Very surprised...

angryrabbit · #1 01-12-2009, 03:04 PM

I've been carefully comparing hosts for a few weeks now - I don't rush these decisions as, realistically, I'd like to not have to move again after a very disappointing performance from my existing host.

My intention was to sign-up for a reseller package, as I presently host around 40 domains and the reseller package would give me good flexibility. However, as I use a dynamic / secondary DNS system (that includes automatic failover), I also want a second account. This would only be used in case of an emergency / problem with the reseller server (shouldn't happen, right?!)

A quick pre-sales chat confirms that the above would breach your terms and wouldn't be allowed? I can't see the reason for that... Firstly, the secondary account (standard web hosting) DOES allow "unlimited domains". Secondly, it would use NO BANDWIDTH unless there was a problem with the primary account. Thirdly, it would be a common sense back-up as reseller and standard accounts are on different servers. Fourthly, NO BACKUP service would be running between the servers; the secondary account would hold only a static version of the site (the whole site where possible, in the case of MySQL powered sites, it would be a limited version). Lastly, this seems to be a poor business decision - rather than gain a client using two accounts, you've now got a potential client looking elsewhere.

Thanks for reading,
Andy

regentronique · #2 01-12-2009, 03:16 PM

If all the 40 domains are not paying customers there should be no problem for what you need to do. But if there is paying customers in those domains, the only solution permited by HostGator TOS would be the usage of two reseller accounts installed on two different servers.

The secondary reseller account could be a smaller one if you just copy, for safety, the essential part of the primary one without emails etc...

angryrabbit · #3 01-12-2009, 03:34 PM

That makes a bit more sense... Unless I just state that none are paying clients!

I'm not looking for a special exception to be made in this case, just highlighting what strikes me as an odd-business perspective... Guess in hosting, you have to have terms somewhere, just seems that Hostgator has something of an ill-gotten reputation in that field.

Ah well, one down, makes my decision between the two remaining hosts a bit easier!

angryrabbit · #4 01-12-2009, 03:36 PM

Oh, the issue about taking two reseller accounts... The pre-sales chat advisor stated that all reseller servers are in the same datacentre (or at least, it was suggested, perhaps someone can clarify). Part of my thinking behind the plan was to have a degree of redundancy. Appreciate the likelihood of two servers in the same datacentre being unavailable is very small, but there can be connectivity issues which can cause issues.

regentronique · #5 01-12-2009, 03:45 PM

Then if you want this level of safety, there should be no problem having one reseller account with HostGator and the secondary one with another hosting company that do not use ThePlanet in Texas as their server location...

slapshotw · #6 01-12-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by regentronique

Then if you want this level of safety, there should be no problem having one reseller account with HostGator and the secondary one with another hosting company that do not use ThePlanet in Texas as their server location...

I completely agree. To be perfectly honest, having your backup with the same company is not redundant. Your backup plan should be good enough to answer the question, "what happens if hostgator (or any other company) goes out of business tomorrow"?

angryrabbit · #7 01-12-2009, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slapshotw

I completely agree. To be perfectly honest, having your backup with the same company is not redundant. Your backup plan should be good enough to answer the question, "what happens if hostgator (or any other company) goes out of business tomorrow"?

That would render many companies offerings pointless, as there does seem to be a growing trend to offer a 'free off-site account'. Complete redundancy would require servers located in differing continents, on differing networks and, preferably, supplied by different providers. Oh, and a big pile of cash too! Operating on a slightly more limited budget, I cannot consider that. I do wish to deal with the same company, so long as they can provide different accounts in different datacenters... Enough redundancy? Yes, enough for me thank you.

Out of my entire shortlist of companies that I started with, none were small scale operations which I feel, perhaps incorrectly, are more likely to 'disappear'. I don't envisage HostGator disappearing overnight (have I missed something?!) My current (soon to be previous) host was a smaller scale operation that was recently bought over; this led to a whole host of problems. A wish to avoid that also contributed to the criterion of no smaller hosts...

Anyway, I've dragged this off-topic; initial post, just to re-emphasise, was entirely down to my being slightly irked that Hostgator seem to view this as a potential breach of terms

slapshotw · #8 01-12-2009, 07:06 PM

I love hostgator, recommend them to everybody I know, and don't believe they will disappear tomorrow. That said, I (and you) would be doing a very large disservice to clients if my only backup was with the same company as the main sites--even in different datacenters. There are just too many horror stories, and a million hosts with cheap offerings.

There are a million hosts out there that are fairly respectable, and have extremely cheap packages. I specifically know of one that offers 40gb of space you're allowed to use for backups with their accounts. Their servers aren't nearly as fast or reliable as Hostgator's, but they're fine for a backup.

That's my strong opinion, and now that I've said my piece I'll leave you alone

. Personally, the data on my server here at Hostgator gets backed up every night to 1. the server's second hard drive, 2. bqbackup.com (servers in NY), and 3. the above mentioned host, with servers in Los Angeles.

-Matt

angryrabbit · #9 01-13-2009, 04:06 AM

Thanks for the advice Matt

Guess my annoyance came as I thought I'd found the host for me! So, back to the drawing board for now, perhaps I'll be able to consider HostGator at some point down the line.

Cheers.

slapshotw · #10 01-13-2009, 10:11 AM

Angryrabbit-- if anything, my advice should have let you towards Hostgator, not away from them!

The net point I'm making is: even on a host where your backup is with the same host, even in another datacenter-- don't make that your only backup!. Be a hostgator client, and get a backup somewhere else.

angryrabbit · #11 01-13-2009, 03:34 PM

You certainly give a positive impression of Hostgator and it did make me think again about my decision. But for now, I've opted not to - and in doing so, I've contradicted a previous statement. Due to past experience, I didn't want a small host, but I had grown well used to the flexibility that a smaller host will offer - I don't consider myself a special case and don't want special treatment, just a degree of customer care...

In the case of HostGator, I didn't feel that I was going to get that flexibility, but all credit to them for sticking by their terms and conditions - I've opted for another supplier who is perhaps of medium size in the hosting industry (around 50 servers); and as they don't offer standard shared hosting, I've found another supplier to host the backup (with explicit agreement to the fact that it'll be a backup server). And the really good news? One server is in London's Dockhouse, the other in Sydney, Australia - good geographical spread and different suppliers

I've still got a positive opinion of HostGator; the pre-sales was great and the packages brilliant too. Just not enough flexibility for me.