DigitalOcean Cloud VPS

[DRE]

How many of you use DigitalOcean and if so, what server stack did you use for your Xenforo installation? I need more RAM so I'm moving from shared hosting to a VPS. After asking around and googling reviews I've decided to get the $20 a month package from digitalocean. The $20 a month package has 2GB Memory, 2 Cores, 40GB SSD Disk and 3TB Transfer. All plans come with SSD Drives, a control panel, automated backups, US or Europe locations, 99.99% Uptime and Tier-1 bandwidth.

Forbes Interview: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danreic...al-ocean-raising-money-and-joining-techstars/
Growth Overview: http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2013/06/13/the-meteoric-rise-of-digitalocean.html
From Techcrunch: http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/27/di...ter-prices-marketing-and-focus-on-simplicity/

From their site:

Why DigitalOcean?
We take the complexities out of cloud hosting by offering blazing fast, on-demand SSD cloud servers, straightforward pricing, a simple API, and an easy-to-use control panel. You'll be amazed at how fast and easy it is to create a cloud server. Setup is super quick and painless.

What is Cloud Hosting? https://www.digitalocean.com/what-is-cloud-hosting

Community: https://www.digitalocean.com/community

Their Control Panel: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/the-digitalocean-control-panel

How To Create Your First Server: https://www.digitalocean.com/commun...our-first-digitalocean-droplet-virtual-server

Initial Server Setup with Ubuntu 12.04
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/initial-server-setup-with-ubuntu-12-04
Protect SSH with fail2ban
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/how-to-protect-ssh-with-fail2ban-on-ubuntu-12-04
How To Install Deny Hosts
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/how-to-install-denyhosts-on-ubuntu-12-04
How To Install Webmin on Ubuntu Cloud Server
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/how-to-install-webmin-on-an-ubuntu-cloud-server
How To Configure Nginx as Front End Proxy for Apache
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/how-to-configure-nginx-as-a-front-end-proxy-for-apache
How To Setup A Host Name: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/how-to-set-up-a-host-name-with-digitalocean
DNS Tips and Tricks
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/dns-tips-and-tricks
How To Launch Your New Site
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/how-to-launch-your-site-on-a-new-ubuntu-12-04-server-with-lamp-sftp-and-dns
Securing MySQL and MariaDB
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/securing-mysql-and-mariadb-databases-in-a-linux-vps
How To Setup Apache with Free SSL
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles/how-to-set-up-apache-with-a-free-signed-ssl-certificate-on-a-vps

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Do any of you use digital ocean? I did a quick search on here and see that the following members have used DigitalOcean:

I can also recommend DigitalOcean, who have Amsterdam-based VPSes for good money. They do free 2-month trials and I've always had good service with them.

https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=48d45367b195

Full disclosure: That is a referral link. If you don't want to use it, just go to http://www.digitalocean.com

Very great : https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing
Any xenforo forum hosted on them?
May I see

So far digitalocean has been very nice. I had a blank centOS load on it and was able to install everything I needed with no issues. BTW you guys all rock.

I have a Digital Ocean VPS with cPanel running on it. Plus the nginxcp plugin as well.

All I got is digital ocean+ centmod

You can install Cpanel on digital ocean. Takes less then an hour. Linode, cloudlayer anything really. As long as you have root access you can install any control panel including Cpanel provided you are using a compatible OS to go with it.

You could do as SneakyDave suggested get a VPS from DigitalOcean and control everything yourself. I got a test setup on one of their VPS's just more or less learning how to manage a server and install stuff. I've managed to install Percona, varnish, and a few other things. Or you can step up to a better shared hosting solution as I see you said you pay $24 a month with Bluehost and try out xFHost. I use them for my main site and I don't have many issues with them at all.

 

[rdn]

I'm using CentminMod on DigitalOcean - http://centminmod.com/

 

[p4guru]

Like RoldanLT, I started using Digitalocean when i found them on http://centminmod.com/download.html. Xenforo configuration listed at http://centminmod.com/nginx_configure.html

I use Centmin Mod Nginx/php-fpm/MariaDB MySQL stack with Nginx PageSpeed (APC/memcache/memcached extensions installed by default)

edit: oh and if it ain't obvious CentOS OS

and they also have plenty of how to articles at https://www.digitalocean.com/community/articles

 

[rdn]

Tips:
Before installing XenForo, you need to set the default storage engine to InnoDB:

• default-storage-engine=InnoDB

The only problem I encounter when using centminmod is email

 

[p4guru]

actually proper way is to edit /etc/my.cnf

change

default-storage-engine = MyISAM

to

default-storage-engine = InnoDB

and comment out skip-innodb line

then restart mysql server

Centmin Mod command shortcut to /etc/my.cnf, you type mycnf

 

[p4guru]

no problems with emails either but i am using google app for my email.. just make sure dns (A record for ipv4 and AAAA records for ipv6) and spf records (for ipv4 and if ipv6 if you have server announcing them) are properly configured and xenforo -f email option are enabled http://xenforo.com/community/resources/dealing-with-spam-filters.366/

or instead of Google App domains, use MS Live Domains for email - same as Google Apps http://centminmod.com/outlook_live_domains.html - minus IMAP support though

 

[rdn]

http://centminmod.com/outlook_live_domains.html is not effective.
You have to login on your live.com email every now and then or else they stop sending emails.

 

[p4guru]

where you read that ? i dont use live domains myself so not familiar with it

 

[rdn]

where you read that ?

I have tried it.

 

[rdn]

mail.live.com require you to login everyday or else they will treat your account as spammer and stop sending out mails.

 

[p4guru]

i see.. i dont use live domains myself so not familiar with it.

did you try using smtp setup in xenforo or default server mail ?

Google Apps FTW

 

[rdn]

Yes, $5 USD per month is enough.

 

[p4guru]

Yes, $5 USD per year is enough.

yeah let someone else deal with spam i.e. Google or MS

maybe with outlook domains can try browser extension to automatically check email ?

 

[rdn]

maybe with outlook domains can try browser extension to automatically check email ?

Haven't tried something like that.

 

[DRE]

i see.. i dont use live domains myself so not familiar with it.

did you try using smtp setup in xenforo or default server mail ?

Google Apps FTW

@Tracy Perry suggested that I use Google Apps Business for email so I probably will.

Yes, $5 USD per year is enough.

It says $50 a year. Where are you getting the $5 a year quote from? http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/business/pricing.html

 

[p4guru]

Yeah $50/yr or $5/mo - small price to pay for high uptime and relatively spam free email.

 

[rdn]

Per month I mean

 

[p4guru]

Haven't tried something like that.

yeah now you have me thinking..

did you setup your email client to check email from the live domain as well on regular basis ?

 

[rdn]

yeah now you have me thinking..

did you setup your email client to check email from the live domain as well on regular basis ?

No, I didn't setup any email client.
I just signup and create an email account.

 

[p4guru]

wonder if this is the problem http://mail.live.com/mail/troubleshooting.aspx ?

Are you sending email from new IPs?
IPs not previously used to send email typically don’t have any reputation built up in our systems. As a result, emails from new IPs are more likely to experience deliverability issues. Once the IP has built a reputation for not sending spam, Outlook will typically allow for a better email delivery experience.
New IPs that are added for domains that are authenticated under existing Sender ID records typically experience the added benefit of inheriting some of the domain’s sending reputation. If the domain has a good sending reputation new IPs may experience a faster ramp up time. A new IP can expect to be fully ramped within a couple of weeks or sooner depending on volume, list accuracy and as long as their junk email complaint rates are kept at a minimum. To update or create your Sender ID record, click here.

sounds like Sender ID uses your domain's SPF txt records

To use SIDF, e-mail senders and domain owners must publish or declare all of the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses used by their outbound e-mail servers, or the IPs authorized to send e-mail on their behalf, in the Domain Name System (DNS). These IPs are included in a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) text file.