosting provider in them, then remove the "NSx" part and go to that domain name. You may or may not have to put "www." in the name.

When you go to that address, are they a hosting provider?

4. Go to http://www.arin.net/whois/index.html with the IP addresses owned by the domain name.

5. Ask the provider who is the company that owns the Net Block if they don't own it in number 4.

NOTES:

#3 may not mean anything because the provider you are talking to may be using their DNS services only.

#4 may not mean anything because the provider you are talking to may co-locate their servers or rent their servers in the data center that actually owns the IP addresses.

However, based on what they tell you when you do #1, you can start getting a picture of whether or not you are being snowed.

Thank you.

GoLios, I like your points on resellers. :) So far, I am interested in small reseller. Maybe those 1 man business that purchase a small reseller package and sell it to a few customers.

By the way, I remember once I claimed a host to be a reseller (dataflame). I am hosted with them. I notice that their invoice # are so low! So I mail them and said I don't mind they are a reseller as they provide very good customer support. Then, they replied a long and detail mail telling me they are definitely not a reseller and all other information about their server and why the invoice # is so low. Feel ashame :rolleyes: on making a wrong guess! So I want to learn some better way to see if a host is a reseller instead of guessing blindly.

Yeah Dynamicnet, that's the information I need! Thanks very much, the arin URL you gave me is the most precious information. Thanks again!

These days there are so many forms of web hosting companies, it's hard to categorize them into 2 classes..... resellers and non-resellers.

True, there are several classes of resellers, but whats important to me is: Who controls and manages the servers? Because these are the people that actually deal with server issues.

You don't have to spy just ask him. Does it makes diff on sites performance if host is reseller or owns server
:D :D

Jolly and ALL,

It doesn't matter if they are resellers. If you read all the messages in the thread, the message is discussing 'how to indentify a reseller' not 'Is reseller good'. I doesn't mind a reseller, instead, I list many of them in my directory! :)

You can't ignore resellers as they take a large percentage of the web hosting community. Or if you want to be happy, In would say reseller will have better support because a BOS will 100% care more on his business rather then a sale/support representative who receive a pay check every month.

Happy Pal? :)

I recommend domainwhitepages.com for "reseller inspecting" :) It has almost every tool suggested here.

Thats funny, we had some ahole who used to repeatedly send us email tell us "your a reseller arent you". We kept telling me we were not. He kept bombing our sales department with the same emails time and time again after finally one day i threaten the jerk and he stopped. Some people are just totaly idiots and never wish to beleive it when you tell them otherwise.

If they can't do something like empty apache logs on the spot you know they're a reseller. :p Or if you e-mail them for support and it takes them days to get back to you, and they say, "Well we had to confirm that.", they're a reseller.

I could think of many other ways to find out how the host is a reseller.

I'm a reseller, do my clients give a damn? No. It's just hosting, they get their site, they should be happy. (*SHOULD* = key word)