Recommended life-time hosting?

[Aeonix]

There's lots of ground ("gaps") missing in-between the background. Beware.

There's that point in time where I'd like to get myself a good trusty hosting. Attempt to start any kind of project, get any community moving. Whatever. Long story short: I'm seeking for a good hosting (VPS/Dedicated, Website+SSL) for "rest of my life". One single provider that could provide trusted services for regular price.

I'm not asking about what Google says or what website promises, I can find them too: 1and1.com, hostinger.eu, m2host.com, hostgator.com, godaddy.com, westhost.com, dreamhost.com, greengeeks.com, one.com, hostgator.com, fatcow.com (what?), cyon.ch . There's LOTS of websites that say "We're the best", but I don't care about it. I care about YOUR personal opinion.

Do you know a provider which you would deem trustworthy? From YOUR OWN personal experience, no babble talk from 3rd person, no thebesthostings.com/totally-not-sponsored article, just YOU. I'm seeking for provider that would be able to provide 24/7 hosting for my theoretical website, with SSL. And also may provide VPS' or dedicated servers. With reasonable price (doesn't have to be cheapest, as long as it's worth it's price). Management either entire CLI, or nice GUI prefered.

This choice will most likely stick with me for the rest of my predicted life (as long as hosting is still available). So the honest and informational answers are quite important for me on this one.

Once again, do not refer to Google, I'm asking YOU.
If there won't be concrete choice, I'm on track to sticking with hostinger.eu, which have XAMPP on their main website for some reason... oh lord.

[jwenting]

usually with hosting bigger is better, the large established hosting companies will likely outlive the small ones, and have better support infrastructure as well.

And I'm talking of places like Level3 here...

[rproffitt]

While it's a passing idea, that is, companies are moving away from this, self hosting has always been an option. Take a current Linux based web server system and run it yourself. That's been on the table for a very long time.

Then we have Daniweb itself. I looked around and didn't see where it was hosted. May have missed the obvious but why not ask Dani?

[Aeonix]

And I'm talking of places like Level3 here...

Level3 Communications? "http://www.a1websolutions.com/" has as title Reliable Level3 hosting". I can't really find a hosting with Level3 in it, except the mentioned one.

Take a current Linux based web server system and run it yourself.

For 10 years I've been fed Windows (I'm relatively young). Of course I like Linux for the fact that I could do anything with CLI. But the sad fact is, I don't know anything about it. It's like starting Russian program from the end of internet. I couldn't know for a fact how anything works in Linux. I could tell you quite something about Windows security, firewall and hidden core applications making life easier. But for Linux? I just know how to start Apache core because I need to test PHP files. I don't know anything about Linux, and even if there's thousands of tutorials and reference to DaniWeb for help. There might be still many gaps and holes that I might leave, leaving my server insecure. I'd better leave it to people who have been fed Linux, as much as I've been fed Windows. I'm still trying to learn Linux, but as for now, hosting server myself is a terrible idea for survival.

Then we have Daniweb itself. I looked around and didn't see where it was hosted.

SSL certificate is provided by GoDaddy, soooooo...

May have missed the obvious but why not ask Dani?

She has better things to do than answer that little question. She's probably busy woman, and if she had free time, she would spend a whole chunk of it on these forums (she still does). But as far as I'm concerned, I don't want to bother her with my presence when she's busy. On top of that, knocking down her door through PM and asking to answer my question is pretty stupid. When there's an entire forum dedicated for that.

[jwenting]

Level3 is a massive hosting company with datacenters around the world. They're known good, but were just an example of the type of operation you should look for rather than the here today, gone tomorrow el-cheapo hosting services run out of somebody's garage.

As to self-hosting, very nice option if you have the funds to pay for your own data center with 24/7 staff on site.

[Suzie999]

Perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about, but it's quite unreasonable to expect any host to be around for the rest of your life, and perhaps quite foolhardy to expect hosting to be as hosting is at all in 10 years. and unfair to ask personal recommendation from experience since no-one has had hosting for their entire lifetime.

[Aeonix]

Level3 is a massive hosting company with datacenters around the world.

The website I found about Level3, provides no pricing, no sign-up link, only straight email, which I assume is for medium companies. They won't probably even respond to me nor I will be able to pay 10 000$/month for their services. Or maybe I was on a wrong website.

Perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about, but it's quite unreasonable to expect any host to be around for the rest of your life, and perhaps quite foolhardy to expect hosting to be as hosting is at all in 10 years. and unfair to ask personal recommendation from experience since no-one has had hosting for their entire lifetime.

Please, could you stop trolling? Of course nobody has lived their entire life with one hosting, the oldest hosting is with us 20 years, people live usually longer than that. I'm asking for recommendations for their trustworthy hosting, that I could stick with until it can last. I'm not asking about hosting that lived as long as them. Of course it's unreasonable, that's why I'm not doing that.

[Suzie999]

Please, could you stop trolling? Of course nobody has lived their entire life with one hosting, the oldest hosting is with us 20 years, people live usually longer than that. I'm asking for recommendations for their trustworthy hosting, that I could stick with until it can last. I'm not asking about hosting that lived as long as them. Of course it's unreasonable, that's why I'm not doing that.

Well, yes you are, you mention it several times in your post, it's even in the title.

[Aeonix]

Well, yes you are, you mention it several times in your post, it's even in the title.

Yep, life-time hosting, if hosting is good, I will stay with it for my entire life, if it lasts too. It's extremely logical, that if hosting stops working, I can't use it anymore. Relation to "life-time hosting" means "I will use it forever, up to the moment when it's not usable to me anymore."

Sorry if I forgot pointing this out. Unfortunately I can't edit first point anymore, DaniWeb policies.

Point made was good - let's reserve the word "trolling" for users who deserve it.

WRT hosting - you can't expect to stay with the same host "as long as it's good", because you definition of what is good or more correctly, what is required, may change over the years. Always shop around to get the best deal (usually not the cheapest!). I treat hosts like insurance companies - if I can get a better deal elsewhere, I'll go for it. Loyalty or laziness won't come into it. Can't see why you'd want to plan to stick to one host.

[Suzie999]

That's a good point, it's probably more important to get a long lease on a domain name and always have backups of your data, so your are well prepared for a long haul.

[Dani]

I just so happened to have stumbled upon this thread while browsing, so I guess I need to reply! :) DaniWeb is hosted with SoftLayer.

Back when we first launched, we used a reseller account through ThePlanet.com for our dinky little shared server. Then, we grew, and expanded to a dedicated server directly through ThePlanet. Then it turned into 2 servers, then 4, then 6, then ..., and, well, you get the idea.

Then The Planet became acquired by a holding company and merged with SoftLayer under the SoftLayer brand. Then SoftLayer recently became acquired by IBM.

Honestly, I think that it was nothing but complete sheer luck that the dinky little cheap hosting company I went with for my dinky little hobby site 15 years ago is now considered one of the most reliable hosting companies out there. They definitely have their moments, but overall I'm really happy here.

[Aeonix]

Can't see why you'd want to plan to stick to one host.

I'd like to stuck with one hosting. Because I get used to it. Changing hosting every 3rd month in not precisely in my favor hence. I'd like to get used that there is that same precise website, with same precise login data, with the price that I get used to. Sounds weird. I just don't like jumping from hoster to hoster like a toad.

DaniWeb is hosted with SoftLayer.

Hmmm, checked it out, seems like solid hosting. Will keep it on my list.

...Because I get used to it

Fair enough. Some of us are creatures of habit. You mention changing very often - no that's not usually good investment of time if everything is OK. I usually start looking to change when the 'introductory offer' runs out - after 1 or 2 years as a rule. I'm not a cheapskate, but if you can get 50% off comparable hosting specs, why wouldn't you? Anyhow, each to his own.

[Aeonix]

I'm not a cheapskate, but if you can get 50% off comparable hosting specs, why wouldn't you? Anyhow, each to his own.

Yea well, that's the case where I would swap. I meant, I wouldn't swap, when I was on hosting, let's say 500$ a year and then other provider told "We're way better, now 495$ a year", I'll throw that 5 dollars in their pockets because I'd like to stick with known environment.

On the other hand when I'm paying 500$ a year and other company will tell "We're way better, now 300$ a year, for 3 years.", I'll swap for sure.

But general, smaller differences don't bother me. This is why I'm seeking for reliability too. Price isn't the only factor. If I pay 400$ for a good hosting with people who know what they're doing, or 300$ for "what is ext4?". I'd rather stick with one of 400$. That's what I meant with "sticking". Better deal is better deal, but reliability and "protection" is better in my opinion.

Prices mentioned are rather low for high-end quality hosting, there were just examples, please don't rant.

This is why I said "comparable" ;)

[ctrls]

You just check with some customer reviews and ratings about providers, money back guarantee, server uptime, better you search on managed hosting service providers,you will get excellent customer services.