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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    36

    Question Hosting - Quality & Limitation

    I am a solutions prodier and my clients are looking for quality hosting providers.

    Recently I have tried:

    - Xeran (www.xeran.com)
    - Tera-Byte (www.tera-byte.com)
    - ProHosting (www.prohosting.com)
    - CyberPixels (www.cyberpixels.com)

    I have been been happy with both Tera-Byte and Xeran but ProHosting and CyberPixels are NOT suitable for business level sites.

    One of the huge limitations of most hosting companies is their lack of support for (1) SMTP outbound and (2) SSL mail.

    Does anyone know of a host which provides these services and is known to be reliable?

    From a impartial view point - who would you deem are they 'Fortune 50' of hosting providers online?

    Thanks for your input.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    256

    Re: Hosting - Quality & Limitation

    Originally posted by md3v
    I am a solutions prodier and my clients are looking for quality hosting providers.

    Recently I have tried:

    - Xeran (www.xeran.com)
    - Tera-Byte (www.tera-byte.com)
    - ProHosting (www.prohosting.com)
    - CyberPixels (www.cyberpixels.com)

    I have been been happy with both Tera-Byte and Xeran but ProHosting and CyberPixels are NOT suitable for business level sites.

    One of the huge limitations of most hosting companies is their lack of support for (1) SMTP outbound and (2) SSL mail.

    Does anyone know of a host which provides these services and is known to be reliable?

    From a impartial view point - who would you deem are they 'Fortune 50' of hosting providers online?

    Thanks for your input.
    "Most hosts lack SMTP mail?"

    If you are finding that true, then I suspect you are looking at the wrong hosts.

    I do hosting as a HOBBY at the moment, and I'VE always offerered an STMP service, and I dont even CHARGE anyone for it.

    The only reasons I can see of not offering SMTP is if the hosts you are looking for are running off a home type connection that blocks port 25 for outgoing mail VIA their ISP. OR possibly the hosting provider is too lazy to setup a mail server with a properly secured MTA that isnt an open mail relay.

    Granted, I've never setup secure mail, but it shouldnt be TOO hard to do.

    (I suspect you've been looking at the $5 a year/$10 a year hosts)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    36

    Actually.

    Actually - I have been looking in the $15.00+ /month.

    My one frustration is the lack of SSL-POP3 providers, even in the higher end hosts.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Buckinghamshire, UK
    Posts
    342
    xeran are offering 'unlimited' transfer on one of their packages... beware 'cos there is no such thing.

    If you're looking for a big business hosting provider then perhaps look at some of the business orientated ISPs? Most offer business hosting and are quite good, alhough quite pricey too.
    hosting53.com - the hosting solutions company

  5. #5
    Can anyone tell me one good reason to allow SMTP service on a shared hosting server?

    here are my reasons why i dont offer it

    1.) higher load on the server
    2.) doesnt make sense as a local (ISP) smtp service would be closer/faster and more efficient
    3.) i dont know of a mail client out there that wont allow you to put your hosted domain in the from address
    4.) the only way to do so safely is to incorperate pop before smtp protocols and some server control panel interfaces dont allow for that.
    5.) someone with a service that requires SMTP service obviously has greater security needs and should be on a dedicated solution not shared.


    just my two cents worth

    Steve

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Arlington, VA, USA
    Posts
    9
    well it depends where you do business..in many countries ISP's STOP SMTP traffic from the domain which is diff than the ISP dialup or internet connection
    Reasons:
    1) people SPAM using there Dialup or Internet connection, many companies running these services even
    2) bandwidth is not free
    3) they want the user to use SMTP AUTH form the Hosting company

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    256
    Originally posted by Keeg
    Can anyone tell me one good reason to allow SMTP service on a shared hosting server?

    here are my reasons why i dont offer it

    1.) higher load on the server
    2.) doesnt make sense as a local (ISP) smtp service would be closer/faster and more efficient
    3.) i dont know of a mail client out there that wont allow you to put your hosted domain in the from address
    4.) the only way to do so safely is to incorperate pop before smtp protocols and some server control panel interfaces dont allow for that.
    5.) someone with a service that requires SMTP service obviously has greater security needs and should be on a dedicated solution not shared.
    just my two cents worth
    Steve
    well, basically (IMHO), take it with a 50 Gallon drum of salt, for all it's worth---

    A mail server should be able to handle SMTP traffic for its load...if not then its overloaded.

    and it just looks more Professional to have your mail server sending AND recieving mail, I think.

    Either POPb4SMTP, or several other methods of doing secure POP/SMTP are very possible with nearly any platform.

    I'm not sure how having your ISP handle your mail VS your own mail server doing it would be any better or worse. As a matter of fact Ive had occasions where MY ISP's mail systems were not responding for a couple hours, yet me and all the people I host were sending and recieving email with no issues.

    someone with SMTP needs greater security services? Not sure about that one...they just need you to configure your Mail Agent once, and have it use authentication, and you are all set.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    256
    Originally posted by sardar
    well it depends where you do business..in many countries ISP's STOP SMTP traffic from the domain which is diff than the ISP dialup or internet connection
    Reasons:
    1) people SPAM using there Dialup or Internet connection, many companies running these services even
    2) bandwidth is not free
    3) they want the user to use SMTP AUTH form the Hosting company
    Yes, many ISP's DO stop port 25....usually not for commercial customers who are allowed to be running servers, however.

    No, bandwidth is NOT Free....however, that is why you dont allow huge attachments in email. But then again I would say the VAST majority of BW usage comes from WEB/FTP transfer and not email.

    Email is USUALLY just text, which is nothing

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Posts
    610
    Originally posted by greatbeast


    Yes, many ISP's DO stop port 25....usually not for commercial customers who are allowed to be running servers, however.

    Have your host open SMTP on another port if your isp blocks port 25. Easy way to get around this limitation.

    The SMTP supplied with your hosting plan is definately the way to go. My old isp always had their mailserver blocked by the SPAM databases.

    Mike

  10. #10
    Why do you need POP3 SSL?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    36
    My client work/s in a CAN (creative access nation) and would prefer the security level offered by POP3-SSL over the plain-text transit of the standard POP3 protocol.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Ashby de al Zouch - UK
    Posts
    17
    never heard "creative access nation"

    We wont offer SMTP until we can be assured that none of our customers will spam, its not as easy as it sounds, especially in the budget market... some of them go through the cheaper hosts spamming and simply moving on when there stopped....


    That said, 95% of spam seems to be chinese originated now, so whether this will reduce the number of spammers wanting service from everywhere else...

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    36
    Well, as long as hosts don't offer SMTP services then they really WON'T catter the the needs of SMB/SME's who want to outsource their hosting and mail services.

    It is a sad shame that Tera-Byte does not offer SMTP services (even AUTH before SMTP) or the like, as they are my favorite host.

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