Hostik offered some very enticing terms, particularly very large SATA hard drives and a 3000GB monthly limit. When I signed up, I asked for a second 160GB hard drive as specified on their upgrade page ($10 extra per month), so as to keep database content and static content separate; they were apparently just buying a bunch of new 250GB drives, because they offered me an upgrade to a primary 250 and a secondary 120, which was way more than I needed, but they seemed eager for my business and were easy to talk to, so fine.
After I transferred all my data and DNS, however, they suddenly shut off my server, citing the sudden spike up to 8 Mbps throughput. This was a result of my error in not getting mod_bandwidth running properly at first; but even after I got it working, I was still sustaining 3 Mbps or so. They told me that this was too high a rate, and that I would need to be moved to a "dedicated bandwidth" plan, at one of several graduated levels. They told me that I was using what they called "accumulated traffic", meaning that my site was generating continuous throughput above about a 1.5 Mbps threshold, below which their equipment apparently can't detect it. Anyone sustaining traffic above that level has to be put on a dedicated bandwidth plan, levels of which start at $180/month.
Do the math. 3000 GB/month works out to about 9.4 Mbps. If I sustain 3 Mbps 24 hours a day, it doesn't even add up to 1000 GB/month. I *should* be able to use any amount of average bandwidth up to 9.4 Mbps, right? But no-- they insist that any amount of sustained bandwidth above 1.5 Mbps is "accumulated" traffic, and has to be metered differently.
They made the strange argument that most websites don't generate continuous traffic load, and that I should think of the service as being like a modem pool, where all the users are oversubscribed and it works out as long as the facilities are shared between users who dial in intermittently. Someone who uses an always-on connection shuts out other users, and thus has to be billed differently.
Well, server hosting is not something you can oversubscribe. Web sites generate continuous traffic-- that's a fact of life. And the truth is that Hostik's 3000 GB/month promise is completely bogus, because there is mathematically no way that a customer could reach that number without Hostik's network admins noticing that your sustained rate is "too high" and trying to force you into an expensive dedicated bandwidth plan.
On top of all this, they shut my server down once more that evening as I was trying to transfer my data off it back to my previous host-- yes, the transfer rate was "too high". I managed to get them to let it stay online while I performed a one-time transfer (not telling them what this transfer was), but they kept insisting that I return the dedicated bandwidth credit-card authorization form before they would bring it back online. I was very nearly charged $329 just to be able to get my data back.
Verdict: Hostik has deceptive advertising, high-pressure sales, and a policy on network usage that's designed to take advantage of the unwary. Don't be fooled.
Network Quality: 8/10
Support Team: 8/10
Sales Team: 3/10
Reliability/Uptime: 5/10
Price: 2/10
Final Grade: 2/10
written by Brian Tiemann
Learn more about Hostik company. Tuesday June 6, 2006 13:09:55
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