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  1. #1
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    Legitimate Host Reviews

    I haven't had the best luck with choosing hosting providers. When I first started web developing about 6 years ago I went with Yahoo hosting. I was a newbie, they were a huge company, so I figured it was a good choice. After I learned more about web developing (self-taught) yahoo didn't suit my needs any longer. I was grossly overpaying for service with a minimal amount of control over my sites, no cpanel or sql access whatsoever, which worked fine until I started using WordPress about 3 years ago.

    I went with Bluehost, but that only lasted about 2 months because they suspended one of my sites because I used it to sell adult toys.

    Then I went with HostRefugee and it was awesome for the first 2 years, but starting in May 09 that went downhill. There were days of downtime without any response from the support staff. I was in a bind and didn't have much time to research a new host, I was also a little strapped for cash, so I opted for Just Host.

    I have been with JustHost for about a month and a half. There were several kinks in the beginning and their support staff took their sweet time getting them worked out, but within 2-3 weeks things were running very smoothly. And then BAM!

    No warning or anything.... they suspended all of my sites last night. Their reasoning was my sites went over their 10% CPU usage limit. Needless to say I was livid, especially because I was stupid enough to pay for a yr in advance with them... unlimited bandwidth, my a$$.

    So here I am. I need to find a reliable host. I've been searching forums and sites all morning, but most of the things I found seemed like fluff reviews written by the hosts affiliates or marketing department, which is how I got sucked in with JustHost.

    Does anyone know of a website that honestly reviews hosting companies?

  2. #2
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    Here and HostJury would be my picks.

    As for your site, it sounds like you are using a lot of resources since you keep getting suspended. I would make sure that your next host/prospective hosts know this and you explain in detail exactly what is running on your site.

    Maybe then you can rule out hosts based on their responses to this information.

    Are you receiving a lot of traffic or using a lot of (poorly coded) Wordpress plugins? How much bandwidth are you using per month and how much are you looking to spend?

    Dave

  3. #3
    I agree with the above. Here is a very good place to check as you'll often customers submitted reviews of their companies. These are usually honest, well-written reviews which will help you to make your decision.

    However, nearly all host review sites are biased or are filled with so much nonsense that it's hard to establish any view based on it.

    Good luck with finding a new host - I wish you every success.

  4. #4
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    I was suspended once with HostRefugee due to DoS attacks and one other time because I forgot to turn the wpsupercache plugin back on after making some changes and had a spike in traffic. Both times they notified me first so I could address the problem. JustHost gave no warning at all and they aren't even giving me access to my cpanel so I can figure out what happened.

    I've been experimenting with a few new wordpress plugins but I use wptuner to measure their performance and none of them were using more resources than usual. I think I may have forgotten to turn wp-supercache back on after upgrading to WP 2.8.4 a couple days ago.

    Just Host recommended I upgrade to their dedicated server plan for a whopping $149 a month which is completely out of my price range.

    I prefer shared hosting. I currently have 8 domains and it is easier to manage them all from 1 cpanel.

    Requirements:
    php 5
    mysql
    phpadmin
    99+% uptime
    50GB or more disk space
    500GB+ bandwidth
    24/7 support
    CPU usage limit 15% or higher

    I would also like daily backups, reliable stats, and the ability to edit php.ini myself.

    My budget is $25 a month or less.

    I'm sick of changing hosts. I want one that I can stick with for years without getting screwed over.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by merc1979 View Post
    Requirements:
    php 5
    mysql
    phpadmin
    99+% uptime
    50GB or more disk space
    500GB+ bandwidth
    24/7 support
    CPU usage limit 15% or higher

    I would also like daily backups, reliable stats, and the ability to edit php.ini myself.

    My budget is $25 a month or less.

    I'm sick of changing hosts. I want one that I can stick with for years without getting screwed over.
    With CPU usage of 15% or higher and probably the ability to edit php.ini directly as well, you will probably want to look at either an unmanaged VPS if you have the necessary skills to manage it, or a managed one if you don't.


    Dave

  6. #6
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    From what I understand JustHost is overly-zealous when it comes to enforcing their resource usage policy.

    How much traffic are you actually using on your site? If it is very busy a semi-dedicated plan (high end shared plan) might fit the bill which will give you plenty of extra resources to use when you need them so you wouldn't have to worry about a traffic spike but regular shared works for most wp sites I've seen.
    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!
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  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by merc1979 View Post
    I was suspended once with HostRefugee due to DoS attacks and one other time because I forgot to turn the wpsupercache plugin back on after making some changes and had a spike in traffic. Both times they notified me first so I could address the problem. JustHost gave no warning at all and they aren't even giving me access to my cpanel so I can figure out what happened.

    I've been experimenting with a few new wordpress plugins but I use wptuner to measure their performance and none of them were using more resources than usual. I think I may have forgotten to turn wp-supercache back on after upgrading to WP 2.8.4 a couple days ago.

    Just Host recommended I upgrade to their dedicated server plan for a whopping $149 a month which is completely out of my price range.

    I prefer shared hosting. I currently have 8 domains and it is easier to manage them all from 1 cpanel.

    Requirements:
    php 5
    mysql
    phpadmin
    99+% uptime
    50GB or more disk space
    500GB+ bandwidth
    24/7 support
    CPU usage limit 15% or higher

    I would also like daily backups, reliable stats, and the ability to edit php.ini myself.

    My budget is $25 a month or less.

    I'm sick of changing hosts. I want one that I can stick with for years without getting screwed over.
    I felt disgusted when I read your post. Some of that is absolutely barbaric.

    As a developer, which I assume you are, the number one thing you want is reliability in your web host and the assurance that your websites are being protected by the highest level of security.

    Also, it would not be necessary for you in my eyes to upgrade to dedicated. It is clever of a host to recommend this but it shows their devilish side as they know that you're probably going to require management, etc, on top. Thus how they make a profit.

    In my opinion, it seems like you have your head screwed on with regards to finding the right host. Next step, read a few reviews and get a general consensus for hosts that you like the look of. Then look into prices and how they can fit into your budget. I'd also take a look at how they can accommodate you - in terms of ensuring their service provides all that you need it to.

    Hope this helps.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by db09 View Post
    With CPU usage of 15% or higher and probably the ability to edit php.ini directly as well, you will probably want to look at either an unmanaged VPS if you have the necessary skills to manage it, or a managed one if you don't.


    Dave
    My sites don't regularly use 10% or more CPU, however, in the event that something like this happens again in the future I would like the extra safeguard or at least know the company would warn me if I was getting close to the 10% limit so I could address the problem without much (or any) downtime.

    I've never used VPS. What sort of skills are necessary to manage it myself? How much do they typically cost?

  9. #9
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    Actually the 15% of the resources of a server is a lot for a shared account, I also suggest you to get a VPS or a semi-dedicated.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeDVB View Post
    From what I understand JustHost is overly-zealous when it comes to enforcing their resource usage policy.

    How much traffic are you actually using on your site? If it is very busy a semi-dedicated plan (high end shared plan) might fit the bill which will give you plenty of extra resources to use when you need them so you wouldn't have to worry about a traffic spike but regular shared works for most wp sites I've seen.
    My main site, which is my personal blog, averages 300-600 visitors per day and 1200+ page views. However, that has decreased the past few months because all the hosting issues. It was starting to pick up quite a bit again though and now my sites are down yet again. It's very frustrating for me and I'm sure for my readers as well.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by AH-Oliver View Post
    I felt disgusted when I read your post. Some of that is absolutely barbaric.

    As a developer, which I assume you are, the number one thing you want is reliability in your web host and the assurance that your websites are being protected by the highest level of security.

    Also, it would not be necessary for you in my eyes to upgrade to dedicated. It is clever of a host to recommend this but it shows their devilish side as they know that you're probably going to require management, etc, on top. Thus how they make a profit.

    In my opinion, it seems like you have your head screwed on with regards to finding the right host. Next step, read a few reviews and get a general consensus for hosts that you like the look of. Then look into prices and how they can fit into your budget. I'd also take a look at how they can accommodate you - in terms of ensuring their service provides all that you need it to.

    Hope this helps.
    I didn't think it was necessary to upgrade to dedicated either. It seems JustHost is all about the money, I know they are a business and in it to make a profit, but they have no regard at all for their customers. My day job is tech support with a satellite company, I am very customer service oriented, but I do understand the needs of the company as well. I hope to find a host that balances their needs with the needs of their customers.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by merc1979 View Post
    My sites don't regularly use 10% or more CPU, however, in the event that something like this happens again in the future I would like the extra safeguard or at least know the company would warn me if I was getting close to the 10% limit so I could address the problem without much (or any) downtime.

    I've never used VPS. What sort of skills are necessary to manage it myself? How much do they typically cost?
    Fair enough.

    As for managing a VPS, you basically would need LINUX server management skills such as installing software on your own, etc.

    Maybe the best option for you would be to start with a host that offers shared and VPS packages. Pick up the shared account and see how that works, if it is not enough, then upgrade to the VPS.

    Whatever you do, make sure the host knows your needs/requirements and see how they respond.

    As for hosts, I have never used a VPS before, but one option you may want to take a look at is Hawkhost (they offer both shared and, it looks like, managed VPS options). I used them for a moderately busy forum (phpBB) with several MODs and they worked out just fine.

    They also run something called Litespeed on their shared servers which is better tuned for application hosting and may handle the load better of a site that gets sudden traffic surges.

    Dave

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by merc1979 View Post
    My main site, which is my personal blog, averages 300-600 visitors per day and 1200+ page views. However, that has decreased the past few months because all the hosting issues. It was starting to pick up quite a bit again though and now my sites are down yet again. It's very frustrating for me and I'm sure for my readers as well.
    Imho that's within the range of quality shared hosting, finding a good provider is going to be the hard part. Realistically you shouldn't even need 10% for WordPress with WPSuperCache but you also shouldn't be suspended the first moment you forget to re-enable SuperCache.

    I don't think this is so much that you need to find a higher quality of service (i.e. shared can handle it) but more that you need to find a provider with better support/abuse handling policies.
    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!
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  14. #14
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    Thanks a lot! The replies were very useful. I was chatting with a HostGator rep a few minutes ago.

    Judging by that chat they seem to meet my needs.
    I asked if my site regularly uses 10% CPU if it would be suspended and he said no and that their CPU policy is you can use no more than 25% of the CPU resources for longer than 90 seconds. They will also create and editable php.ini file. They offer more than enough disk space and bandwidth, the pricing is very reasonable.

    However, they do not currently offer VPS or semi-dedicated, but I agree with MikeDVB that shared hosting should suffice at this point.

    I plan on looking at other providers as well, but so far HostGator seems like a good choice. Now I'll search their reviews here and on hostjury.

  15. #15
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    HostGator is good (I used them personally for some time) but it is always best to compare and contrast other providers and to find reviews

    Just make sure that you take any review you find with a grain of salt.
    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.

  16. #16
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    Any host with good, tuned servers will allow more than 10% for 60 seconds. If they stick to this rule, generally they overload their servers, IMHO.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeDVB View Post
    HostGator is good (I used them personally for some time) but it is always best to compare and contrast other providers and to find reviews

    Just make sure that you take any review you find with a grain of salt.
    I definitely will. Thanks a lot.

  18. #18
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    Here and HostJury would be my picks.
    Any web site displaying top companies based on commission earned is fraud IMO. Don't rely on any sort of Top web host listings.

  19. #19
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    I stand corrected. Good call, Ali. I hadn't visited the site in some time, has it always been that way?

    I guess that reduces my list to just here at WHT, heh. I've had a bad experience or two based on a WHT review (and it was probably just my jerk a..) but nothing like what I was lead on by via other review sites.

    Dave
    Last edited by db09; 08-17-2009 at 02:59 PM.

  20. #20
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    There are legitimate reviews to be found at HostJury, I just wouldn't advise buying off of the "Top Rated Hosts" lists just based upon that particular list itself.
    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.

  21. #21
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    That's kind of how I feel/felt. I guess I'm going based on Ali's word, he has always seemed to be a solid, honest guy based on my dealing with him. Whereas I hate you, Mike (jk)

    *waffles like Clinton*

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by db09 View Post
    I stand corrected. Good call, Ali. I hadn't visited the site in some time, has it always been that way?
    It's always been "that way", that way being the 'top rated' hosts sorted based on # of reviews / rating. No different than the remainder of the site. I did actually make one slight change as of today though and that was to allow hosts with 1+ review to show up, vs. the previous requirement of 2.

    I'll dig into the code some more to make some further tweaks but the site is and always has been based entirely on the ratings a host has, there was one particular host (hostmonster) that scaled the list from nearly the bottom to top as a result of older reviews "expiring" (reviews that were 183 days old 'lost' their score, to give a provider a chance of either moving up or down the rating list based on their recent scores) -- I just changed that back to 365 days and the list has changed slightly as a result.

    Overall, 365+ day expirations are probably safer anyways. Saves me from doing math

  23. #23
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    Thanks for the clarification. Good to see you back 'round here.

  24. #24
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    On another note: You've got a significant amount of resource requirements, managing all of your sites via one single cpanel account may be great from a simplicity standpoint but one or two of those sites having a performance spike can result in them all being pulled offline.

    Split them up a tad and get two hosting accounts, you'll probably avoid hitting any limits that way. This is particularly important with the larger domains on an account -- if 7 of the 8 sites are almost unnoticeable and the one is a beast: move him elsewhere.

  25. #25
    You tried many web host that you used from Yahoo to JustHost. Thanks for a few of your experiences about them. But before you will host your website, you should reat their TOS so your account were not be suspended. Maybe you can use HostGator. I think it's good web host. You can read their good review in the webhost review

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