Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1

    Software is out to kill me

    I've been looking into the long term logistics of a web host and I could see a problem with software killing my profit.

    Example:

    Let's say I get an unmanaged server at Rackshack.net with just Linux on it. A basic one will cost me $100 a month, which is a good deal as far as I know. Buying the server itself and the co-locating doesn't appeal to me (although if it ends up being a lot cheaper maybe it should).

    So now I got my server and I'm running Redhat Linux. I get it all up to date, and I got all me free stuff like Apache, MySQL, PHP, whatever, running. But now I got to purchase a control panel, cause clients like that stuff. Cpanel is the one I want.

    So I go to CPanel's web site and look at their prices. Holy bejesus! is what first goes through my mind. They want me to pay $1400 bucks and they don't even give me free updates for life. I hope to god they at least give you security updates for life.

    This basically then crashes my dreams of managing my own server, and suddenly managed servers where they update the software and I don't pay a dime extra beyond my monthly cost is sounding nice, even if they want $200 for it a month versus the $100 for the unmanaged.

    How do you guys get around this? Is there a way that is most cost effective over both short term and long term ?

    - Xizor -

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Fremont, CA, USA
    Posts
    307
    Originally posted by Xizor
    How do you guys get around this? Is there a way that is most cost effective over both short term and long term ?
    Most dedicated server solutions provide you the option of control panel licenses, in this case CPanel. Usually they're only an extra $20/month. -- I know servermatrix does this, and I know rackshack has specific plans which include the cost of the control panel.

    So if you're situation is with a rackshack server, I don't see why you would want to purchase your own cpanel license for $1400 when you can get a leased one from rackshack included in a plan. If I have this all mixed up, I'm sure someone will correct me.
    Mitty Chang, Managing Partner & Lead Designer
    MightyMitty Design Studios
    mightymitty.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    CA
    Posts
    380
    It's only $10 more for a cpanel server with RS
    Send all e-mail to
    abuse@spews.org

  4. #4
    So if I do pay the $10 more for cpanel with RS, can I update the cpanel software on my server for free? How does that work? Cause what if they give me Cpanel 5 or something like that? Am I stuck with an old version?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    CA
    Posts
    380
    I think they will give you the newest version
    Send all e-mail to
    abuse@spews.org

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    3,734
    Cpanel, with the monthly fee license (like they offer at RS) is always upgradable to the latest version, as long as the license is valid.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2000
    Location
    Tacoma, Washington
    Posts
    9,576
    Originally posted by Xizor
    So if I do pay the $10 more for cpanel with RS, can I update the cpanel software on my server for free? How does that work? Cause what if they give me Cpanel 5 or something like that? Am I stuck with an old version?
    If you select auto-update CPanel will do it all itself. For manual updates it's just a matter of pushing a button, or a line of code via shell.

    Rest assured, a cracked-out test bunny could update CPanel.
    Former Webhost... now, just a guy.

  8. #8
    Well if a cracked-out test bunny can do it...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Duluth MN
    Posts
    3,863
    Another answer to the original post:

    I bought my servers, and co-locate them. I also use H-Sphere.

    For a 1 server H-sphere setup with the servers I purchased in a 1 server setup.

    1 1U server - $835
    12 months of Co-Location @ $150/mo for 1U with my co-lo provider - $1800
    H-sphere - $4.50 per account, one time fee for licensing, unlimited servers. Account licenses are recycleable.


    $835 + $1800 = $2635 / 12 = ~$220/mo for first year, $150/mo for every consecutive year.

    H-sphere licenses are purchased in blocks of 100, so a $450 investment up front is needed, but the licenses are per account with a 1 time fee. So if I host www.somesite.com and they leave me for some reason, I can use their account license to host www.someoneelse.com. Licenses are per H-sphere account, and an account can have unlimited emails, and unlimited domains.

    I much prefer H-sphere's licensing over Cpanels because this is a standard expense per customer, and I can loadbalance my servers better. I can have 50 customers on 1 server, and 150 on another, and customers cost me $4.50/ea in licensing. Where with cpanel and their $599/year license for 1 server, a 50 user server would be $11.98 per customer per year in licensing, and the 150 user server would be $3.99 per customer per year in licensing.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •