Webmaster forum - Objective Hosting Comparison

Author

Objective Hosting Comparison

Steve

2007-03-26, 7:21 pm

I am tired of getting ho-hum support when I need it. I have no use for
the reviews on the web, because these people are obviously not
checking to see how good the support is. I would go so far as to say
they are very likely being paid by the "high-ranking" services they
promote.

What is a good service that has oscommerce, a vdeck-like interface,
mysql, email accounts, etc. ??

Matt Probert

2007-03-26, 7:21 pm

On 26 Mar 2007 09:56:57 -0700, "Steve" <StephenP.Malley@XXXXXXXXXX>
wrote:

>What is a good service that has oscommerce, a vdeck-like interface,
>mysql, email accounts, etc. ??
>

An expensive, managed server business account with a dedicated pipe.

Matt

--
Documenting the banal to the bizarre
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com

Fred Atkinson

2007-03-26, 7:21 pm

On 26 Mar 2007 09:56:57 -0700, "Steve" <StephenP.Malley@XXXXXXXXXX>
wrote:

>I am tired of getting ho-hum support when I need it. I have no use for
>the reviews on the web, because these people are obviously not
>checking to see how good the support is. I would go so far as to say
>they are very likely being paid by the "high-ranking" services they
>promote.
>
>What is a good service that has oscommerce, a vdeck-like interface,
>mysql, email accounts, etc. ??

I'm not sure what you mean by oscommerce. But if you want a
site that will support ecommerce, my brother used to run his Web site
on a service called http://www.goemerchant.com. Check them out and
see if it is what you are looking for.

But you have to pass the rules placed upon them by their bank
before they can host you (since they provide online payment services
as part of your account).

Regards,

Fred

Steve

2007-03-27, 7:15 am

On Mar 26, 12:31 pm, comme...@probertencyclopaedia.com (Matt Probert)
wrote:
> On 26 Mar 2007 09:56:57 -0700, "Steve" <StephenP.Mal...@XXXXXXXXXX>
> wrote:
>
>
> An expensive, managed server business account with a dedicated pipe.
>
> Matt
>
> --
> Documenting the banal to the bizarrehttp://www.probertencyclopaedia.com

No, I am not looking for a server, but may wind up getting one anyway.
Thanks.

Steve

2007-03-27, 7:15 am

On Mar 26, 12:40 pm, Fred Atkinson <fatkin...@mishmash.com> wrote:
> On 26 Mar 2007 09:56:57 -0700, "Steve" <StephenP.Mal...@XXXXXXXXXX>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> I'm not sure what you mean by oscommerce. But if you want a
> site that will support ecommerce, my brother used to run his Web site
> on a service calledhttp://www.goemerchant.com. Check them out and
> see if it is what you are looking for.
>
> But you have to pass the rules placed upon them by their bank
> before they can host you (since they provide online payment services
> as part of your account).
>
> Regards,
>
> Fred

OSCommerce is an Open Source merchant system that many hosting
companies support.

Anyway, what I am interested in is a company that provides OS Commerce
and other ecommerce solutions *with support*, *without going to higher-
end solutions* like shared or dedicated servers.

hansBKK

2007-03-27, 7:17 am

"Steve" <StephenP.Malley@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote in
news:1174928217.734860.119020@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:

> I am tired of getting ho-hum support when I need it. I have no use for
> the reviews on the web, because these people are obviously not
> checking to see how good the support is. I would go so far as to say
> they are very likely being paid by the "high-ranking" services they
> promote.
>
> What is a good service that has oscommerce, a vdeck-like interface,
> mysql, email accounts, etc. ??
>

I agree, most of the ratings website are affiliate scams. And I also
agree that support is the #1 factor (assuming their services are reliable
to start with). Actually, I'd put honesty right up there as well. Price
should come dead last, in fact in today's ultra-competitive shared
hosting environment huge space/bandwidth for dead cheap is a negative in
my book.

Have you checked out webhostingtalk.com? I'm a *bit* skeptical, but it
was the best place I've found so far for "objective" reviews by actual
customers.

I'm currently refining an exhaustive list of pre-sales questions - header
= "Finding a good host is SO HARD" and am storing the answers in a
database. I'd be very happy to barter help on this project.

Here's my shortlist of hosting vendors recommended on WHT and elsewhere,
to doublecheck you could search for comments more widely in Google:

budgetreseller.com asmallorange.com blurstorm.com hostnine.com
cartikahosting.com dotable.com jodohost.com relio.com innohosting.com
wirenine.com downtownhost.com idologic.com steadfast.net

Many of these vendors offer oscommerce, some might even support it. I've
never heard of vdesk, is that a cpanel alternative? Everyone supports
MySQL and email, but of course for business-class reliability and
features you might want to consider using a specialised email host, I've
come across negative email comments about hosters that are stellar
website hosts. . .

Steve

2007-03-28, 7:19 pm

On Mar 27, 2:00 am, hansBKK <aww01.100.hans...@spamgourmet.com> wrote:
> "Steve" <StephenP.Mal...@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote innews:1174928217.734860.119020@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:
>
>
>
> I agree, most of the ratings website are affiliate scams. And I also
> agree that support is the #1 factor (assuming their services are reliable
> to start with). Actually, I'd put honesty right up there as well. Price
> should come dead last, in fact in today's ultra-competitive shared
> hosting environment huge space/bandwidth for dead cheap is a negative in
> my book.
>
> Have you checked out webhostingtalk.com? I'm a *bit* skeptical, but it
> was the best place I've found so far for "objective" reviews by actual
> customers.
>
> I'm currently refining an exhaustive list of pre-sales questions - header
> = "Finding a good host is SO HARD" and am storing the answers in a
> database. I'd be very happy to barter help on this project.
>
> Here's my shortlist of hosting vendors recommended on WHT and elsewhere,
> to doublecheck you could search for comments more widely in Google:
>
> budgetreseller.com asmallorange.com blurstorm.com hostnine.com
> cartikahosting.com dotable.com jodohost.com relio.com innohosting.com
> wirenine.com downtownhost.com idologic.com steadfast.net
>
> Many of these vendors offer oscommerce, some might even support it. I've
> never heard of vdesk, is that a cpanel alternative? Everyone supports
> mysql and email, but of course for business-class reliability and
> features you might want to consider using a specialised email host, I've
> come across negative email comments about hosters that are stellar
> website hosts. . .

Thanks for the tips. I will look into the website you suggested. There
are a ton of these "lesser knowns" -- it makes me feel *sometimes*
like its time to step up and do a better job. I would be glad to
contribute feedback on some of the services I have used.

I am looking for a "simplified OSCommerce" hosting service. I am
thinking of trying siteground.com.

StartLogic started very good, but dropped the ball about 8 months back
and does not look like they will recovery anytime soon.

Network Solutions is spendy compared with these "mom and pop"
providers, but at least you know what you are getting and that the
uptime will be good and someone will answer the phone. Downside? No
OSCommerce for less than about $50/month.

Even GoDaddy is fairly good on the support, but only has added
OSCommerce recently. Still, I am not convinced that if I got in a
pinch with OSC that they would help.

Vdeck is a web-based site/server administration tool. It is pretty
easy to use. I can't get anyone from their company to tell me what
companies [besides StartLogic] use their interface. I like it and have
yet to try cpanel.

Let me know how your project shapes up.

Thanks for your feedback,

Steve

hansBKK

2007-03-29, 4:18 am

<snipped>
> are a ton of these "lesser knowns" -- it makes me feel *sometimes*

IMHO you are much better off with a smaller shop if you want decent
support. I haven't heard of a single big company in the reasonably-priced
(not thousands per month) that really gives good support - if someone
else has, I'm all ears. Huge operations inevitably get to the point where
those few who really care are too far removed from the many that actually
work with customers day-to-day. I've heard a lot of good things about
HostGator for example, but for me personally they've just gotten too big
- but if you like big companies maybe you should give them a try.

If a company has say 5,000 domains hosted on a few dozen computers, they
are big enough to be past the one-man-show stage, and can give true
24x7x365 support. The key is that that original one man is truly
committed to giving excellent service and support, and is driving that
deep into the fabric of the corporate culture.

> like its time to step up and do a better job. I would be glad to
> contribute feedback on some of the services I have used.

Please do post reviews here or at WHT of the services you have used.

> I am looking for a "simplified OSCommerce" hosting service.

Unless you happen to come across a host that actually is familiar with
and willing to customise and support OSCommerce for you (charging extra
of course), the best you'll be able to do is to find one that provides a
suitable platform for it - the rest is usually up to you regarding
specific applications.

> Network Solutions is spendy compared with these "mom and pop"
> providers, but at least you know what you are getting and that the
> uptime will be good and someone will answer the phone. Downside? No
> OSCommerce for less than about $50/month.

I wouldn't even use them for domain name registration - way too big for
me. You shouldn't care that "someone" answers the phone, but the quality
of that someone (and using a good helpdesk ticketing system with quick
support staff is much less frustrating that phone support. And with the
vendors I've listed, I bet their actual uptime is right up there with
someone like NS. . .

> Even GoDaddy is fairly good on the support, but only has added
> OSCommerce recently. Still, I am not convinced that if I got in a
> pinch with OSC that they would help.

Ditto as above with NS.

> Vdeck is a web-based site/server administration tool. It is pretty
> easy to use. I can't get anyone from their company to tell me what
> companies [besides StartLogic] use their interface. I like it and have
> yet to try cpanel.

Cpanel is the industry standard, to the point that many vendors will
offer to do the inbound migration of your site, including databases! for
free as long as it's coming from a cpanel host. Plus once you get used to
it, it'll be at your next host if (when?) the current one declines in a
few years time and it's time to move again.

Another good one is H-sphere, mainly from the reliability and load-
balancing built into its clustering technology, but it's not as widely
implemented. I personally wouldn't go near hosters with panels other than
these two.

I sent you an email - did you get it? If you'd like to contribute/
participate in my research project, let's continue the conversation that
way.