Hello,
I have been using cs-cart for a few years and everything is great except for the few hosting issues I have had. I guess I am learning through trial and error. I started with godaddy, which I recommend no one to do for a site powered by cs-cart. What happened is that I couldn’t even upgrade the cart at one point without everything crashing. I did some research and found out that ipage is a great hosting provider. (I should of checked this forum first 
). Same story as godaddy, they basically won’t allocate the resources necessary for your site, and now the site shuts down anytime I get anywhere from 20 to 30 visitors a day. Needless to say, it’s impossible to run a business like this so I am now looking for a third and hopefully final host.
After researching this forum I found people recommending ServInt or Future Hosting. The prices are pretty close. I was wondering if you could point me in the best direction based on your experience.
For beginners: Don’t go with godaddy or ipage for your cs-cart site.
Thanks
I've been with Knownhost for years… Very scalable between their VPS and Hybrid VPS's …
ServINT, It's managed so they'll be able to help you when you get into a jam.
Unfortunately, All VPS's require a developer/security officer to secure the server correctly, typically depending on the applications being used (in your case, CS-Cart).
So I'm in charge of securing the server?
[quote name='dstars' timestamp='1332296971' post='133504']
So I'm in charge of securing the server?
[/quote]
That's correct for any VPS system.
At most some VPS providers (ServInt does) patch the kernal to ensure it's upto date via Virtuizzo otherwise you are on your own.
People complaining about VPS servers isn't new, those that do usually have a case of “I thought they would do this” when at times it can simply be their lack of investment and/or research.
What are you saying “has” to be done regularly?
Futurehosting offers the same kind of managed support and also helps to harden your server if you ask them.
They also offer pro-active support which is pretty good. See [url=“Nexcess | Managed Hosting for Magento, WordPress & More”]Nexcess | Managed Hosting for Magento, WordPress & More
Anyway, Servint or Futurehosting, I think you can't go wrong with either of them.
Thanks for the feedback. I will contact the provider ahead of time to check what needs to be done in order to secure it. That way I can make sure I know what I'm getting myself into.
[quote name='Flow' timestamp='1332321663' post='133537']Futurehosting offers the same kind of managed support and also helps to harden your server if you ask them.
They also offer pro-active support which is pretty good. See [url=“Nexcess | Managed Hosting for Magento, WordPress & More”]Nexcess | Managed Hosting for Magento, WordPress & More
Hey flow,
What should I ask fh for on my vps just say I need it hardened for security and they will know what I mean?
[quote name='solesurvivor' timestamp='1332335682' post='133554']
Hey flow,
What should I ask fh for on my vps just say I need it hardened for security and they will know what I mean?
[/quote]
Knowledgeable hosts will, if they do provide hardening it's most likely charged as it's non-default.
I had futurehosting support copy the configuration from my other vps also running a shop, that was hardened by an expert. I don't really know enough of it to give you more advice… sorry.
It seems that Future hosting can do it for you. I found this in their FAQ
Do you secure the VPS?
Yes, for VPSs with a control panel an automated secuirty setup is performed during provisioning.
I spent some time chatting with Servint the other day, and was happy with the level of information they provided. I did ask about the security set up and this is the answer I got in case you are interested in the future. Apparently they will handle security and updates with their managed service which is pretty nice in my case. Hope this helps!
[size=3][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif]L:[/font][/color][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif]I will look at that thanks. People mentioned that you have to do your own security set up, is this correct?[/font][/color][/size][size=1][/size]
[size=3][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Dan:[/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif]When you purchase one of our VPS Products, it is reasonably secure at the Base OS level. Because many of our clients do not require firewall software or other security hardening measures, they do not come preinstalled in our standard configuration. However, we will be happy to install software firewall options such as IP Tables, APF, and setup TCP_Wrappers (/etc/hosts.allow) for added security to specific services at no additional charge. Please keep in mind, we do not technically support third-party software, so you will be responsible for then configuring the software or firewall you choose to have installed.[/font][/color][/size][size=1][/size]
[size=3][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif]L:[/font][/color][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Thank you very much for this info[/font][/color][/size][size=1][/size]
[size=3][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif]L:[/font][/color][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Is there anything else other than the security configuration that I need to think about in advance[/font][/color][/size][size=1][/size]
[size=3][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Dan:[/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Do you have specific specs like RAM and Bandwidth usage that I could use to help you pick out the right VPS plan for you? However, if you don't have those details, you are always welcome to start with a smaller package and once we have a chance to look at the statistics ourselves, we can gauge if that solution is sufficient or whether we would recommend upgrading to a higher tier. An upgrade, if it were needed, can be done quickly and seamlessly, and requires very little downtime (about 20-30 minutes in most cases).[/font][/color][/size][size=1][/size]
[size=3][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Dan:[/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif]I also wanted to mention that all VPS packages include our Managed Services. What Managed Services means at ServInt is that we accept complete responsibility for everything installed and delivered with your server. We patch and update the Base Operating System, as well as primary applications such as Apache, PHP, and MySQL when necessary, install third-party software, monitor a variety of services on each account, and proactively resolve issues that present themselves. We answer lots of questions, and try to help in every way.[/font][/color][/size]
[size=1][/size][size=3][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif]L:[/font][/color][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#3A49BC][font=Verdana, sans-serif]That's good to know. What is the cost difference with the managed service?[/font][/color][/size]
[size=3][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif]Dan:[/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif] [/font][/color][color=#3F3F3F][font=Verdana, sans-serif]There is no extra charge for our managed services. All of our VPS plans come with this included with the service. From your storage needs our Essential VPS will handle this. However, if you require more RAM and Bandwidth that comes with this package you will want to consider another package tier. As I pointed out earlier, you can start with the Essential VPS and after you are on our network we can help you gauge if you would require more resources and recommend an upgrade if needed.[/font][/color][/size][size=1][/size]