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  1. #1

    Suggestions on a shared host

    I currently administer a community of veteran/military gamers, and we have had a history of some slowness with our current webhost bluehost.
    We have attempted to resolve this issues on several occasions, but for-what-ever reason, have been unable to permanently resolve them, so after a community poll, it is of the opinion, that it might be time to look for a new webhost.

    So, I wanted to get your suggestions based on just a few basic requirements. (Obviously, price plays an important roll, since we are not commercial, and function solely on donations from the community)

    - Must support PHP / MySQL
    - Must support Vbulletin
    - Need approx 5gb storage
    - Currently using 2000+ MB per month bandwidth
    - Has to support 3+ Primary Domain
    - Need multiple subdomains


    These are the very basic requirements, and additional features would be very nice. ie, cPanel, fantastico, etc..

    Thank you in advance for any advise/suggestions/recommendations.
    Chris

  2. #2
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    MDDHosting could well be a good option for you.....they're highly recommended here.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    A lot of hosting providers will meet your requirements. I'd definitely take a look at the offers section and look for reviews of hosting providers that peak your interest. Also, send your requirements to the provider to make sure that you're 100% they can meet your requirements.

    Good luck on your search!
    Tin Pham
    Solutions Engineer
    WP Engine - WordPress Hosting, Perfected.

  4. #4
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    How much traffic are you getting and how many people are on your forum at the same time?

    So far, your requirements look to be pretty standard and most hosts should be able to accommodate. Do you have a number in mind regarding budget?

  5. #5
    How would you rate them against GeekStorage?

    Quote Originally Posted by XTremo View Post
    MDDHosting could well be a good option for you.....they're highly recommended here.

  6. #6
    We are using about 2500MB+/- per month bandwidth, and have had on average between 30-50 people on the forums at 1 time, peaking at about 90.

    Like I said above, what I posted would be the very base minimum based on actual data I see in my cpanel at this moment.

    Budgetwise - less then $15.00 monthly

    Quote Originally Posted by WickedFactor View Post
    How much traffic are you getting and how many people are on your forum at the same time?

    So far, your requirements look to be pretty standard and most hosts should be able to accommodate. Do you have a number in mind regarding budget?
    Last edited by chrisbjax; 02-22-2011 at 03:18 PM.

  7. #7
    Tin,
    I appreciate this offer and informaiton, and have infact I have done a lot of research on several companies, and switched several times; during this time, I have come to the realization, that what a webhost posts on their site, is not always a good indicator of how they are in reality.

    In fact - I am certain all webhost will meet my requirements, however, 1 that does it better then the rest, is really what I'm after..
    This is what fundamentally lead me here to these forums, to engage real people on their experiences, and not just what the "Sales Team" says they offer.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tin View Post
    A lot of hosting providers will meet your requirements. I'd definitely take a look at the offers section and look for reviews of hosting providers that peak your interest. Also, send your requirements to the provider to make sure that you're 100% they can meet your requirements.

    Good luck on your search!
    Last edited by chrisbjax; 02-22-2011 at 03:25 PM.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisbjax View Post
    Tin,
    I appreciate this offer and informaiton, and have infact I have done a lot of research on several companies, and switched several times; during this time, I have come to the realization, that what a webhost posts on their site, is not always a good indicator of how they are in reality.

    In fact - I am certain all webhost will meet my requirements, however, 1 that does it better then the rest, is really what I'm after..
    This is what fundamentally lead me here to these forums, to engage real people on their experiences, and not just what the "Sales Team" says they offer.
    Well I think your first step will be to cross any providers that are claiming to offer you unlimited disk-space (example, your current web host). 9/10 times that is a good indicator for the type of service you can expect (unlimited web hosting usually = sub-par or average web hosting at best).

    Also, keep in mind that VBulliten can eat up a large amount resources so be mindful of that when hosting your board in a shared environment.

    With that being said, I believe someone recommended to you MDDHosting, I definitely think that's a good place to start. Personally Ive never used their services, however I have been on this board long enough to know they run a solid operation (one of their owners, Mike is constantly on this board, which I think is a plus for any web hosting business).

    In any case, best of luck!
    Looking for an awesome VPS Offer? CLICK HERE

    "Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do." – Bruce Lee

  9. #9
    Yes, thank you. I have looked at their information, and they seem to be comparable to another host I was looking at, GeekStorage. I had asked opinions about that.

    MDDHosting, Appears to be a tad bit more expensive(By only a few pennies). and offers a little more disk storage, however, they have less bandwidth, and do not seem to offer a dedicated IP or SSL Cert.

    What are your thoughts?

    Quote Originally Posted by FernGullyGraphics View Post
    Well I think your first step will be to cross any providers that are claiming to offer you unlimited disk-space (example, your current web host). 9/10 times that is a good indicator for the type of service you can expect (unlimited web hosting usually = sub-par or average web hosting at best).

    Also, keep in mind that VBulliten can eat up a large amount resources so be mindful of that when hosting your board in a shared environment.

    With that being said, I believe someone recommended to you MDDHosting, I definitely think that's a good place to start. Personally Ive never used their services, however I have been on this board long enough to know they run a solid operation (one of their owners, Mike is constantly on this board, which I think is a plus for any web hosting business).

    In any case, best of luck!

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisbjax View Post
    MDDHosting, Appears to be a tad bit more expensive(By only a few pennies). and offers a little more disk storage, however, they have less bandwidth, and do not seem to offer a dedicated IP or SSL Cert.
    We offer both dedicated IPs and SSL.
    Michael Denney - MDDHosting.com - Proudly hosting more than 37,700 websites since 2007.
    Ultra-Fast Cloud Shared and Pay-By-Use Reseller Hosting Powered by LiteSpeed!
    cPanel • Free SSL • 100% Uptime SLA • 24/7 Support
    Class-leading support that responds in minutes, not days.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisbjax View Post
    Yes, thank you. I have looked at their information, and they seem to be comparable to another host I was looking at, GeekStorage. I had asked opinions about that.

    MDDHosting, Appears to be a tad bit more expensive(By only a few pennies). and offers a little more disk storage, however, they have less bandwidth, and do not seem to offer a dedicated IP or SSL Cert.

    What are your thoughts?
    I'm not entirely familiar with Geekstorage, but I have heard some bad reviews about them (just do a search for them here on WHT), its not all bad, but definitely enough to make you think. If you are comparing both companies based on customer experience, I have been on this board almost 8 months now and I have yet to come across a negative review concerning MDDHosting (which is impressive, considering the amount of clients they have).

    Also, although its great geekstorage is including an SSL with their web hosting packages, keep in mind that you can buy a Rapid SSL from name-cheap for about $10 per year. So I would not let that be the sole reason why you pick one web host over the other.

    The extras are great, however they wont mean anything if you are not getting a solid web hosting service to go with them (just my opinion). Hope that helps!
    Last edited by Forward Web; 02-22-2011 at 04:17 PM. Reason: Needed to add some more information
    Looking for an awesome VPS Offer? CLICK HERE

    "Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do." – Bruce Lee

  12. #12
    Hi Mike,
    Is that for an additional fee? or included in the package? (Intermediate)
    Quote Originally Posted by MikeDVB View Post
    We offer both dedicated IPs and SSL.

  13. #13
    Very good point. I did actually do a search before I threw their name out there - I did search back to 05-05-10.

    I didn't uncover any negative reviews on them. I know I may be nit picking a little bit, however, I've made a few mistakes in migrating to a webhost in the past, so forgive me. I'm simply trying to get the easiest to manage, most bang-for-the-buck.


    Quote Originally Posted by FernGullyGraphics View Post
    I'm not entirely familiar with Geekstorage, but I have heard some bad reviews about them (just do a search for them here on WHT), its not all bad, but definitely enough to make you think. If you are comparing both companies based on customer experience, I have been on this board almost 8 months now and I have yet to come across a negative review concerning MDDHosting (which is impressive, considering the amount of clients they have).

    Also, although its great geekstorage is including an SSL with their web hosting packages, keep in mind that you can buy a Rapid SSL from name-cheap for about $10 per year. So I would not let that be the sole reason why you pick one web host over the other.

    The extras are great, however they wont mean anything if you are not getting a solid web hosting service to go with them (just my opinion). Hope that helps!
    Last edited by chrisbjax; 02-22-2011 at 04:33 PM.

  14. #14
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    Cool

    Your requirements are not that unusual or "huge". Any good host should be able to handle the loads you describe and your other requirements. With some hosts you might have to ask if they will add the extra domains or some of the other things so you can get what you need without "overbuying" but it shouldn't be too hard to find.
    Just be sure you're not getting a reseller or someone with a small crowded VPS or such. They might advertise they can handle your requirements but in real life the forum would overload many of them.
    New Idea Hosting NO Overselling-Business-Grade, Shared Only! New-In House Design Team.
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    We Concentrate on Shared Hosting ...doing one thing and doing it VERY well

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisbjax View Post
    I'm simply trying to get the easiest to manage, most bang-for-the-buck.
    And there is nothing wrong with that! If you want some more advice, I would also take into consideration who is giving you the better deal on a month to month basis. Most of the hosts offering free SSL and IP's, Domains, only give you the freebies if you sign-up for a year in advance (which is understandable). However, since you are somewhat on the fence about which web host to go with, I would recommend signing up with a web host on a monthly basis first (to test their services) and then once you are comfortable with them, you can switch over to a yearly billing cycle.
    Looking for an awesome VPS Offer? CLICK HERE

    "Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do." – Bruce Lee

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisbjax View Post
    How would you rate them against GeekStorage?
    No idea....I've never used GeekStorage I'm afraid.

  17. #17
    Absolutely! Since we had our issues with bluehost, and fatcow before that; and had paid in advance for 2 years. This made me very uncomfortable to go back to the community and ask again.
    Luckily for me, the community is very understanding.


    PS - Thanks all for this great feedback everyone! I really appreciate it!

    Quote Originally Posted by FernGullyGraphics View Post
    And there is nothing wrong with that! If you want some more advice, I would also take into consideration who is giving you the better deal on a month to month basis. Most of the hosts offering free SSL and IP's, Domains, only give you the freebies if you sign-up for a year in advance (which is understandable). However, since you are somewhat on the fence about which web host to go with, I would recommend signing up with a web host on a monthly basis first (to test their services) and then once you are comfortable with them, you can switch over to a yearly billing cycle.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisbjax View Post
    Hi Mike,
    Is that for an additional fee? or included in the package? (Intermediate)
    The IP is optional at signup for $2/month and you can order an SSL after you've signed up but ultimately it's cheaper to get one from NameCheap as we simply don't have the order quantity for SSLs to get the same pricing as NameCheap.
    Michael Denney - MDDHosting.com - Proudly hosting more than 37,700 websites since 2007.
    Ultra-Fast Cloud Shared and Pay-By-Use Reseller Hosting Powered by LiteSpeed!
    cPanel • Free SSL • 100% Uptime SLA • 24/7 Support
    Class-leading support that responds in minutes, not days.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisbjax View Post
    MDDHosting, Appears to be a tad bit more expensive(By only a few pennies). and offers a little more disk storage, however, they have less bandwidth, and do not seem to offer a dedicated IP or SSL Cert.

    What are your thoughts?
    +1 for MDDHosting. I have a VPS with MDDHosting, and they have been great in terms of responsiveness and support. They include R1Soft backups with 28-days restore points; that came in handy the other day when Mike quickly restored a customer's Wordpress database (the customer switched the character encoding to Chinese for some reason.)

    I always have to fight the temptation to buy on price, and realized the other day I was agonizing over an extra $1 a month on something ... $12 a year. I lose that much change in the couch and never even think about it.

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