Considering a new host

We have a forum in MSN groups which we plan to move, looking for a host.
We currently have 1500 posts a day. and 4000+ users. About 500+ active.

1) Do you support vBulletin installation and support ?
2) If we go with Hostgator, which plan will work for us ? We have budget constaints.
3) What is the bandwidth required for the above statistics ? How much you charge for any overage ?
4) Do you have paypal or any other payment feature available ? How much does it cost ?
5) What is the cpu % allowed ?

Thanks

[Serra]

1) Do you support vBulletin installation and support ?

I'm thinking they don't support software installs. That is the customers responsibility.

2) If we go with Hostgator, which plan will work for us ? We have budget constaints.

You need to decided that one yourself.

3) What is the bandwidth required for the above statistics ? How much you charge for any overage ?

How much bandwidth do you use now?

4) Do you have paypal or any other payment feature available ? How much does it cost ?

Paypal, which is no additional fee, as well as cc.


5) What is the cpu % allowed ?

No specific %. You can't use more that a specific amount for a specific time period. Like 90% or so, can't remeber the real number, but it is a lot and normal BBS stuff shouldn't do that.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

5) What is the cpu % allowed ?

You may want to ask how the connections to the forum are managed also. I saw on another board that HG limits the number of connections to a database to something like 25.

If that's tru then maybe only 25 people could be logged in at the same time?

[Serra]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If that's tru then maybe only 25 people could be logged in at the same time?

Forums use the type of connection that allows them to connect and disconnect after a page load. That means that there is a limit to the number of people who could be on the board at once, but mostly, that should be about 400-500 people on at once. If a forum has more than 200 on all of the time or at peak hours, I'd suggest they should get a semidedicated account. 200 users at one time is a lot of users. Attu normally has less than 200 people on his blog. (though he had 1700 at one time, once). I can say for sure that 500 users on a forum with a shared server will be too many.

[vtrain]

1) Do you support vBulletin installation and support ?

They usually do it but it's fee based. You have to discuss with support.

2) If we go with Hostgator, which plan will work for us ? We have budget constaints.

Will depend on the server resources and bandwith. But you can try for 30 days and get your money back it you are not happy with..

3) What is the bandwidth required for the above statistics ? How much you charge for any overage ?

Like the answer above. I understand that it's hard for you to know the bandwith you use now because you are using the MSN based forums.

Vt.