Web Design and Development

HostGator Alternatives, Part 1: Who is EIG?

Hostgator eaten by competitionSince August 2013, Hostgator has had repeated downtime. Their entire datacenter would go offline. Hundreds of thousands of sites were affected, leaving customers without service AND without support. Each instance has lasted almost a full day.

And it’s not just Hostgator that was affected. Bluehost, Hostmonster, JustHost and several other “hosts” were down as well. But it wasn’t a coincidence. For you see, all of those hosts are actually the same hosting company — Endurance International.

People have started to realize that the Hostgator they once knew is gone, eaten up by the competition (pun intended). It is now under new ownership, and exists in name only.

So where else can you go? We’re going to take an in-depth look at true Hostgator alternatives, so this never happens to you again.

This article series was originally written in August 2013, and has been updated several times in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

(Note: If you just want the quick advice on which host to use, then here it is: (1) SiteGround, (2) InMotion, and (3) Namecheap. Those are excellent Hostgator alternatives. However, you really should read the three-part editorial…) [Read more]


Web Design and Development

HostGator Alternatives, Part 3: The Future of EIG?

Hostgator eaten up by competitionThere’s a lot of things in this world that I don’t know — how to change oil, how to solder electronics, what women are thinking.

But there’s certain topics where I’m quite knowledgeable. One of the main reasons I like hosting is because it’s the perfect trifecta of business, technology, and PR/marketing. And that’s one of my specialties. (The other being video, photo and design … obviously!) You can’t have a successful non-amateur hosting business without grasping all of these areas.

While nobody knows what the future holds, there are clues. We can guess, and with some degree of accuracy.

There’s a number of hosting businesses that I would not consider safe, in terms of an EIG takeover/buyout. I’ve been screwed over by EIG five times to date — starting back in 2003 — when Endurance International Group bought out my host, and then botched the migration. It happened twice more, exactly the same. I never, ever want to experience that again, and therefore keep watch of their movements.

The following 4 hosts are potential targets, so when seeking a Hostgator, definitely avoid these! [Read more]


Web Design and Development

The Myth of VPS Hosting: Reasons to Avoid It! Part 1

“Use a VPS!” says somebody on a forum or blog you were reading. That person claims it’s almost as cheap/inexpensive as your current webhost — only $10 per month — but runs better and faster!

“Wow,” you think. “What a deal! I should have been using a VPS long ago.”

In theory, it sounds like a magic cure-all for your shared web hosting problems. But it’s not. Sadly, that advice was terrible.

Not only was it factually flawed — what little it addressed — but it overlooked a huge swath of what’s involved. For you see, running a VPS is basically running your own server. Do you know what all is involved with that? Probably not.

It’s like saying all you need to drive a car is a driver’s license. But what about buying the car? Annual registration fees? Changing the car’s oil? What if the engine light comes on? What if your license is suspended?! Not so easy, eh?

So before you jump headfirst into a bad situation, let’s see if VPS hosting is right for you…

[Read more]


How to Install fail2ban with CSF/LFD in cPanel, Part 1

the Frequently Asked Questions…
  • Can I install fail2ban with the ConfigServer firewall? (CSF/LFD)
  • How do I install fail2ban on cPanel servers?
  • How do I yum install fail2ban in CentOS 5 or CentOS 6?
  • How do I configure fail2ban for a VPS or dedicated server?

[Read more]


How to Install fail2ban with CSF/LFD in cPanel, Part 2

the Frequently Asked Questions…
  • Can I install fail2ban with the ConfigServer firewall? (CSF/LFD)
  • How do I install fail2ban on cPanel servers?
  • How do I yum install fail2ban in CentOS 5 or CentOS 6?
  • How do I configure fail2ban for a VPS or dedicated server?

[Read more]


Overselling vs. Overloading: What Is Overloading? (Part 2)

the Frequently Asked Questions…
  • What is overselling?
  • How does overselling differ from overloading or over-allocating?
  • Which hosts oversell their servers?
  • Can you oversell a VPS? (Virtual server.)
  • Can you oversell OpenVZ, Xen, KVM, Hyper-V, or VMware?
  • Are unlimited hosts overselling?
  • How does CloudLinux and BetterLinux prevent this?

[Read more]


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