I've Been Burned Bad

[theauctionboard]

I'm currently hosting with Endore.com and I just learned it's a Mom&Pop (and son, probably) operation being run out of someone's home -- most likely. After my website went down (again) and the company didn't answer the phone again ( the phone is off the hook (I swear, the line is always busy when my website is down, no matter how long my website is down, even if it's for 2 days!), I decided to do some checking with the Chamber of Commerce in Kenton, OH where the organization is registered. I actually got a business phone # from the Chamber and the owner's name (Robert & Bonnie Rainbolt, and someone else named Ivan Rainbolt) plus a different phone number they used to register with the Chamber of Commerce there. I then called their local information in Kenton and asked for the home phone # of Robert Rainbolt. It was the same phone number the Chamber had listed as the business phone number for Endore.

My website has been down for an entire day. Endore won't anwer their phone (line's busy). They won't respond to any "support" emails. They won't let me know what's going on with with my website. This isn't the first time this had happened either. The reason I've stayed is because I need to find a host that can transfer my message board database intact. At this point though, I think that may be a moot point because I think my site was hacked into this time. I can't access my Control Panel from the Support page on Endore's page (which is still up and running, as usual). I can usually access my Control Panel on Endore's page whenever my site goes down, but I can't this time.

So, I'm wanna make sure that:

(a) this isn't some basement operation
(b) if it is, you don't run it like one
(c) you won't take your phone off the hook when there's trouble
(d) you tech support really truly is dedicated
(e) is there anyway to transfer my discussion board over without a problem?

[Steven]

Hello,
Sorry to hear about your misfortunes. We aren't a basement operation as some clients who have seen the datacenter in real life can attest to. Other clients can chime in about our support, as I will leave that to them. Our phone is never off the hook either. As far as the message board, what is the backend, is it mysql? What is the bulletin board software you are using?

-Steven

[theauctionboard]

I'm using the phpbb software. It came with the package I purchased through my host. I didn't have to do anything but name the database and then type in a url and my discussion board was reqady to use.

[kyhost]

I've been burned by webhosts in the past. Before Insider Hosting I was with the same host for about 3 years - service was great there but price was going up and up and they didn't offer some features that I needed in order to benefit my website design business. I've been here at IH since last May. Uptime is great. When there is any kind of problem they're pretty quick to respond. Besides the regular course of communicating (the help desk linked to the bottom of the forum pages) they are usually available through IM (although I've never needed such an immediate response to contact them that way).

[SmackDaddy]

Having been a reseller with IH for the last two years, I can attest that my customers are very, very happy as am I. I model my customer service model after Steven and his team.

I am not blowing smoke or anything when I say that IH's support and level of communication is second to none. NONE. *IF* there is to be downtime, you will know about it......*IF* there is UNEXPECTED downtime, check the forums, by the time you notice something's wrong, IH is generally putting a forum topic explaining the issue.......

Got any questions you want to ask a customer off the forum? You can email me at: smackdaddy [at] pctoolbin.com

Cheers! Oh....and c'mon man......it's gotta be a good place if they got boobies: :guess and the dancing banana-man: :banana

[Marble]

Probably not being physically run out of their house, unless they pay a huge bill for having a network and ISP to support this, but they are probably reselling to you from a lowsy host to begin with.

I can attest after having worked with 4 other hosting companies over the past that I find InsiderHosting very reliable and I will second that the support is the best I have experienced so far.

If that helps. and sorry to hear about your hsoting woes....

[Steven]

Thanks for the compliments everyone :) theauctionboard, is your site still down? Do you know if the server is down as well, can you check email from the server? Reason why I ask is because if the server is down, we can't transfer anything unless you have a backup.

-Steven

[theauctionboard]

I've done some checking. I've found a dozen or more websites hosted by Endore that are still up and running just fine. The server that my site is on is down. I can't log into the Control Panel at all right now, but usually when my webpage is down I can.

I can't get email.

[SmackDaddy]

hopefully you've made a back-up and realize it's time to find a new, more reliable host......if you haven't made a back-up, then you've burned yourself too if all is lost.....but I hope that's not the case.....

[theauctionboard]

Hi Steve:

I have decisions to make. I'll need to let go of the present message board if I do this and start all over with it. So, how long would it take to get my domain transfered, especially since I can't log into the Control Panel at Endore and their server is down. Also, I'm concerned about security since I think this was a hack job.

Would I have a message board program available through InsiderHosting, or no? With Endore, all I had to do was name my board from the Control Panel and then go to the web and type in the url. It was all ready to go. I logged in with the Admin's name and password and set up the features.

My email addy to reach me is edited@sbcglobal.net

Thanks!

[farmer]

This is a Professional Setup

[Steven]

Originally posted by theauctionboard
Hi Steve:

I have decisions to make. I'll need to let go of the present message board if I do this and start all over with it. So, how long would it take to get my domain transfered, especially since I can't log into the Control Panel at Endore and their server is down. Also, I'm concerned about security since I think this was a hack job.

Would I have a message board program available through InsiderHosting, or no? With Endore, all I had to do was name my board from the Control Panel and then go to the web and type in the url. It was all ready to go. I logged in with the Admin's name and password and set up the features.

My email addy to reach me is edited@sbcglobal.net

Thanks!

Hello,
It would take anywhere from 24-72 hours after you changed your domain to point to our nameservers for your site to load from our servers. We offer 2 message boards, phpbb as well as invision board. We have a one click install as well.

-Steven

[VxJasonxV]

Hi Auction Board,

It's a shame this had to happen to you. I know a few other people who had similar issues, so I definately hear about it when something happens.

I've been with IH since... I don't even remember how long it's been. The only big downtime that's really hit was Sapphire/Slammer. That has been the only downtime that I've witnessed. I've even been through a server move, and the server has been just fine. One lost forum post or two, but besides that, no issues.

Did your host have cPanel (www.cpanel.com) installed? IH has cPanel installed with a plethora of skins available. All the auto-install scripts you can imagine, total account management (e-mail, file manager, MySQL AND PostGreSQL database ability!), and more.

Security should not be an issue, as previously stated, all servers are hosted in a secure (and humongous :O) datacenter. On-site staff 24 hours if I remember correctly, all with security scanners (even hand scanners :D) and more.

Take a look in the news forum, Steven posted some pictures that will show you said scanners ^_^. And a whole bunch of the server configurations as well.

I hope you consider IH, you can open an account, start rebuilding everything, and then (hopefully) if your other host get's back up, you can export your data (files and databases) and put it to good use under IH.

Oh yeah, as far as support goes, I'm never had a ticket (in the HelpDesk) open for longer than 10 minutes, ever.
And also as previously stated, IH is available over AIM and ICQ, and conversations are good :).

I hope you consider this community, as it's most certainly an enjoyable one.

Have fun!

(P.S. ...man, I typed way too much X_x, ah well, it was all for a good purpose :D.)