Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Dedicated Server : Dutch server recommendations?

[senselt]

Hi,

Looking for a little help from the community in finding a decent dutch dedicated server provider.

I'm not sure what the deal is, but it's been impossible for me to find a decent dedicated server in the netherlands. I'm not trying to cheap out and buy the cheapest box available, I'm looking for quality, infact its all I really care about. As long as I'm not being obviously screwed. Softlayer pricing is fine with me, and even joe bob down the street could match their (softlayer) pricing if he decided to close his automechanics shop and open a dedicated server provider.

Currently I have a quad core from i3d.net .. I'm not really sure what I was thinking when I ordered in the first place. I mean look at their website, it pretty much says it all. Constant network downtimes. I've had at least 1 week of being nearly or completely offline in the past month. Nearly being defined as having 75%+ or greater packet loss to the server from anywhere else in the world. (Due to internal issues at i3d, not due to undersea cable issues or what have you).

Requirements:
X3210 or better
2 or 4gb memory
1x 250gb hd
1-4TB of monthly transfer
a /29 block of ips and a /27 block of ips. (No more than 1 euro per ip, ideally extra ips would be free.. Other providers i use provide them to me for free and theres no charge to get more ips as far as im aware from RIPE (other than the membership fee of course))

Looking for price around 200$ or around 100-125E

I run vmware esxi on all my servers for security purposes to split service offerings up from each other. So, being able to install vmware on the server is a requirement.

(an installation fee is acceptable as long as its not outragous. ESXI takes no more than 5 minutes to install, if it takes longer than that, you did something wrong.)

I tried a bunch of different sites they either

1) Charge 5Euro per ip which is just retarded for lack of a better word
2) Don't provide 24/7 support (no 24/7 staff)
3) Have convuluted ordering systems wanting me to talk to people on the phone. I don't want to talk to you, just give me a damn server.

I tried leaseweb.. I called (yes i broke down and tried to speak with someone since they NEVER answer live chat) them (about 20 minutes ago) to find out if they 1) allowed more than 5 ips per server and 2) offer vmware esxi as an installation choice for an extra fee, or if they have IPMI so I can do it myself. Sales was closed, which is no suprise because its the middle of the night for them. I then called back and tried to contact support. In order for me to even talk to a human being on the phone "after hours" at support they want to charge (automatically, you dont get to talk to the human before being charged) 150 EURO FOR ONE INCIDENT JUST TO TALK TO SOMEONE... My god, Imagine a network or physical server crapping out and you have to pay double the cost of your server just to get someone to look at it? As if it's my fault that a hard drive dies, or network goes out. What a joke.

[technichristian]

Try:

worldstream.nl

http://www.rackedge.com/

http://www.swiftway.co.uk/

http://www.ecatel.net/

http://www.netrouting.nl/

[senselt]

Thanks for the recommendations

ecatel.net = no way after reading that thread with warez-host. Lol. That was amusing.

Swiftway i've checked out before in the past but got turned off with their ordering process. It was all weird and convulted, the guy wanted me to send him a payment via paypal then he would add me to the billing system. I thought it was kind of suspicious, and knowing paypals virtual item policy i decided against it. I really like to pay by credit card for my servers so I can take advantage of cash back. (Works out nice if you have a large number of servers to pay for every month.). I might consider checking them out again if some users here have had good experiences with them?

rackedge is 300$ + 200$ setup fee for the server I would need. A bit too pricey. If there were no setup fee and the box was 200$/mo i would do it. But I really can't justify spending that much on a dedicated server every month considering I can buy my own supermicro server for much less than 6 months of fees. This is what I would consider to be screwing. Any dedicated server company trying to make an ROI of less than 12 months is not going to be in business long.

Netrouting uses WHMCS as their billing system.. Which means, no automated provisioning. And it's also the default theme with the header/footer changed. But their domain was originally registered in 2003, so Im not sure what to thinka bout that. I'll give this one a maybe. I'll need to talk to them first.

worldstream.nl is another maybe. registered in 2005. Has anyone used them before? Any feedback from current users? Their pricing is okish (maybe a little low), billing system is off center for package configuration/details which has me a little concerned (lack for detail?).

[swiftnoc]

Originally Posted by senselt

Swiftway i've checked out before in the past but got turned off with their ordering process. It was all weird and convulted, the guy wanted me to send him a payment via paypal then he would add me to the billing system.

Not sure who you talked with in our organisation. We accept payment by Paypal or Bank Wire Transfers. If a customer orders a server, we request his details. After some checks against fraud orders and calling the client to verify the order, Swiftway sends an invoice.

After payment has been received, we start the implementation procedure. If a server is on stock, the implementation can be done in several hours (we always tell 3 business days to keep safety margin) and when the server is not in stock we order the server, implementation can take then upto 10 business days.

We always communicate the availability of a server and the setup time in the resales period, so the customer is always aware of the expected setup time before the order is placed.

[hosteur]

Originally Posted by technichristian

Try:

worldstream.nl

http://www.rackedge.com/

http://www.swiftway.co.uk/

http://www.ecatel.net/

http://www.netrouting.nl/

I would recommand ecatel as I been using them for over 14 months...

PS: on low entry box without any networks/hardware issue.

[senselt]

Originally Posted by swiftnoc

Not sure who you talked with in our organisation. We accept payment by Paypal or Bank Wire Transfers. If a customer orders a server, we request his details. After some checks against fraud orders and calling the client to verify the order, Swiftway sends an invoice.

After payment has been received, we start the implementation procedure. If a server is on stock, the implementation can be done in several hours (we always tell 3 business days to keep safety margin) and when the server is not in stock we order the server, implementation can take then upto 10 business days.

We always communicate the availability of a server and the setup time in the resales period, so the customer is always aware of the expected setup time before the order is placed.

You're the only company I know of on the entire planet that operates in this fashion.

Typically a user would place an order on an order form, then after the order has been placed fraud verification would take place. I was being asked to send paypal to you guys without having an invoice, or a client account. When I asked where your order form was, I was told you didn't have one. Which is what turned me off. I should note.. You did send me a paypal invoice, but that's not a proper way business should be conducted. You should have your own billing system and your own invoice, not paypal invoices.

How can you even do proper fraud verification (besides talking to me on the phone which was requested and performed) without all of my credentials that I enter to compare to my real billing information in paypal? Or without the ip address from which i placed the order?

I spoke with "Alex Bninski". I still have the full email conversation if you would like me to forward it to you.

[swiftnoc]

Originally Posted by senselt

When I asked where your order form was, I was told you didn't have one. Which is what turned me off.

We have a order form after every server customization on the website. For specials, we do not have an order form. In that case, you are always requested to mail us all your details.

Originally Posted by senselt

I should note.. You did send me a paypal invoice, but that's not a proper way business should be conducted. You should have your own billing system and your own invoice, not paypal invoices.

The Paypal invoice should be considered a proforma, we send the invoice after payment has been received.

Originally Posted by senselt

I spoke with "Alex Bninski". I still have the full email conversation if you would like me to forward it to you.

Yes please forward that to sales@swiftway.co.uk thanks in advance.

[senselt]

Forwarded. I would say, other than that little billing issue I didn't have any other problems. The emails were also from july of this year about 6 months ago. So some things may have changed since then. I would really like to be able to pay by credit card though. Cant you guys just sign up for a paypal payflow pro merchant account (one time 150$ fee + standard paypal rates)? There are no charge back fees (other than the money being charged back obviously). It's like 20$ a year i'll save on the server i get from you (with my cash back on CC). Thats enough to buy a pizza for the office.

[swiftnoc]

We currently have no plans to accept direct Credit Card payments. But maybe in the future we will start to accept it. I thank you for the forwarded mail. I already looked over it and replied back to you.

[technichristian]

There is also

http://www.serverboost.com/

[DediShack]

Savvas @ Netrouting gets my vote 100%

[SysCentral]

Leaseweb.com is the one i can recommend for you. They have a good dc.

[technichristian]

Leaseweb may be good but their support time is pathetic. I am waiting for 1.5 hrs just to have a server reinstalled. Gee I can do the reinstall myself in 30 mins.

[SysCentral]

One of my customer servers had problems with the service, too. But after we talked to the service stuff why the response time was so long, they told us that it was due to a lag of employees. Many were ill. I didn't happen again from than. So i can recommend them.