# Any unique web hosts?



## Minmeo (Mar 4, 2014)

There are a lot of providers here and on other forums, many use the same locations and even same data centres as others and sell the same services with the same software and setups. Is there any web hosts that are doing anything different? I'm happy with my VPS providers but they all use the same stuff and really would be no way to tell them apart if they did not have different websites.  :unsure:


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## drmike (Mar 4, 2014)

Most VPS providers are indistinguishable and generic.  

How many providers will confess to the odd customer experiences of being ticketed for another company (i.e. customer of another company contacts you erroneously)?

Lately, it seems like the roll your own panel or API wrapper providers are getting lots of love.   Long term where things are heading regardless of my emphasis on it.  Hybrid mock-cloud solutions which are basically dressed up VPS instances with slick marketing and design and not much else in the background.  Ahhh Digtial Ocean and Vultr.


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## texteditor (Mar 4, 2014)

http://www.exoticvps.com/ is the big list, just make sure to check reviews before you pick any 'unique' locations as quite a few of those listed there are either defunct or terrible. There are some real gems though


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## KuJoe (Mar 4, 2014)

To my knowledge, we're the only budget VPS provider in our Tampa and Denver data centers and will be the only VPS provider in our new Oregon and Ohio locations (although the Ohio data center itself offers an ESXi cloud solution, it's not budget at all and spans multiple states for HA).


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## MannDude (Mar 4, 2014)

KuJoe, you have an Ohio location? I had no idea! I just placed an order with you recently, too.


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## KuJoe (Mar 4, 2014)

MannDude said:


> KuJoe, you have an Ohio location? I had no idea! I just placed an order with you recently, too.


We're still waiting to ship the server but we've finalized the paperwork. We're also waiting for them to turn up IPv6 on their network (we'll be their first and only IPv6 clients). We're also getting 60Gbps of DDOS protection there but we're not sure how to handle the pricing/plans there.


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## tonyg (Mar 4, 2014)

Minmeo said:


> I'm happy with my VPS providers but they all use the same stuff and really would be no way to tell them apart if they did not have different websites.  :unsure:


Besides your location argument, I would have to disagree with your post.

The top hosts differentiate themselves quite well:

top end server hardware (fast cpu, fast disks, etc)

great support (quick replys and standing behind their product)

great uptime

What more could one ask from their host!

What is your need for a host, why are you trying to find a "different" host?

If a host is "different" but fails on the basics, then different ain't so good is it?


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## drmike (Mar 4, 2014)

tonyg said:


> The top hosts differentiate themselves quite well:
> 
> top end server hardware (fast cpu, fast disks, etc)
> 
> ...


See FAST CPU and disk are really more beneficial for the hosting company than end user.

You can't mass sell slow. 

Even lowend companies realize this simple fact on the hardware side.  Their sites reflect this with wild claims about RAID-10, SSD, gobs of RAM, premium networks, etc.   Even if they are mostly full of marketing crap.

*great support (quick replys and standing behind their product)*

I love good support.  It's truly rare to find.   Too many folks use young, foreign and useless to staff the helpdesks.  This applies to all companies in all segments.  There are not enough good support companies.  

Yet, every company seems to claim fast and effective support and record setting ticket response times.

*great uptime*

This is a pre-requisite to being alive in a service business.  I see 99.99% uptime all over the place.   In reality, lots of folks can't hit much above 99.6% in a month.  Too many issues with multi-user environments, too many attacks, too few eyes on the resources (who just ran out of disk recently on multiple nodes?).

All these are baseline requirements today in offering services and few can really live up to them.

Other differentiators would include... Customer community (Linode),  filtering (BuyVM), multiple location migration (Amazon), bundled freebies (Rage4)..... and how about a big dose of real humans and not just for marketing creation day, but someone who manages the community, helps the community, creates content for the community--- a community manager.... Yeah that's different..


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## Navyn (Mar 4, 2014)

You can try bluehost,ipage they have some different software from other providers.


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## wlanboy (Mar 4, 2014)

What makes a host unique?

Well - the tools and hardware are at a stage where everyone can start such a company, so it is about the persons behind that company.

So the first unique characteristic is the owner itself.

There are a few hosts that have a master mind in the background which has a plan for the company - one lasting more than a few months. The one idea of a brand and products he/she wants to sell.

Second unique characteristic is the head engineer managing the hosts.

This is about the design (hardware/network) and the controlling.

Starting from fraud, billing up to the distribution of the customers and plans on the different nodes.

If I look at the top provider polls I see *people dedicated to their idea and the brand* which is the result of their hard work.

They all have a detailed picture (goal) of every aspect of their company.


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## shovenose (Mar 5, 2014)

If it uses SolusVM it is probably not here long term...


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## Coastercraze (Mar 5, 2014)

KuJoe said:


> To my knowledge, we're the only budget VPS provider in our Tampa and Denver data centers and will be the only VPS provider in our new Oregon and Ohio locations (although the Ohio data center itself offers an ESXi cloud solution, it's not budget at all and spans multiple states for HA).


Where'd you end up in Ohio?


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## KuJoe (Mar 5, 2014)

Coastercraze said:


> Where'd you end up in Ohio?


A data center that recently got purchased by the parent company of our Tampa location. I'll post more information in another thread once things are closer to going live.


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## Coastercraze (Mar 5, 2014)

KuJoe said:


> A data center that recently got purchased by the parent company of our Tampa location. I'll post more information in another thread once things are closer to going live.


Found it. Looking forward to it when it's live.


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## MartinD (Mar 5, 2014)

shovenose said:


> If it uses SolusVM it is probably not here long term...


Do not confuse yourself with other legitimate businesses.


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## dano (Mar 5, 2014)

@KuJoe - Corgitech and Backupsy have machines in Denver at HN also - personally I like the Denver area, as it seems to have good connections to both coasts. Looking forward to the the OH and OR offerings.


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## BrianHarrison (Mar 8, 2014)

The features sets offered by VPS hosts are often quite similar. What is always different is the level of support, quality of service and price.

Same is true for plenty of other types of businesses. Independent auto shops all offer similar services, but with wildly different quality of service and prices.


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## InfiniteTech (Mar 20, 2014)

shovenose said:


> If it uses SolusVM it is probably not here long term...





MartinD said:


> Do not confuse yourself with other legitimate businesses.


I feel insulted.

We've been in the industry for about 8 years now. It takes a lot more than a control panel to stay afloat, let alone churn a profit worth making a living from.


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## OSTKCabal (Mar 21, 2014)

shovenose said:


> If it uses SolusVM it is probably not here long term...


*Looks at RamNode and the dozens of other hosts who use SolusVM to power their products*

Yep, you're right. All the bad companies use SolusVM [*End Sarcasm*]

(On the other end, looking forward to the new panel RamNode is looking into.)

In all seriousness, that's insulting at best. You can't judge a company based on their control panel of choice. And if you do, I'm very sorry. As far as I am concerned, new as I am to vpsBoard, it's the people behind the host and their policies that make the company.

Just because a host doesn't have the need or immediate capability for their own fully custom solution doesn't make them a bad host by any means, especially when they supply otherwise good-quality products and active support.


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## mikho (Mar 21, 2014)

Minmeo said:


> There are a lot of providers here and on other forums, many use the same locations and even same data centres as others and sell the same services with the same software and setups. Is there any web hosts that are doing anything different? I'm happy with my VPS providers but they all use the same stuff and really would be no way to tell them apart if they did not have different websites. :unsure:


There is only one of me. That makes my host unique. (In a good way)


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## drmike (Mar 25, 2014)

SolusVM still gets a bad wrap due to the mythical security issues made famous most notably by multiple compromises to ChicagoVPS.  Now those compromises likely, as with many other companies in the sh!tend segment are due to disgruntled former "employees" and random skids given carte blanche permissions.

Face it, no lowly-about-to-end company is going to fess up to having teenagers, hackers, volunteers and who knows what/who else in their systems.   One must find a scapegoat for the public to brutalize.   Distract the angry masses.


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## hostinghouston (Mar 26, 2014)

This industry is overcrowded with new startups, all doing the same, offering the same etc. I think that being unique is the only thing setting us all apart anymore. Unique in the web hosting industry is offering what customers want at a reasonable price and then backing it up by outstanding service and support.

Always be on the look out ofr a niche which is marketable to bring cutting edge to your customers.


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