Author Topic: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade  (Read 39579 times)

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Offline FrankBuss

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #25 on: March 29, 2017, 08:31:03 am »
My hosting provider, 1and1, has full dedicated servers with 32 GB RAM, 12 cores x 2.3 GHz and 2 TB RAID 1 harddisk for $200 per month. Just in case you need some arguments for HostGator :)
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Offline Rerouter

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #26 on: March 29, 2017, 10:09:52 am »
Isn't that the point where you send off ram sticks in the post ?
 

Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #27 on: March 29, 2017, 09:55:29 pm »
My hosting provider, 1and1, has full dedicated servers with 32 GB RAM, 12 cores x 2.3 GHz and 2 TB RAID 1 harddisk for $200 per month. Just in case you need some arguments for HostGator :)

I am paying $130 for E3-1245, 32GB RAM and 2x 480GB SSD... and that is in Australia! Why are HG so expensive?
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #28 on: March 29, 2017, 10:11:18 pm »
My hosting provider, 1and1, has full dedicated servers with 32 GB RAM, 12 cores x 2.3 GHz and 2 TB RAID 1 harddisk for $200 per month. Just in case you need some arguments for HostGator :)
I am paying $130 for E3-1245, 32GB RAM and 2x 480GB SSD... and that is in Australia! Why are HG so expensive?

Because, reasons...
 

Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #29 on: March 29, 2017, 10:20:18 pm »
My hosting provider, 1and1, has full dedicated servers with 32 GB RAM, 12 cores x 2.3 GHz and 2 TB RAID 1 harddisk for $200 per month. Just in case you need some arguments for HostGator :)
I am paying $130 for E3-1245, 32GB RAM and 2x 480GB SSD... and that is in Australia! Why are HG so expensive?

Because, reasons...

I fully know why you use HG, and I support your position on this, just seems odd that they want so much for extra RAM. I have many client's hosted with WebNX in the US, dealings with WebNX have always been prompt, support has always been excellent, etc. We just upgraded a server from 64GB to 128GB of ECC RAM, and it cost an extra $40US per month. I get that HG have a custom hosting infrastructure and offering, the VM setup makes that very clear, but this setup should reduce their running costs, not push them up.
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #30 on: March 29, 2017, 10:23:24 pm »
If I was to move hosts again then I wouldn't choose a US based one. Simple reason, DMCA.

I'd like to use an Australian host, just because, but given that 95% of my audience is elsewhere in the world, I figure that's not the best option.
 

Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #31 on: March 29, 2017, 10:27:36 pm »
If I was to move hosts again then I wouldn't choose a US based one. Simple reason, DMCA.

Ah yeah, I forgot about that fiasco. The issue is that most visitors to this website are US based, the performance is crazy for them with this new setup. It is great for us too, but we see 200-300ms of latency on the initial connection. If you were to go elsewhere I would suggest AU simply to make management a better experience, but I am biased from this point of view. I certainly would not consider any of the EU hosting offerings, the latency to EU from AU is terrible, exceeding 350-400ms. Hosting in China we get decent latency, around 200ms, but support isn't always great.

You could always host in Canada, for the US the latency is still great, for us it is about the same, but I don't know if the DMCA applies there.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2017, 10:29:21 pm by gnif »
 

Offline Fsck

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #32 on: March 29, 2017, 10:54:31 pm »
Have you considered OVH?
Their pricing is pretty competitive. (if you're in Canada, their pricing actually crushes everyone else due to the exchange rate now.)
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Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #33 on: March 29, 2017, 10:57:44 pm »
Have you considered OVH?
Their pricing is pretty competitive. (if you're in Canada, their pricing actually crushes everyone else due to the exchange rate now.)

I have used OVH in Canada for quite some time, pros are costing and the scale of their network, etc... Cons, support is terrible, takes days often weeks to get an issue resolved. Most of their staff doesn't speak English, so the website auto-translates your tickets to French, which loses a lot. And you get what you pay for, they do not allow you to alter a host after the fact (ie, add RAM or a HDD).

They have just started offering hosting in AU which I have a test server with, so far this seems much better support wise then the CA support, but I suspect this is because the service is still considered experimental.
 

Offline Fsck

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #34 on: March 29, 2017, 11:38:42 pm »
you do get what you for with OVH though. (cheapest product = cheapest support, since you can't counterfeit hardware)

they're leagues cheaper than anyone else though.
if you want to customize and evolve over time, colo is really much better.

I don't have a lot of experience with hosting, but the dozen or so odd providers I've used that do allow upgrades charge silly monthly price increases for hardware upgrades. If all you want is data transfer, they'll do that for a good price, no problemo but want a single 4GB stick of ram? - that'll be 4$ a month + 30$ installation fee with no option to just outright buy one for them.
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Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #35 on: March 30, 2017, 12:20:14 am »
if you want to customize and evolve over time, colo is really much better.

The problem with collocation is that you now have to support the hardware and have spares on hand, possibly even rent some storage. If you need hands on you pay $100p/h on average. Since the server would not be local, Dave would have to pay for hands on, shipping parts, etc. In the end it is best to keep it simple and rent it. $4 + $30 install is extremely cheap compared with what HG are charging/gouging for.

Also if you had to pay for hands on, that's $100 + say $80-100 for the RAM, lets say $200. Where renting it at $4p/m, would take 50 months (4.16 years) to cost the same (not inc the install fee). Colo only makes sense if you are physically close to the DC to support your gear.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2017, 12:24:38 am by gnif »
 

Offline cw360

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #36 on: March 30, 2017, 06:17:55 pm »
The head of marketing at HostGator (who is a fan BTW)

Gentlemen,

That guy is me..... At this point I should probably put on the body armor.... Outing yourself as a HostGator employee is typically seen as a risky move.

Dave is correct, I am a fan. I have been watching for years. I am a Marketing guy who plays with electronics on the weekends (arduino, raspberry pi, ham radio, 3d printing). But I should emphasize, much more Marketing than Engineering. The show and the forum have really helped me out with many personal projects. So a much delayed thank you to all of you.

Anyway, I am willing to field questions if you have them. If you throw anything too technical at me, it may take me a bit to find the answer or make sure it’s something we can actually share publicly. 
 
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Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #37 on: March 30, 2017, 06:55:26 pm »
The head of marketing at HostGator (who is a fan BTW)

Gentlemen,

That guy is me..... At this point I should probably put on the body armor.... Outing yourself as a HostGator employee is typically seen as a risky move.

Dave is correct, I am a fan. I have been watching for years. I am a Marketing guy who plays with electronics on the weekends (arduino, raspberry pi, ham radio, 3d printing). But I should emphasize, much more Marketing than Engineering. The show and the forum have really helped me out with many personal projects. So a much delayed thank you to all of you.

Anyway, I am willing to field questions if you have them. If you throw anything too technical at me, it may take me a bit to find the answer or make sure it’s something we can actually share publicly.

Hi, nice to see you on here :)

I can say personally that I get a ton of use out of the website, videos and forum like yourself, and it is what drew me to offer my services as a way to give back. The questions I would like to ask I do not feel is my right to do so, as they are cost related and I will not be so bold to presume to think that Dave would like to see it discussed openly here.

From a technical POV we are pretty well informed and up to speed on how the HG hosting is setup, and I have spent many many hours tuning the server to run on your systems as optimal as possible. Our latest round of updates, both server side software changes and the memory increase have made an enormous difference. So I will make the same offer in return, if HG are interested in how we have this forum responding so well on this setup, please ask away, but note that some details are trade secrets.
 
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Offline cw360

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #38 on: March 30, 2017, 07:26:55 pm »
The head of marketing at HostGator (who is a fan BTW)

Gentlemen,

That guy is me..... At this point I should probably put on the body armor.... Outing yourself as a HostGator employee is typically seen as a risky move.

Dave is correct, I am a fan. I have been watching for years. I am a Marketing guy who plays with electronics on the weekends (arduino, raspberry pi, ham radio, 3d printing). But I should emphasize, much more Marketing than Engineering. The show and the forum have really helped me out with many personal projects. So a much delayed thank you to all of you.

Anyway, I am willing to field questions if you have them. If you throw anything too technical at me, it may take me a bit to find the answer or make sure it’s something we can actually share publicly.

Hi, nice to see you on here :)

I can say personally that I get a ton of use out of the website, videos and forum like yourself, and it is what drew me to offer my services as a way to give back. The questions I would like to ask I do not feel is my right to do so, as they are cost related and I will not be so bold to presume to think that Dave would like to see it discussed openly here.

From a technical POV we are pretty well informed and up to speed on how the HG hosting is setup, and I have spent many many hours tuning the server to run on your systems as optimal as possible. Our latest round of updates, both server side software changes and the memory increase have made an enormous difference. So I will make the same offer in return, if HG are interested in how we have this forum responding so well on this setup, please ask away, but note that some details are trade secrets.

Whew, so far so good. Don't have to go into hiding yet.....

Glad you guys are here for Dave. I have been surprised when large youtubers/social media people (even corporate backed) have signed up for basic hosting (without talking to us) and then get surprised when their audience crushes a shared box. Speaks volumes about this community and Dave's foresight. Granted he is a born engineer turned social media guy, not original social media.

Re: your question: we took care of it.

Just throwing this out there. If you are ever interested in writing up a list of pro-tips, we are always looking for great guest posts on our blog. Would love to do a case study. Great way of getting some SEO love for the community. Not that this forum needs it in the slightest.

BTW, this thing is wicked fast.  :D I love/hate it when customers are faster than we are. lol

Another thing... Any thought to putting an SSL on here? We could probably make that happen......


 

Offline mrpackethead

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #39 on: March 30, 2017, 09:22:29 pm »
@cw360,

Do you have ipv6 at your site..
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Offline cw360

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #40 on: March 30, 2017, 10:47:47 pm »
@mrpackethead

Hopefully I did that mention correctly. Had to go talk to the network guys about this one. They are actively educating me on data center architecture. Unfortunately, the official/short answer is: currently no.
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #41 on: March 31, 2017, 12:49:47 am »
The head of marketing at HostGator (who is a fan BTW)
Gentlemen,
That guy is me..... At this point I should probably put on the body armor.... Outing yourself as a HostGator employee is typically seen as a risky move.
Dave is correct, I am a fan. I have been watching for years. I am a Marketing guy who plays with electronics on the weekends (arduino, raspberry pi, ham radio, 3d printing). But I should emphasize, much more Marketing than Engineering. The show and the forum have really helped me out with many personal projects. So a much delayed thank you to all of you.
Anyway, I am willing to field questions if you have them. If you throw anything too technical at me, it may take me a bit to find the answer or make sure it’s something we can actually share publicly.

Big thanks.
FYI to all, HostGator came to the party and massively dropped the rates for the server with the new RAM  :-+
Given how well the new server is now running, and the new low pricing, I'll be sticking with Hostgator.
 
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Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #42 on: March 31, 2017, 12:53:34 am »
Another thing... Any thought to putting an SSL on here? We could probably make that happen......

That's been discussed many times on here.
I'm sure gnif can fill you in the tech details as he has investigated this extensively I believe.
I would like to, as a lot of people have asked for it, but I believe there are some technical hurdles to overcome.
 

Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #43 on: March 31, 2017, 03:10:52 am »
Another thing... Any thought to putting an SSL on here? We could probably make that happen......

That's been discussed many times on here.
I'm sure gnif can fill you in the tech details as he has investigated this extensively I believe.
I would like to, as a lot of people have asked for it, but I believe there are some technical hurdles to overcome.

The technical hurdles are no longer much of an issue anymore, the concern was always with performance. We have three options here

1) use CloudFlare for SSL, but that means we must proxy through them.
2) use letsencrypt.org for a free SSL cert, this involves a little bit of setup on the server to renew the cert before it expires as these have a 3 month expiry.
3) purchase a SSL certificate
 

Offline FrankBuss

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #44 on: March 31, 2017, 03:22:07 am »
2) use letsencrypt.org for a free SSL cert, this involves a little bit of setup on the server to renew the cert before it expires as these have a 3 month expiry.

Interesting service. It is not much of a problem for this forum, but such a service sounds like the perfect way for the NSA or other 3 letter agencies to get private SSL keys.
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
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Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #45 on: March 31, 2017, 03:23:16 am »
2) use letsencrypt.org for a free SSL cert, this involves a little bit of setup on the server to renew the cert before it expires as these have a 3 month expiry.

Interesting service. It is not much of a problem for this forum, but such a service sounds like the perfect way for the NSA or other 3 letter agencies to get private SSL keys.

The private key never leaves the server, its a proper CA just has an API to perform automated renewals.
 

Online CatalinaWOW

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #46 on: March 31, 2017, 03:25:14 am »
Late to the response, but the upgrade has really been noticeable here from a satellite connection.  A few bumps during the transition, but extremely responsive by comparison.  Thanks to all who worked on it, and a big thank you to HostGator for making it affordable for Dave.
 

Online xrunner

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #47 on: March 31, 2017, 03:32:02 am »
No error messages for days - Yay!  :-+
I told my friends I could teach them to be funny, but they all just laughed at me.
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #48 on: March 31, 2017, 04:46:09 am »
Another thing... Any thought to putting an SSL on here? We could probably make that happen......
That's been discussed many times on here.
I'm sure gnif can fill you in the tech details as he has investigated this extensively I believe.
I would like to, as a lot of people have asked for it, but I believe there are some technical hurdles to overcome.
The technical hurdles are no longer much of an issue anymore, the concern was always with performance. We have three options here
1) use CloudFlare for SSL, but that means we must proxy through them.

So if we chose to do that and we disable Cloudflare then the website revokes back to http only?

Quote
2) use letsencrypt.org for a free SSL cert, this involves a little bit of setup on the server to renew the cert before it expires as these have a 3 month expiry.
3) purchase a SSL certificate

Which type do we need?
http://support.hostgator.com/articles/ssl-certificates/acquire-ssl/how-do-i-purchase-an-ssl-and-what-type-is-it



 

Offline gnif

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Re: FORUM DISRUPTION: Server Upgrade
« Reply #49 on: March 31, 2017, 04:49:25 am »
So if we chose to do that and we disable Cloudflare then the website revokes back to http only?

Only if we do not install a cert on the server.

Which type do we need?
http://support.hostgator.com/articles/ssl-certificates/acquire-ssl/how-do-i-purchase-an-ssl-and-what-type-is-it

For this website since there is no real sensitive information, the cheapest option. You do not need to use HG for this, any certificate authority is fine, personally I have used RapidSSL, and AlphaSSL, but I believe there are better/cheaper options today. To be completely honest though if it was me I would just go for the letsencrypt.org service, it is if anything more secure then a generic SSL cert from other providers as it renews every 3 months, and the setup is quite simple on the server.
 


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