There is a huge price difference between similar configs in all 3.. (hivelocity seems to be quiet cheap, comparitively)
what is the difference in quality levels can I expect?
If i have my own management, then which should i go with?
And anyone with an experience with all 3?
In general, which of those is the best in hardware and bandiwdth, and in support?
View 14 Replies View RelatedAs those who read my previous thread (or helped me on it -- thank you!) know, I've been looking at upgrading to a new server at the Planet. I've been very happy with the service at the Planet. I ended up with a quote on a Xeon 3040/2 GB of RAM/2x 250 GB hard disks/RHEL 5/10 usable IPs/cPanel+Fantastico and the Planet's standard "built in support" monitoring, escalation procedure, automated OS updates, etc. for $174/month and no setup.
That sounds decent enough, but I keep reading this forum and seeing good things about SoftLayer over and above the Planet. Should I consider moving? Anyone care to say what is better about SoftLayer? Anyone know of any cons to moving? I was inclined not to really shop around since the Planet has been good, but I don't want to be foolish and I by the sounds of some of those reviewing them, it sounds like SoftLayer's support is worth switching for.
HiVelocity VS. SoftLayer
Which one is better overall?
Uptime, support, pricing, etc.
What are your overall comparisons -- HiVelocity vs. Softlayer.
I know there are a few threads that are somewhat similar, so I apologize from that aspect, but since I am still not sure of the best option, I thought I would post my exact requirements and hopefully get some good advice.
We need a Windowss dedicated server, probably in the 8 core/8gig RAM variety for a rather intensive Asp.net/MS SQL site. It is a corporate site that is expected to see heavy usage with fairly heavy DB/reportng related web pages.
The majority of people accessing the site will be connecting from Europe.
We will have little, if any, need for management support of Windows or IIS, we are primarily looking for reliable hardware, with quick hardware repair when failures come, and in a redundant DC to avoid downtime (hardware or internet pipe).
The price difference between rackspace and the others does not concern us, so price while a consideration, is towards the bottom of our list of priorities.
As our users are in Europe, a European DC would probably be ideal, but that is one question I have. How much difference will performance/latency be with an American DC vs. European DC for our European users.
English speaking (native language, preferably) support is a must.
A High powered machine (minimum would be 8 cores x 2ghz + 8 gig ram) is a must (possibly two servers -- possibly a router based load balancing of the two servers).
Fast, reliable/redundant internet pipe. We need a DC that will not be unreliable, wether it is from internet outages due to lack of redundancy, or speed fluctuations due to overselling the bandwidth.
So, basically, I have two main questions, I suppose.
First, since the majority of my users will be in Europe, should I only consider a European DC? How much difference will my European users see/feel if we are in a US DC? What difference does it make if the DC is on the East cost, then say Texas?
Second, with price not being a primary consideration, and needing little or no managed support (besides hardware support), just high power machines in a HIGHLY reliable DC, which are the best companies to go with?
is there anybody out there with a rave review and different experience than the rest of us are having?
View 14 Replies View RelatedI've been waiting to get a server for a long time. On Monday, I went ahead and ordered a server from The Planet. 20 minutes later, I decided for the money I might as well upgrade my package a little bit (from $180 to $220). So I chatted with one of the sales representatives (Ryan B to be exact) and was told my first order was canceled and that the second server was ordered. $197 was charged for the first order and today, 5 days later, has yet to be refunded.
I found out on Tuesday that I'm being laid off on August 22. With this information, I immediately canceled my second order with The Planet, knowing I wouldn't be able to pay it monthly. I was told the order was canceled (the server was never setup) and I also asked about my first order. They said it had been canceled and I should be getting the refund shortly. That was Tuesday afternoon. I contacted them on Wednesday and again they said I should be getting the money soon. It's a simple credit card charge back, it can be done instantly. It's now Friday afternoon, almost 5 days since I ordered my first server and the money (totaling $443) still hasn't been refunded. Is this normal...? I really could use that money...
I was hosted with these guys for well over 2 years, and was spending on average more than $2,000.00 a month for servers.
I had slowly grown to well over 10 boxes, and was definately on my way. then one day I get a spam complaint that one of my serves was casing complaints. So I checked it out, and asked for the complaints to be relayed so I would have record of it..... nothing.... I responded and even tried to call, but at that point they had sent me a tciket stating.
We have recieved well ofer 1000 spam complaints from a server you lease with us, per out TOS we are terminating ALL OF YOUR SERVERS, and you have 15 days to remove the data!
WOW... there was no ability to have them terminate that server, they simply said NO your account will be terminated (all of your servers) and you will be banned from The Planet!
When I tried to call they said your not allowed to speak with the abuse dept, again I tried contacting my account manager, and he said he checked into it and only saw a few complaints, and didn;t understand why they were doing this... In short I barely got moved over to another provideer before they shut me down completely..... They did however offer one course of action... you could turn your dedicated server clients over to us so they dont have to move! THEY ACTUALLY SAID THIS!
I at that point made the move and then they hit my credit card for another month well short of 20 days before a bill would even be due.. I had to file charges at the local courthouse to get this reversed.
My advice, if you host at the planet dont send mail. get another server provider for mail, these guys are *&^)(* and they don;t care about shutting you down no matter what you spend with them, on top of that they will try to scarf your clients up if they can, after they leave you high and dry....
Anyone else have issues like this with anyone else. I want to compile a list of providers that do business like this so I can avoid them.
I've had my servers with The Planet for years. Used to be really happy with them. Ever since the merger, they seem to have deteriorated over time. Recently, I find the level of support to have become poor.
The redeeming quality is that they have had outstanding uptime over all of these years, and they are always there if you need them in a true emergency - in other words, they always pick up the phone.
I need a company that is comparable in their level of staffing and resources. Who out there is comparable, yet providing better support and overall attitude these days and for the long-haul?
I currently have a colocation solution with The Planet. How do they stack up against the competition for price and reliability?
View 10 Replies View RelatedThe Planet used to be great. All the people that made them great left for softlayer.
The Planet support now runs the gamut from mediocre to bad. But their billing policies are atrocious. They add charges to your service without you ordering it. They promise to refund you but don't. And when you cancel, they bill you anyway. When you call, they will admit their mistake. They will claim to refund you, but then don't.
It's a nightmare. So far Softlayer is as good or even better than The Planet used to be.
When you cancel with The Planet, make sure to change your credit card number so they can't charge you. If you are contemplating hosting with them, don't. Everything good you heard about them was true, but only because of the people who left for Softlayer.
My firewalls block IP's from multiple failed login attempts. The FW on one server has been blocking someone from The Planet. My servers are at GNAX, so why is someone from TP trying to get in?
This is what the system emails tell me:
IP: 70.87.XX.X (2.27.XXXX.static.theplanet.com)
Failures: 5 (sshd)
Interval: 95 seconds
Blocked: Yes
I currently had NAC and The Planet as DC (I like both, but I really don't trust putting all servers on a single DC)
I was looking for a DC to get 2 new servers
despite I like The Planet, I was looking at other alternatives because it wasn't that cheap
but I'd like to thanks Ryan B. from sales, who got a very good offer, and kept giving impressive support after I ordered the servers
he really seems to like what his job, so thumbs up here to The Planet
Can anyone recommend a good reputation company that resells The Planet's servers?
For some reason I can't purchase from them directly, they do not accept PayPal nor accepting my credit card payments. Tried contacting them but it still doesn't work. I hope to find a reseller out there.
Which do you get best service with? I rather pay a bit more to get good service as im sick of crap companies.
View 5 Replies View RelatedIs anyone else having problems with The Planet nameservers at the moment? My sites aren't resolving at the moment, so they appear down to most people.
I know there is some DNS maintenance going on, but it said to expect no downtime?
I have a decent sized ecommerce site..but in all reality a dedicated server is likely overkill. Still I like having room to grow. I am looking for a linux setup (preferably red hat) with Cpanel. I need something managed...with decent support. I can do very basic stuff..but I am also busy owning a business..and do not have time to really figure out how to maintain a server. I need someone to answer questions quickly..or do it for me. Seems these the Planet and LiquidWeb are two of the biggest ones. I am gonna say support is the big issue here...who would be most likely to help me do whatever it takes to keep my site online no matter what.
View 2 Replies View RelatedI run a MMO game server and when I outgrown my home DSL connection I decided only way was to get a dedicated server so I ordered an entry level server at the planet. Very good service from the start, server uptime was pretty much %100, never had any huge network issues or anything. Some slowdowns at one point but it was more of a internet issue.
Later on noticed the server specs were actually lower then what I was paying for. Figured, mistakes happen, I put in a ticket. They acted really quick on it and gave me a new server and even doubled my ram + gave me refund. The refund took a bit of time but I eventually got it.
Recently I wanted to try the dual xeon server but virtualize my game server so I can use Linux as the host OS for other purposes, so I chatted with someone and asked if I could get a "trial" before paying, and surprisingly they were ok with that and set me up within a few hours.
I configured the new server and everything was going smooth when I turned on the firewall so it blocked monitoring.
No joke, within 1 minute I got an email saying my server was down and they had responded to the ticket saying they'll look at it. it was a false alarm, but just to show how fast they responded, was really impressed. I just mentioned to ignore it for now until I get the firewall to let their stuff through. All in all I have to say even as a small customer I'm really impressed with the service there.
Does Anyone Know Thier Nameservers? It Was Like Ns5.hyperdrive.net
Please Help Me And Let Me Know, My Job Is On The Line
I Called Them, Once They Found Out I Had A Problem They Hung Up!
The Planet, Rackspace or Liquidweb
I have a couple of customers recently, and find that I would like to put their sites into a dedicated server environment. Which is a better provider in terms of support and reliability? These companies do seem to be the more reputable ones. What are the important things to look out for in the servers?
is it true that the planet does not accept paypal payments?
i was considering to get a server from them, also management from touchsupport (which is owned by the planet now) they dont accept paypal?
We saw the special offer of ThePlanet here on banner advertisement and tried to get a special promo but since the last 3 days, I am running after them and every sales person is telling something different about promo and my deal even it's confirmed by management...
View 8 Replies View RelatedVery hard to believe that it has been 4.5 (Ordered our first server in January of 2004) years since I first turned up services with The Planet (ServerMatrix at the time) and still have equipment with them to this day.
Here's my quick breakdown....Support - Looking back at our ticket history, we've never opened a ton of tickets. When we needed assistance, they were always quick to assist us and provided prompt resolutions.
Network - Their network is top notch and I've yet to find another provider that's even close to The Planet. We still have some equipment that is on their legacy unmetered Cogent product (now on their premium network, since they dont have Cogent any longer) and we continuously are able to pull the 20m and normally, much much more. Their network has always been top notch.
Hardware - I've acknowledged over the years that The Planet, historically, had issues with replacing failed drives and reloading OS's in a timely fashion. We never experienced that, ever... nor have I seen a complaint about that in quite some time.
We've experienced a single hardware failure with The Planet and the failed item was replaced quickly and at a time we dictated, which was great.
Overall - Fantastic. One of things I've really come to love about The Planet is the dedication to their customer. To this day, I still get a phone call at the office, at the house and on my cell whenever anything goes haywire on one of my servers. I can't count on them to have my back when I'm not watching and I've come to rely on them to respond to and resolve issues before I am aware of them.
Although we have diversified where we place our hardware, we'll continue to partner with The Planet and continue to enjoy the excellent service we've become accustomed to.
I was about to move from serverbeach to the planet when i noticed now they charge $15.oo more monthly for win 2003 when a couple of days ago it was free no promo or anything
and 89 dollars plus 25 for control panel and then 15 for windows
and it's a celeron with not even a tb of bandwidth
I was getting segmentation fault errors in logwatch, so I asked them if this is a problem with the server.
They suggested an fschck. No problem, I suggested they do this because I am not technically-inclined enough to trust myself.
They inform me they need to unmount to prevent corruption or data loss.. fine. they inform me there's an application or configuration that is preventing them from doing so. No problem. I asked them to restore my sites (which began showing as 404 since they began)... they didn't seem to know what I was talking about.
Now my ticket as been escalated to tech support. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN. No scan was performed! All of my accounts were WIPED. My sql databases are still there... but EVERYTHING relating to any account on my server is EMPTY.
I'm attempting a home backup restore now. I have backups of everything, but this was not my choice of events for a Monday morning at 3am!
I should also mention I am getting chargebacks up the wazoo right now, because my customers are thinking I took their money and ran!
Does web hosting company The Planet have absolutely no respect or care for small business customers?
I have just had the most horrible customer service experience in my life. Our server went down after a simple restart Friday. Now, three days later, we are still without a server, our web sites are down, and we are loosing thousands of dollars. AND - even worse - we are loosing credibility with our customers.
After technical support had been unable to get our server up and running again Friday, we asked the tech staff if it would be a good idea to buy a new server instead, since our old server was getting old. They said this would be a very good idea.
So we talked to one of The Planet's sales staff on Saturday, and he promised we would have our server by the end of bussiness that day. Now, two days later, we still don't have our server.
And, worst off all, every time we contact The Planet support, we are promised things are getting solved and that they will get back to us, which never happens. We even left a message with one of the managers, and even he didn't bother to answer us back!
Can you imagine being out of business for THREE whole days (going on four), with nobody caring about your bussiness enough to even keep you updated on what's happening? Have we just been extremely unlucky or are there others out there with similar experiences?
I want to share my positive review of The Planet service.
I have been using servers at The Planet for almost 3 years since the time YourHost posting weekly deals on WHT.
If you're an old member here, you would remember how people waited for the new weekly special (especially the Christmas one).
In general, i'm satisfied with their service, very stable network, fast support, competitive offers from time to time.
I really like The Planet "Escalation Procedures", which i request phone call for any issues affecting server uptime.
I received a few phone calls when doing hardware upgrade, monitoring system notify server down ...
They don't just send an alert email but they call me to notify server down.
Support response time is usually 15-30 minutes.
There was a period that it takes a few hours to get a reply, i think during the merging of EV1, but it was improved shortly after that.
Hardware quality: I never experience any issues with hardware, the oldest server is 3 years old and running well.
My Rating:
Network: 9 (there is no 10)
Support: 8.5 (some room for improvement but still the highest ranking among other providers i use, LT, SL, DN ...)
Hardware: 9
I've been with the Planet for four years and have been absolutely delighted with their service. Yet, I'm wondering if I should move elsewhere. Why? Mostly for one reason: four years later, my now aged Celeron 2.4 GHz system still has the same monthly cost as it did four years ago. I'm not looking for them to give me a better price on that system, but I'd like to upgrade to the "modern equivalent" of what that system was in 2004...
looking at plans on their site, one might expect that for each price point the servers would have changed over the years, but my server is still the one that fills my price point. The Planet seems to have completely ignored having their low end line evolve as old technology fades away, new technology comes into play and things like hard disk prices have plummeted. For what I might have paid for a Celeron 2.4 GHz computer from Dell four years ago, I'd now end up with a Pentium or better (e.g. Dell's cheapest system comes with a 2.0 Ghz dual core Pentium and a hard disk 3x larger than my 80 GB one).
So, I'm looking for suggestions. Hosting is something I do on the side as a service to my web design clients. As such, I want something reliable (like the Planet has been) but I cannot at this point justify something where my end cost with server, cPanel, etc., costs much more than $110-$120.
Features I have and would like to keep:
1.) 24x7 tech support (obviously) backed by an high availability SLA
2.) Red Hat Enterprise Linux
3.) cPanel/Fantastico
4.) Server monitoring/basic management (the Planet will reboot the server for me if one of its four or five vital services go down and they'll take care of kernel upgrades -- nothing else)
I'm not in the market to lease a dedicated server right now, but just out of curriousity, what is the difference between renting one from HostGator, or from The Planet (who I believe HostGator gets their servers from).
Wouldn't that be the same product with 2 different labels on it?
Also, I saw on HostGators website: "We have over 150 employees to provide you around-the-clock superior support." So do they have their employees at The Planets facility, or are they refering to The Planets employees who support their customers, or how does this whole deal work?
My thinking has always been, whenever possible, go directly to the SOURCE, to get the best deals. Is this not the case?
That "free first month" looked like a great deal until we got shutdown, over-billed, the server is NOT what we agreed on in the contract, and we cannot speak with anyone in a supervisory position.
When the account agreement was entered into, all information was sent to The Planet via The Planet salesman who sold us the account. It appears from subsequent email that he forwarded the contract and information to the planet via his Blackberry. This included all necessary contracts, billing, and credit card information. Hmm.
Exactly one month later the service was suspended. After contacting 'The Planet' we were told our credit card had been declined. We argued this point supported by our own banking information. We were told to simply add the credit card information into the 'orbit' billing portal so we did. Then we were told we would need to re-verify all the card holder information since we were adding a new card into the system. This point I also argued since we were adding THE SAME card information that they had from day one.
I was told by the person that handled my call regarding the suspension that the matter would be fixed. He would also have a supervisor phone me. I told him as long as they fix the billing error there is no need to have the supervisor phone me unless they took issue with my complaints. So nobody contacted me. They opened and closed numerous tickets and proceeded to bill me a $50.00 "reconnection fee".
I have now phoned The Planet numerous times since the 5th of May. I cannot speak with anyone in a supervisory position. They just keep telling me the supervisor will phone me.
For a company that is so large, customer service at this company sounds like three teenagers in 2 bedroom apartment. Not to mention the fact that since that server has been online it has been a magnet for IP scans. I found a possible reason for that problem in a September 30th 08 report by Netcraft,