Secure server question

[Dimwhit]

So HG offers SSL for $70/year or so, or you can get your own certificate and they'll install it for $30. I know you can get a certificate through GoDaddy for $20/year. Is the $30 a one-time charge? If so, is there an advantage to paying the extra $50/year to get it through Host Gator?

[PsiPro]

Yes there is. If you have never bought an SSL cert before you will likly mess it up and have to try multiple times (I belive the $30 is one time however even with multiple mess ups). I know I messed my first one up a few times.

If you have HG do it, they bother with it.

Another advantage the certificiats from godaddy are "Domain-Only Validation" meaning anyone can buy them for any domain, they dont verify who you are. This means that your 'security' certificats actaully mean no security.

The ones HG buys are equilivant to the High-Assurance SSL Certificate from GoDaddy, which are $74.99/year.

Keep in mind that there is a $2/month charge for your dedicated IP no matter what SSL option you chose.

[Dimwhit]

Thanks for the info. The $2/month extra on top of the price is a little annoying to me. It should just be rolled into the cost. But I didn't know that about the GoDaddy certificates. Thanks!

Hey, I have another question, since you're here... Do you (are anyone else) know the best way to transfer an account from another host that also uses CPanel? I know Host Gator will help with that, but do you know how they do it? (i.e. what the process is)

[riostyles]

Originally Posted by Dimwhit

Hey, I have another question, since you're here... Do you (are anyone else) know the best way to transfer an account from another host that also uses CPanel? I know Host Gator will help with that, but do you know how they do it? (i.e. what the process is)

Just post a ticket and find the best way with the support,
If you have root acces on the precedent, tey will try to do this,
If not, a full back-up can be a way but;
All the settings are maybe not the same: mails, PHP and MySql versions, SueExec. etc.
Anyway a full back-up + a site backup + DBs have to be done.
With the login to the precedent server if not root perm, maybe they can see the probability of an easy/noneasy move.

Why you dont try to create the account an the try a site restore + DB,
If its work, perfect, if ot, easy to delete.

[PsiPro]

Originally Posted by Dimwhit

Thanks for the info. The $2/month extra on top of the price is a little annoying to me. It should just be rolled into the cost. But I didn't know that about the GoDaddy certificates. Thanks!

Hey, I have another question, since you're here... Do you (are anyone else) know the best way to transfer an account from another host that also uses CPanel? I know Host Gator will help with that, but do you know how they do it? (i.e. what the process is)

Ya the $2 a month is a pain but its actually the exact cost they pay, so they are not making anything off you if that makes you feel better.

To transfer an account you just push a button in WHM (Webhost manager). Somting only root has access to on the HG servers, to do it yourself it would involve downloading and then reuploading a backup, not worth the time or effort when HG can do it well.

On the question of the $2.00 IP address fee; If you have a swamp account the IP address fee is included in the $75.00 price if you purchase the SSL certificate from us.

The fee for the IP address is if you purchase a certificate elsewhere or have a reseller account (each SSL certificate requires its own dedicated IP address).

Basil H.
HostGator Technical Support
http://hostgator.com/help

[Dimwhit]

Fair enough. There's also a shared server, I believe, so in one case that will be fine.

I went ahead and made the plunge. Though I'm seeing that the Swamp account seems like a much better deal than the reseller plan I went with. But I guess it's not set up to use WHM and custom nameservers, right? Seems interesting, though, that a $15/month plan would offer 200GB of space, and a $25/month plan would offer 12GB. (Not complaining, it's just odd to me.)

[slapshotw]

Originally Posted by Dimwhit

Seems interesting, though, that a $15/month plan would offer 200GB of space, and a $25/month plan would offer 12GB. (Not complaining, it's just odd to me.)

Don't forget-- Most people on the individual plans don't use NEARLY the amount of space and bandwidth they're offered, as opposed to resellers who use a much higher percentage of their given space.

[Serra]

Originally Posted by Dimwhit

(Not complaining, it's just odd to me.)

It would not be odd to you if you understood the business model, which isn't hard, just different than you would imagine.

Generally speaking, resellers seem to get the shaft, but the truth is that resellers ARE getting the shaft, just not the shaft the think they are getting.

The real problems is when you consider the way accounts are sold. Overselling allows companies like HG to sell 200gb accounts for cheap. A reseller, with a 12gb account isn't going to be selling many 200bg accounts, considering that the cost of that would be 200/50 * $99.95 = $399.80 PER MONTH!!!!

So, at reseller prices, you'd have to charge clients $400.00 a month just to break even for an account that would cost $14.95 from HG.

I've pointed this out before, but that means that it is IMPOSSIBLE for a reseller to compete with HG on an equal footing, but the truth is, that the reseller price is closer to the true price of the space.