Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : VPS Hosting : Review : Enotch Networks First Week

[Scientist]

Setup (7/10)
Bought the Hades 512mb package for $5.95 as I wanted to see how OpenVZ fares compared to my Xen VPS (from Xenvz.co.uk which is amazing btw). Server was provisioned just 3 minutes after payment so all is good in that department. 3 IPs was advertised in the order page, but only 2 was allocated.

VPS Panel (5/)
Their VPS control panel loads painfully slow and isn't SSL secured. Did I mention it was really slow? Good thing there isn't much to work on there apart from reloading your VPS or start/stopping it. Speaking of reloading, their debian5 x64 template wasn't a minimal one, which was annoying but usable once I removed the things I don't need (apache, sendmail). OS reloads take several minutes which was normal. They were supposed to have migrated to solusVM a week ago but its nowhere to be seen yet.

Server (6/10)
Now the VPS itself is actually pretty decent. Its responsive everytime I ssh into my box. The processor is somewhat dated, but you get access to 8 cores. It can be slow when unpacking files during updates whereas my Xen VPS with a Xeon processor L5410@ 2.33 GHz would have completed in half the time. Several packages like gnome desktop wouldn't install properly and I had to stop pretty much every running process to get ejabberd configured and installed on 512mb memory.

enotch:/# wget http://cachefly.cachefly.net/100mb.test
--2010-04-14 20:42:09--  http://cachefly.cachefly.net/100mb.test
Resolving cachefly.cachefly.net... 205.234.175.175
Connecting to cachefly.cachefly.net|205.234.175.175|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 104857600 (100M) [application/octet-stream]
Saving to: `100mb.test'

100%[===========================================================>] 104,857,600 10.4M/s   in 11s

2010-04-14 20:42:19 (9.41 MB/s) - `100mb.test' saved [104857600/104857600]

Uptime has been 100% since i started using them. CPU info next...

enotch:/# cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor    : 0
vendor_id    : AuthenticAMD
cpu family   : 16
model        : 2
model name   : Quad-Core AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 2350
stepping     : 10
cpu MHz      : 2010.334
cache size   : 512 KB
physical id  : 0
siblings     : 4
core id      : 0
cpu cores    : 4
apicid       : 0
fpu          : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level  : 5
wp           : yes
flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt pdpe1gb rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow constant_tsc nonstop_tsc pni cx16 popcnt lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy altmovcr8 abm sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch osvw
bogomips     : 4020.66
TLB size     : 1024 4K pages
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes   : 48 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: ts ttp tm stc 100mhzsteps hwpstate [8]

x8 cores

Support (1/10)
This is where I'm most perplexed with Enotch, support is absurd and clueless at best. I have a feeling that they hired a bunch of level 1 techs and expect them to handle everything from livechat to upstream requests.

Live chat 1 : Spoke to "servertechs" and asked about the VPS to node ratio. He referred me to their sales dept... Really...How difficult is it to log into whmcs and check?

Live chat 2 : Asked about their privacy policy, halfway through the chat he couldn't answer my question and just went MIA. 15 minutes later I told him that it was okay to say "I don't know" if he wasn't sure instead of ignoring customers. Got an apology and that was that.

Support ticket 1 : Bought a DA license along with my VPS but nowhere to be seen. This was supposed to be resolved 6 days ago but I've not received anything yet. I do understand DA licenses are provisioned manually but 6 days ? Come on...


Overall
They aren't too bad as a budget provider, modest server specs and plenty of bandwidth to use. The hades package would be nice for light resource + heavy bandwidth applications. Pricing may suggest they oversell heavily, but VPS is surprisingly very usable. I'd say they're running a honest business but aren't too knowledgable at it so don't expect any decent form of support. Well $6 ain't gonna buy you the whole world so I guess you get what you pay for with Enotch.

I'm cancelling my service at the end of the month because initial impressions have been too sour to carry on with them, and I'm expecting a refund for my non existent DA license. Hopefully they don't fail too terribly at cancellations!

[ItsJustHosting]

Some of those things are to be expected at their price point, I guess at that level all one can really hope for is that the VPS is stable and functions at a decent speed, which is what you got. Either way a cheap VPS should never be used for mission critical applications. Good luck with the refund for the DA license!

[enotchnet]

I am going to try to address these in the order that you posted them.

Setup: There are 3 IPs advertised with this package and there have been some recent activation with 2 IPs. The clients that this has happened to have simply opened tickets to have it resolved and we are working to fix it so that it is consistent with all automatic activations.

VPS Panel: The VPS Panel is 100% protected by SSL. This is not a different application and it is embedded into WHMCS so if you login to WHMCS via SSL which is default then you access the panel by SSL there are no variations or hard coded links. Provide proof if you see otherwise. Also I have not seen any recent complaints providing any feedback that the panel has been slow since an upgrade 8 weeks ago.

Server: The processor is not a 5500 Series CPU but we have not received any complaints even from you in regards to performance.

Support: Each of the three scenarios that you used to open a ticket are SALES requests and are NOT SUPPORT requests. I hope that this makes sense. The 'Live Chat 1' inquiry in itself is NOT relevant. We provide a service based on loading and not VPS container count which is the right way of doing things and your request for container count is sensitive information that can be confused very easily. Our standard response is that we actively monitor the nodes and will move containers to address any service affecting issues that may arise regardless of container count. The 'Live Chat 2' inquiry in regards to our Privacy Policy could have been and should have been requested in a sales ticket. The policy is clearly posted on our website and any inquiries should be directed to sales [at] enotch.com and noted.

We currently only have 1 DA issue right now where the license is NOT showing as a valid license and we have been working with DA. This problem was resolved TODAY. If you wish to cancel service and do not require the license then please let us know and we will accommodate your request.

If you look at our homepage enotchnetworks.com, you will see the live support button at the top of the page that button when clicked says 'Technical Support' and NOT 'Sales' at the moment. This will be fixed. Also if you signed up through any of our WHT offers you will notice that at the bottom of each post there is a statement that says if you have any questions regarding this offer or our services please contact sales [at] enotch.com.

Overall I would say Thank You for the honest review but I do disagree with you in regards to your assessment of our support capabilities since none of the requests that you've had are TRUE support requests and you were directed to contact our SALES Department and chose not to do so.

[Scientist]

Thanks for your reply Enotch, this isn't a review to bash you as I am actually quite happy with the VPS considering the amount paid. It would have been better had my license been delivered on time and your staff adapted a more proactive attitude towards customers.

With regards to the control panel. Its actually much faster today but still laggy imo. Heres a screenshot from firebug. http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/779/enotchcp.jpg for today's average.


The control panel linked to WHMCS was indeed SSL secured but I only knew about the link you provided in your VPS Info email, which isn't secured. I'm sure this is just an overlooked issue on updating the email template but thanks for the clarification anyhow.


The last response on my DA ticket #506851 was over 24 hours ago, saying this

Hello,

I am looking into this now.

Please stand-by. I am sorry for any delay.

Not sure how thats considered as resolved but urm nope, it isn't. Would appreciate updates as well as I waited 3 days to bump the ticket up again since I wasn't getting any resolution from you guys. I'll follow up that one again to cancel off the license.

You're probably right when you said the issues weren't technical support related but I'm keeping my stand on the fact that my experience with your support personnel (whether sales or support) was a poor one indeed.

[sleddog]

I recently purchased a Hades plan also. I experienced a problem changing the hostname through the VPS control panel, so I opened a support ticket. I marked it 'Low' priority. The issue was fully resolved in 59 minutes. I think that's pretty good support.

[vincent91326]

I am surprised they can even offer support. That is pretty cheap pricing.

[tsj5j]

Enotch is indeed very good value.
I think they've overreacted a little in the response to OP, I found the review balanced and towards their favour actually.

[linuxclark]

Originally Posted by Scientist

Support (1/10)

I disagree with the support rating, from my experience their support is good enough for a budget host.

[usera]

support questions should be technical questions that impact your vps hosting. From your rating and the response that those were not support requests; it reflects poorly on original poster.

Have your vps experience any actual downtime? or performance issue besides the backend? This review is poorly done.

[jamjam]

I also have a vps with them I do not know if the problem is with pingdom.com or my VPS because I always get an email everyday informing my site is down that last from 5 to 10 mins. And yes I would move to another VPS provider next month because of those downtimes and sometimes slow response of the VPS. I never opened a ticket to address that issue since I already expected that because of the price I paid. You really get what you pay for.

[Scientist]

Just to follow up, they refunded me for the license issue. Without giving me a lead time or explaining what was causing the delay I decided to go for the refund which was processed shortly.

Now looking back I probably shouldn't have marked their support rating so low but the DA license was the main thing I needed that VPS for and the fact that I had to ask twice to even get noticed did not help. Oh well, maybe I'm just spoiled by the level of support from my other providers.

Originally Posted by usera

support questions should be technical questions that impact your vps hosting. From your rating and the response that those were not support requests; it reflects poorly on original poster.

Have your vps experience any actual downtime? or performance issue besides the backend? This review is poorly done.

Sorry you feel that way, I did mention that the VPS itself was good for the price though. I didn't require any tech support, it was sales support that bugged my experience. The VPS sat there doing nothing for 6 days while waiting for them to get back to me so yes that impacted my VPS hosting.

[aroel]

Originally Posted by enotchnet

I am going to try to address these in the order that you posted them.

Setup: There are 3 IPs advertised with this package and there have been some recent activation with 2 IPs. The clients that this has happened to have simply opened tickets to have it resolved and we are working to fix it so that it is consistent with all automatic activations.

is this true? by opening a ticket i can get the 3rd ip?
i have 2 vps there, the 2nd setup was troubled, need almost 24 hours. anyway, i love their support

[enotchnet]

Originally Posted by Scientist

Just to follow up, they refunded me for the license issue. Without giving me a lead time or explaining what was causing the delay I decided to go for the refund which was processed shortly.

Now looking back I probably shouldn't have marked their support rating so low but the DA license was the main thing I needed that VPS for and the fact that I had to ask twice to even get noticed did not help. Oh well, maybe I'm just spoiled by the level of support from my other providers.



Sorry you feel that way, I did mention that the VPS itself was good for the price though. I didn't require any tech support, it was sales support that bugged my experience. The VPS sat there doing nothing for 6 days while waiting for them to get back to me so yes that impacted my VPS hosting.

I was not going to point this out before but the customer paid for the service on the 9th of this month and it was activated on the 9th. The 10th and 11th are NOT sales days and DA orders placed during this time may not be addressed by DA until that Monday. The service was cancelled yesterday which would really be 3-4 days depending on when you count the request for canceling service where we could have facilitated this request given the factors. You were not a customer for 6 days given this information.

Anyways, I wish you well with your future providers.

[enotchnet]

Originally Posted by aroel

is this true? by opening a ticket i can get the 3rd ip?
i have 2 vps there, the 2nd setup was troubled, need almost 24 hours. anyway, i love their support

Yes, you can get this additional IP just open a ticket and we will get it added for you.

[enotchnet]

Originally Posted by jamjam

I also have a vps with them I do not know if the problem is with pingdom.com or my VPS because I always get an email everyday informing my site is down that last from 5 to 10 mins. And yes I would move to another VPS provider next month because of those downtimes and sometimes slow response of the VPS. I never opened a ticket to address that issue since I already expected that because of the price I paid. You really get what you pay for.

I would be interested to see the root cause of this problem. Even if you plan on cancelling service I would like to ensure that we identify if it is a problem on our side or not.