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  1. #1

    VPS: OLM.net vs WebSiteSource.com

    Well, after some research, and some searching of these forums, I'm down to my last two choices for a new VPS solution. I've ruled out some of the more popular choices around here (dinix, vpscolo, etc, etc) because they allow adult content. So, out of the VPS solutions who do not allow adult content, I'm down to two:

    OLM.net and Websitesource.com

    I'd like some advice, as I've come to value the feedback I get here. Here's the basic rundown--I left out the comparisons that wouldn't really affect me, or were the same:

    Price:
    OLM - $49/month + $40 setup
    WSS - $51/month
    Conclusion - not enough of a difference to matter

    Control Panel:
    OLM - WEBppliance Pro (Ensim)
    WSS - HSPcomplete
    Conclusion - I'm familiar with HSPcomplete, and like it, but would like some opinions on WEBppliance Pro. I'm not familiar with it, so was wondering if it should be enough to affect my decision?

    RAM and Resources:
    OLM - 256mb - 5% Burstable
    WSS - ??? (not listed on their plans--after calling support, they said all the VPS plans on the same server would share the same RAM, at least 1gb?)
    Conclusion - This is important to me, as I run a busy Invision Power Board, so any advice on this is greatly appreciated. I'm not sure what "5% Burstable" means, and was unclear on exactly what the WSS tech guy was saying about sharing RAM with the other VPSs on the same server.

    Space:
    OLM - 2000mb
    WSS - 1500mb
    Conclusion - although the extra 500mb would be nice, my site probably wouldn't use up that much anyway

    Transfer:
    OLM - 75gig
    WSS - 40gig
    Conclusion - This is quite a difference, and the one thing making me lean towards OLM right now

    Data Center:
    OLM - Lisle IL and Trumbell CT, NOC - multiple 155 Mbit OC3 and 45 Mbit DS3 bandwidth connections with Network 3, Global Crossing and MCI
    WSS - Austin TX and Baltimore MD - OC-48 connections and OC-192 capabilities with Time Warner TELECOM, UUNET, AT&T and Digex
    Conclusion - This is also where I need some advice, as I don't know who has a better infrastructure. Speed and reliability is at the top of my priority list

    Sorry for the long breakdown, but any advice is appreciated. I guess what I'm looking for is that one piece of feedback that will help me make a decision, as right now, I'm still not sure who to pick.

    Thanks all.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    51
    OLM has good support. I am no longer their client. But until I was there would be always someone to answer the phone for tech support. Actually I was with Webaxxs their subsidiary but calls would go to OLM.
    Hope this helps.
    -ganesh

  3. #3
    I have not heard of those the normal ones people talk about are VPSColo, Dinix, and ServInt.

    I have been with Dinix and am with VPSColo, I would recommend either of those 2, have heard great things also about ServInt. I do like the fact with VPSColo, I can purchase more RAM/CPU.

    the company should give you a breakdown on approx, # of VPS per Server, you Slice of the cpu in Mhz, and memory in MB.

    If you have a busy forum, I would go with a known good company for VPS. If you have more than 150-200 on your forum at once posting you might want to think about Dedicated. Just my opinion though.

  4. #4
    Originally posted by rasputinj
    I have not heard of those the normal ones people talk about are VPSColo, Dinix, and ServInt.

    I have been with Dinix and am with VPSColo, I would recommend either of those 2, have heard great things also about ServInt. I do like the fact with VPSColo, I can purchase more RAM/CPU.
    Thanks for the feedback fellas.

    rasputinj - I've already ruled out those hosts due to the reasons above, but thanks!

    I'm really leaning more and more towards OLM. I just used the Websitesource.com online chat feature to find out more about if they offer guaranteed RAM. The sales dept referred me to tech support, and the tech support referred me back to sales. I was not impressed. The same thing happened a few days ago when I called their toll free number. OLM's support seems better, even though I've only used their chat (they don't have a toll free number until after you sign up apparently).

    I specifically asked each where the data center that hosts the new VPS plans were... websitesource is in their Austin TX NOC, and OLM is in their Trumball CT NOC. Does anyone have any input on which data center location is best--or if I should even make that an issue?

    Also - any advice on HSPcomplete vs WEBppliance Pro would be dope too.

  5. #5
    Burstable memory typically means swap.

    You want to be careful of a provider that allows their VPS to 'burst' too much. e.g. if you can burst to 1GB, and so can everyone else then your host server will be as slow as molasses dealing with page swaps.

    192+MB of memory is, in my experience, usually more than enough for anything. Though if you are really going to be pushing 40GB+ of bandwidth with the forums you may actually be better off with a dedicated server.

    I don't see much of a difference in the bandwidth between those two. They are both using solid networks (some people would say they not the best in the industry, but they should be fine).
    RimuHosting.com - VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting since 2003
    Pingability.com - Peace of Mind Web Site Monitoring

  6. #6
    I have a VPS with OLM for over a year now. I have had a few issues every now and then, but the tech support at OLM is amazing. There have been many times when I reached them in the middle of the night. I couldn't ask for better support.

    Ensim is ok. The new version is supposedly much more stable then the old one. I am still running the old one and have not had any problems.

  7. #7
    Had a shared acc at olm for around three years. Rock solid and good support. Their plans (including VPS) were seriously overpriced though, and Ensim... is not too awesome at VPS, I heard Also, check out their gotchas, which are prices for overage on disk and traffic, might bite.

    I'd reccommend ServInt for a VPS, they won't put adult content on your sites and that's all you should worry about

  8. #8
    So many opinions - they might be helpful. But, IMO if you have such a requirements you should look for the dedicated server

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    LA
    Posts
    39
    you can probably check out linode.com. I just signed up with them 1 month ago. Everything seems to be normal, nothing out of my expectations.

  10. #10
    Thanks everyone, I checked out ServInt, and unfortunately, they allow adult content. I also checked out Linode, and it seemed to me that they're "unmanaged", and I definitely need managed servers--as I'm not that familiar with all the ins and outs of serevr maintenance, etc.

    So, after all the help and research, I think I'll be signing up with an OLM VPS package before the end of the week. WHT is awesome. Thanks everyone.

    I'll give a review of my experience with OLM after a few months.

  11. #11
    We have recent experience with both Websitesource and OLM.

    We planned to move our OLM account to Websitesource, and found Websitesource to be incompetent sleazebags. After creating the Websitesource account, it was getting about 100Kbits/sec downstream. We asked tech support for help and had to hold their hand, showing them how to check the download speed. They had no idea how to fix the problem. We cancelled the account. Two weeks later we still hadn't been credited per their guarantee. When we kept after them, we got a credit, minus the $25 setup fee. When I demanded a full refund, they refused and lectured me about how much of their time I'd taken up. I was ready to fly to Austin to visit them in person, Sopranos-style.

    OLM's support people try hard and are always courteous, but they're not very capable. They've created numerous problems for us and we've had to show them how to do their job, even though we're definitely not very knowledgable. For over a month, they've had 5-10% packet loss on our site. They're unable to fix the problem without moving everything to a different server. You can run a continuous ping on olm.net and see the lost packets.

  12. #12
    yeah packet loss has been why we moved out. thought it's a temporary problem, started about a year ago.

  13. #13
    Can someone explain what packet loss is, and how it would affect my site/account?

  14. #14
    I'd recommend ServInt for a VPS, they won't put adult content on your sites and that's all you should worry about [/B]
    Is there a technical issue with adult orientated sites (eg - load) or is it a moral issue? I'm not aware that any of the VPS providers mentioned in this thread would put adult content on his sites. Just curious as I am in the process of making a similiar decision regarding which VPS provider. Leaning toward Dinix or VPScolo

  15. #15
    Originally posted by demostorm
    Is there a technical issue with adult orientated sites (eg - load) or is it a moral issue? I'm not aware that any of the VPS providers mentioned in this thread would put adult content on his sites. Just curious as I am in the process of making a similiar decision regarding which VPS provider. Leaning toward Dinix or VPScolo
    For me it's a moral decision. The site I'll be hosting is religious based, so I have to make sure that everything involved with it doesn't publically contradict any of it's values.

    That's why I had to rule out all the ones that get the best reviews and recomendations (ie - Dinix, VPScolo, ServInt, Linode, etc).

  16. #16
    Originally posted by phatmass
    [B]For me it's a moral decision. The site I'll be hosting is religious based, so I have to make sure that everything involved with it doesn't publically contradict any of it's values.

    Understood. I presently host most of my sites with a Christian host so it has some resonance for me but on the other hand I don't know how I'd get to a point where I could apply that principle across the board unless I found a host that was religious AND had their own datacenter.
    For even if a host like OLM (which is great by the way - had services from them awhile back) didn't want Porn on their site unless they prohibit it on moral not technical grounds my VPS could very well be on a server with a Church of satan site (extreme example).

    Now lest someone think the whole thing is silly on a practical level I have found that people with similiar values understand each other better and have a common framework for understanding each other and working out problems. That can be very beneficial when dealing with a host especially when their are problems (but thats only if they really have the same values not just claim it)

    I like OLM but I do too much work with scripts not to have an autoinstaller like say fantastico which works with Cpanel. Do they offer Cpanel?

  17. #17
    Originally posted by demostorm
    Understood. I presently host most of my sites with a Christian host so it has some resonance for me but on the other hand I don't know how I'd get to a point where I could apply that principle across the board unless I found a host that was religious AND had their own datacenter.
    For even if a host like OLM (which is great by the way - had services from them awhile back) didn't want Porn on their site unless they prohibit it on moral not technical grounds my VPS could very well be on a server with a Church of satan site (extreme example).

    Now lest someone think the whole thing is silly on a practical level I have found that people with similiar values understand each other better and have a common framework for understanding each other and working out problems. That can be very beneficial when dealing with a host especially when their are problems (but thats only if they really have the same values not just claim it)

    I like OLM but I do too much work with scripts not to have an autoinstaller like say fantastico which works with Cpanel. Do they offer Cpanel?
    No, they don't. They have Ensim WEBplliance. I've never used it before, so hope it's not too difficult to figure out.

    I've struggled with where to draw the line as far as how "moral" a company has to be. On one extreme, I could go with a company who allows anything they can get away with, and on the other extreme, I'd have to find a company who is owned and operated by someone with my same set of moral beliefs, pertaining to my own denomination within my own religion. So, I simply decided to draw the line with the most obvious criteria, which is pornography--for the purposes of maintaining a "moral standard" in the public's eye. I don't know the reasons why OLM doesn't allow adult content--maybe it's moral, maybe it's technical. If I looked that much into it, I'm afraid I wouldn't find a host at all. haha

  18. #18
    I am positive I've seen some niche hosts which even offered free hosting or serious discounts for religious websites. I can't find a reference off the top of my head, but if your site is non commercial I am sure you will be able to find something via google.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Europe
    Posts
    714
    I have a friend who uses them is very very happy with OLM.NET's services.

  20. #20
    Originally posted by piramida
    I am positive I've seen some niche hosts which even offered free hosting or serious discounts for religious websites. I can't find a reference off the top of my head, but if your site is non commercial I am sure you will be able to find something via google.
    Well, I'm actually with a host right now who hosts my site for free (http://www.catholic-church.org). Y'all might think I'm crazy for leaving. The reason is that I need better performance (my Invision Power Board is really laggy with my current host), and better reliability. Plus, I think my site may be having a negative effect on the other sites on the server, which is unfair to them, considering I'm not paying anything. The guy who hosts my site for free I believe has a reseller account with Remarkable hosting, which I guess got bought out by ILON--which, hahaha, allows adult content.

  21. #21
    Did you come up with any other provider of VPS services that carries Cpanel? without adult content allowed. Curious to find one. I think the sentiment is pretty much as expressed before. Its a dedicated resource (to a point) so its not an issue whats on it. Still I am in a similiar boat to you and would like to know if there are any other oprions. As for Christian hosting perse - most don't seem to be bothered with dedicated much less VPS.

  22. #22
    Originally posted by demostorm
    Did you come up with any other provider of VPS services that carries Cpanel? without adult content allowed. Curious to find one. I think the sentiment is pretty much as expressed before. Its a dedicated resource (to a point) so its not an issue whats on it. Still I am in a similiar boat to you and would like to know if there are any other oprions. As for Christian hosting perse - most don't seem to be bothered with dedicated much less VPS.
    Unfortunately, this is what I found out--from my research, no Christian host has any VPS solutions.

    Out of all the VPS plans I've found, only the following companies prohibit adult content:

    OLM.net
    websitesource.com
    apollohosting.com
    infinityhost.com

    Apollohosting never responded to my pre-sales e-mail questions after two attempts, so I ruled them out. Infinityhost is a division of apollohosting, and I'm actually using them for some smaller sites (so far, no complaints other than their parent company not replying to e-mails, haha).

    None of them offer cPanel. OLM uses Ensim and all the rest use the HSP control panel, which I actually like a lot.

  23. #23
    Here's something that might help you, from teh Apollohosting FAQs:

    Can I install a 3rd party control panel? (Plesk, CPanel, H-Sphere)
    Yes! Since you have full root priveleges, you are able to enjoy full functionality of your favorite Control Panel. You can install that yourself, and we will gladly assist you if you have any problems.

  24. #24
    Thanks for the info but I'm afraid you are right. I haven't found any VPS host that doesn't host adult content AND uses Cpanel. On the bright side I do see some dedicated offerings that are interesting but so far I can't seriously believe that the level of management is the same for the prices I'm seeing.(and some do claim to include management)

    I did also find another datacenter that doesn't allow adult content - Burstnet AKA Nocster. Gotten some bad reviews recently but theres also been reports they have made the significant moves to improve their network, Definitely if I have to license and install my own Cpanel I would go dedicated instead.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    5
    Originally posted by kennect
    OLM's support people try hard and are always courteous, but they're not very capable. They've created numerous problems for us and we've had to show them how to do their job, even though we're definitely not very knowledgable. For over a month, they've had 5-10% packet loss on our site. They're unable to fix the problem without moving everything to a different server. You can run a continuous ping on olm.net and see the lost packets.
    OMG I'm not crazy!! I have had a VPS account with OLM for several years and have found their techs to get dumber each month. This last year has been horrible. I got a Dinix VPS recently and have been transferring my 50 client accounts there as time permits. It's hard to move so many client accounts at once and get all the email and scripts, etc., working properly at once.

    Dinix's support is fantastic. If I submit a ticket, I have had a response in as little as 3 minutes. OLM can take hours.

    A recent Ensim control panel problem drug on for a week until I searched the Internet, found the solution and fixed it myself through SSH. I then sent a scathing rant up to QA after which I got an "apology" about how yes, I should not have to do Tech Support's job and they should be able to find what I found. I think their Tech Support center is in India now. At least I never speak to anyone without an accent or an Indian name.

    I've also had things done to my VPS and no one can figure out what happened or who did it. But there are across the board changes and new files added all with the same date/time. One time almost all my clients webstats directories disappeared! All their stats gone!

    Needless to say we are very please with Dinix and their support. The only problem we have had is patches being applied in the middle of the day stopping our server for a little while. I wish they would apply patches in the middle of the night.

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