Hosting woes. The horror.

Caelum

Well-known member
So, I've recently found myself looking for web hosting again. Here's the catch: I'm on a rather tight budget, especially compared to what I need.

I need:
  • Hosting for several tiny websites owned by friends and such, which I host for free. I don't expect all of them combined to ever hit more than ~10 concurrent users.
  • Hosting for an XF forum that needs to be able to serve 50+ concurrent users smoothly. Frankly, the more concurrent users, the better.
  • Bandwidth to match the above, and some storage space. I don't need all that much storage space as it is; a few GB is fine.
  • FTP, SFTP or SSH access. Not particularly fussed which.
  • Some way to manage databases. phpMyAdmin preferred, but I honestly don't care so long as I can edit/import/export databases
  • Apache compatibility (htaccess and such). I don't particularly care if it's IIS using Helicon Ape, Litespeed, Apache, or something else, so long as it supports Apache style htaccess and htpasswd files.
  • Some sort of control panel to let me do things like adding new domains. I prefer Cpanel, but am absolutely fine with most alternatives.
So, the problem: my budget is about $160/year, preferably less. I'd prefer a host that lets me pay using Paypal if possible. My knowledge of Linux is dramatically non-existent, so an unmanaged VPS is largely out of the question. MDDHosting seemed promising, until I did basic load testing and watched the web server spontaneously combust upon hitting 7 (!) concurrent users because of a limit of 10 CloudLinux entry processes. Also, CPU usage went through the roof.

Bottom line: any suggestions at all? I'm getting increasingly desperate.
 
You could get 512Mb node from Linode.com normal cost is $19.99 per month which works out at $240 but if you pay for the year you can get %10 off @ $216.That node could handle a hell of a lot being chucked at it.

I know it's over budget. :)
 
I would also favor Linode in this situation - I run a couple of Xenforo installs on a Linode right now, actually. They are awesome.
If you would rather not pay for an entire Linode yourself, you might be able to share space on mine. I don't have a control panel installed, but I do have phpMyAdmin, so for domain stuff you'd have to contact me to configure the webserver (Litespeed). Drop me a message or email (ghan.04@gmail.com) if you're interested. :)
 
I could look at setting you up on one of my dedicated servers as a reseller?

As long as your not taking the piss obviously. The downside is all my servers are located in Europe, however this XenForo forum is hosted on the server I would put you on and they say everything is fine in terms of speed and reliability. http://www.safishingforum.com/
 
I have a node on linode as well. They are THE BEST hosting service available.

I wouldn't disregard NFSN out of hand. Their service is extremely good and you only pay for what you use. If you have very small sites, it can literally cost only pennies per month.

Jeff
 
You people are awesome. No, seriously, you are. Within hours of posting this thread, I've had two people offer to host me on their server, one person offering to share a Linode, and three suggestions of hosts. Thanks guys :)
 
You people are awesome. No, seriously, you are. Within hours of posting this thread, I've had two people offer to host me on their server, one person offering to share a Linode, and three suggestions of hosts. Thanks guys :)
I'd really suggest you go with a real host; it is much safer if any issues happen, and support is guaranteed. Free is nice, but generally isn't worth the headaches that come with it.
 
The only problem here is the budget. Linode is unmanaged which might not be what you're looking for even if you can afford to front the $20 for your own. Good managed options will likely be more expensive than that. This area is really annoying when it comes to trying to find the right host. :-/
 
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