Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

[dsisaacs]

Three times this past week that I know of, the server has reported fatal errors, unable to connect to database, memory errors, disk full errors and other errors.

The first time my site was only down for a few minutes, the second time was much more complete and it was down for 12 hours. Again this morning...down for several hours.

All I get from tech support is "it is fixed" and "I checked your site and it is working"

They recently upgraded my hosting plan to unlimited domains, 5000 mailboxes, 4 terabytes monthly traffic and something like 400gig storage. All of which is useless if I can't even check my email.

If only I could afford to move to another host.

[chucklasker-BANNNED]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

Nothing to afford to move hosts. I believe all the hosts mentioned throughout the forums will move you at no charge.

Apollo is horrible - move as fast as possible!!

[dsisaacs]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

right now I pay 29.95/month
I have 4 domains, one is for my old company name to refer to my new name, one is a joomla informational site, one is for ranting and my main site has several galleries and my webstore.
1 merchant 5 store, with shared ssl certificate, 4000 products (soon 5000)
750mb space used
10gb bandwidth usage per month,
7 mailboxes used with redirects and aliases

If there is a plan offered by one of the good hosts represented here that comes close to this I would move in a heartbeat.

[d_host]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

You can't compare Apollo with their pricing and expect "vastly superior" quality of service from a different company. Something somewhere has to give. You can either have the buffet-style cheap all-you-can-eat Apollo hosting, or you can have hosting that actually works without issues like you described - though it will cost a bit more to get the specs you mentioned. Even the absolutely least expensive MIVA hosting plan we offer, for example, is $35, and has less disk space and bandwidth. A "comparable" plan would be closer to $45/month, but of course your site would then be hosted with far fewer other clients on the same server - therefore giving your site adequate resources to operate without server timeouts. If you think about hosting, imagine finite amount of resources a single server has. If you cram 1000 stores on it, you can offer cheap hosting because the resources get split between 1000 clients. But, all stores will suffer in performance, uptime and reliability. If you host just 20-30 stores on a single server, your store will run much better - though now the cost of hosting the site goes up because there are far fewer clients to split the cost of a server.

[leslienord]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

You are trying to run a business, correct? Equate your down time to having to close a brick & mortar store due to power failure (or something) - you are losing money while to store is closed. Then the power company comes back and tells you the problem is inside your building, you have bad wiring. So you spend hours, upon hours trying to fix your wiring and the electrician comes back and tells you that it's not your wiring, it's a bad transformer on the pole. Again, you are losing sales and throwing your time and money at a problem that is not your fault.

Bottom line - you need a better location for your store. Yeah, the rent will be a little higher, but the power will always be on and the help won't treat you like it's always your fault.

[chucklasker-BANNNED]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

If $10, $20 or even $50 a month is the difference between your business surviving or not, then it's time to face reality - it's time to pack up and do something else.

[dsisaacs]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

I had a merchant 4.12 store on another more reputable host where I did not have problems, the tech support was prompt, when I switched it was because they did not offer merchant 5 at the time and I needed version 5 features. I think I was paying about $65 per month. I had very few sales, I also had a $35 / month payment gateway and a merchant account at my bank at a minimum of $25 per month. After 3 years of outlay and little income...satellite internet at $65 per month...etc.

I was referred to apollo by Miva...at this point I have no respect for Miva. The responses to this thread all propose that I spend significantly more per month. Yet I have no indication that I am losing sales in my store as a result of apollo with the exception of this past weeks server issues. I have the show baskets module and have very few abandoned baskets. I get about 10000 hits per month, mostly google bots as recorded in the malf log.

I run test orders often to verify the checkout system and have had no problems.

Perhaps I should just quit, give up.
After all I sell the same products on ebay for 20% more with extra shipping charges, with multiple links to my website from those listings, and the buyers just don't find my store or they are just more comfortable buying there.

But I digress... the purpose of this post was to determine if I was singled out by the gremlins in the apollo servers and to see if any other host would step up and offer something suitable to replace apollo. You will have to admit that allowing multiple domains on one account is a good marketing ploy. The original plan allowed 10 domain names... the new limit of unlimited domains is ridiculous. The original plan allowed 100g / month usage and 10 gig storage. 10 sql databases now unlimited. and 100 mailboxes. All of which was much more than I needed.

On a side note...do I really need an ssl certificate if I only accept paypal and check/money order payments? This would reduce the cost of moving.

[golfandhockey]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

I had a merchant 4.12 store on another more reputable host where I did not have problems, the tech support was prompt, when I switched it was because they did not offer merchant 5 at the time and I needed version 5 features. I think I was paying about $65 per month. I had very few sales, I also had a $35 / month payment gateway and a merchant account at my bank at a minimum of $25 per month. After 3 years of outlay and little income...satellite internet at $65 per month...etc.

I was referred to apollo by Miva...at this point I have no respect for Miva. The responses to this thread all propose that I spend significantly more per month. Yet I have no indication that I am losing sales in my store as a result of apollo with the exception of this past weeks server issues. I have the show baskets module and have very few abandoned baskets. I get about 10000 hits per month, mostly google bots as recorded in the malf log.

I run test orders often to verify the checkout system and have had no problems.

Perhaps I should just quit, give up.
After all I sell the same products on ebay for 20% more with extra shipping charges, with multiple links to my website from those listings, and the buyers just don't find my store or they are just more comfortable buying there.

But I digress... the purpose of this post was to determine if I was singled out by the gremlins in the apollo servers and to see if any other host would step up and offer something suitable to replace apollo. You will have to admit that allowing multiple domains on one account is a good marketing ploy. The original plan allowed 10 domain names... the new limit of unlimited domains is ridiculous. The original plan allowed 100g / month usage and 10 gig storage. 10 sql databases now unlimited. and 100 mailboxes. All of which was much more than I needed.

On a side note...do I really need an ssl certificate if I only accept paypal and check/money order payments? This would reduce the cost of moving.

Comments FWIW:

1)your artsstampn site -- awful slow -- where is that one hosted? I actually know people that might be interested in your product, but I can't in good faith send them to your site.

2) You opened up the thread -- essentially saying, I'll paraphrase..."MY SITE IS DOWN AND I'M LOSING BUSINESS -- SHOULD I MOVE?"

3) I can't figure out what you got in 5 that you didn't already get in 4. I like 5, but more stuff was avail in 4 (compiled).

4) SSL, YES you need one. but you might not need thawte. I know many people with a Go-Daddy with great success. One big issue with certs is browser compatibility -- the more you pay the more compatible. The perk with the bigger name SSLs is the business verification that goes with it. BTW: you may be losing bus with the shared SSL.

5)OH! How on earth are you going to use 5000 email accounts? HINT: can you "sales hook?"

6) you're spewing requirements like it all means something. Do you really know what you need? Figure it out and then contact the hosts directly. Have you even checked out their current pricing? I can tell ya. I know there are hosts, not just in this community, that charge what they charge because they don't want cheapskates and complainers as customers.

I could go and rant a little more -- it could be good for the soul. But not tonight.

Time for you to do your homework!

GH

[leslienord]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

On a side note...do I really need an ssl certificate if I only accept paypal and check/money order payments? This would reduce the cost of moving.

Yes! I sure would not enter any of my personal information on an non-secured page. I was on a site just the other day that pushed all the final information to an unsecured invoice - that really bothered me!

If you are happy with your eBay results why not just go with an eBay store?

[dsisaacs]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

If you are happy with your eBay results why not just go with an eBay store?

I have an ebay store ... I am not happy with ebay, these days who is.

When I consider paying more to host a Miva store I am confronted with all the bugs that never seem to get addressed by miva. From what I can tell, even some of the free carts upgraded the USPS shipping modules long before miva did.

As for the slow comment above, I am currently on dialup and my storefront loads as fast as many other stores I visit, with the exception of this weeks server problems. The large image may take a moment longer but the dimensions are coded in so the page doesn't jump around as the images are requested and there is plenty of content as well as the category tree which is fully accessable.

Regarding the requirements, yes I do know what I need. The massive "upgrade" in the apollo hosting package far exceeds what I need. I did not ask for this. I have 7 mailboxes in use and get 60 spam email a day and have no idea what I would do with 5000. I guess I could activate them all to receive 30,000 spam emails a day.

I have done my homework... a merchant site hosted by the "better" hosts represented here will run me about $50-60 per month, and I can move my other three domains to godaddy for another $12 per month, the setup will cost about $20-100 and an ssl certificate will cost $150. So a couple of hundred up front and twice as much per month.

Odd that no one else has reported server problems here or on the apollo forum.

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

To directly answer your main question, you could very well be "singled" out in that, the server you are on may indeed have a problem. The fact that the owners of the other 100 to 300 sites on that server haven't complained publicaly is not a positive confirmation either way.

As for your site appearing fast enough for you over dialup, what about the other 50% of the world on broadband? Dialup will mask the server load time: For example:

Your site Dialup:
Connect Request = 1.5 seconds
Merchant Response = 3.0 seconds
Content Dowload = 15.0 seconds
TOTAL = 19.5 seconds

Your Site Broad Band
Connect Request = .25 seconds
Merchant Response = 3.0 seconds
Content Dowload = 1.0 seconds
TOTAL = 4.25 seconds


Typical site Dialup:
Connect Request = 1.5 seconds
Merchant Response = .5 seconds
Content Dowload = 15.0 seconds
TOTAL = 17.5 seconds

Typical Site Broad Band
Connect Request = .25 seconds
Merchant Response = .5 seconds
Content Dowload = 1.0 seconds
TOTAL = 1.75 seconds


So you see, comparing your site to dialup you are only 10% slower...comparing your site to broad band you would be 300% slower

(Note, all values for example only).

[golfandhockey]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

As for the slow comment above, I am currently on dialup and my storefront loads as fast as many other stores I visit, with the exception of this weeks server problems. The large image may take a moment longer but the dimensions are coded in so the page doesn't jump around as the images are requested and there is plenty of content as well as the category tree which is fully accessable.

Well, I'm on very high speed broadband, I can tell ya, your site is slow! It's almost like you can see the latency

Regarding the requirements, yes I do know what I need. The massive "upgrade" in the apollo hosting package far exceeds what I need. I did not ask for this. I have 7 mailboxes in use and get 60 spam email a day and have no idea what I would do with 5000. I guess I could activate them all to receive 30,000 spam emails a day.

Their upgrade---its fluff, nothing more. It's not an upgrade if you don't realize any benefits.

I have done my homework... a merchant site hosted by the "better" hosts represented here will run me about $50-60 per month, and I can move my other three domains to godaddy for another $12 per month, the setup will cost about $20-100 and an ssl certificate will cost $150. So a couple of hundred up front and twice as much per month.

I know someone locally that spends $.69 a sqft per month for their 11,000 sqft Brick and Morter. This is a new business. Any idea how much up front money that is? He told me, "I just need to get off my bumb and sell a few more widgets! Gotta spend a little to make a little."

Without knowing your what seems to be very specific requirements, that you won't or can't pay for, I would think, I'll throw one out because I'm familiar, a Hostasaurus account, just under $40 month, start off with a $20 Go-Daddy SSL, and use domain-redirects for the other 3 domains, there are places you can get that for free too, and your business from a few email accounts, have only one website to maintain, and you're getting one of the better MivaMerchant hosts.

-Host will move you for free!
-$20 throw away ssl until you can add a "more recognized" cert?
-$40 for the first month
-$?? per domain(3) to transfer registrars, go-daddy I think is under $10.

That would be less than $100 bucks. Some different choices would still I would guess be less than $150.00.

You know what that means? You need to sell a few more widgets in your 1st couple months, and sell a couple more each month to make up the $10 diff from old host to new.

IMO, the big question, regardless where you're hosted, are you doing enough to sell more product? Are people leaving the site when they enter it? What are you doing to try and keep them. If they actually buy, will they com back? Why would they want to?

Odd that no one else has reported server problems here or on the apollo forum.

People have, on the old list too. IMO, they were even worse before.

Bottom line, no good host provider is going to offer you what you currently have for what you're currently paying. IMO, They can't afford it to be known as a crappy host that doesn't care about their customers.

[dsisaacs]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

mostly all good points

I did find a reference to file folder recomendation limits of 1024 files per folder. Suggesting server delays and latency. Unfortunately, the documentation for setting up and adding products to merchant did not suggest setting up subfolders in the image directory and I have all my images in the same default 00000001 directory nearly 10,000 images. I suspect this may also be a problem.

I am looking at my options.

[leslienord]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

People have, on the old list too. IMO, they were even worse before.

Bottom line, no good host provider is going to offer you what you currently have for what you're currently paying. IMO, They can't afford it to be known as a crappy host that doesn't care about their customers.

FYI - here is a thread from last month. And yes, they would come up a lot in the old list.

FWIW - I'm on a T1 during the day - I saw lag just click from the storefront to the basket screen.

But I guess the bottom line here is - if you are are happy with your host then by all means stay with them.

[dud11332]

Re: Anyone else having server problems at Apollo hosting?

Hello:

You have to pay more to get good service.

Dennis