Problems.

[Confused Admin]

I bought some web space and a domain name a while back. I was told on numerous occasions that it would be fine to run VBulletin from their servers. So I went ahead and bought VBulletin.

The other day they totally shut down my site. When I try and get in now I (and everyone else) is asked for a network password and cant get any further.

Obviously I complained and recieved the following replies:

This normally happens if a script or system on your website was causing a server or resource problem. In this case I can see from the log that it was a MySQL problem. Your website had as many as 50 open sleeping connections to MySQL that did not expire which caused a MySQL problem for other users. If we can be of any further assistance at all please email back and
we will be more than happy to help you.

After I asked how to fix it I got this e-mail:

Your forums are causing the problem. I.e. you forums are affecting the performance of our servers. Whilst they remain so will this problem. If we can be of any further assistance at all please email back and we will be more than happy to help you.

So again I asked for help on fixing the problem:

Your script is malfunctioning and / or causing a server problem. Unless you
want to make the service bad for other people or buy your own dedicated
server there is no way that you can continue to damage the servers with it.

If we can be of any further assistance at all please email back and we will
be more than happy to help you.

Does this sound right to you guys? Was I ripped off by this company as they said VBulletin ran fine on their servers. Have you any suggestions how to fix whatever the problem they are on about is?

[tubedogg]

Typically a shared host can handle up to about 40 users online simultaneously. So depending on how popular your board/site is, that's not that surprising.

However their refusal to explain any way to rectify the problem, coupled with their assurance that it runs fine on their server (which would make it sound like they've dealt with it before, and therefore would know how to fix it) makes them not wonderful IMHO.

You can try turning off persistant connections in config.php; set
$pconnect = 1;
to
$pconnect = 0;
if it is not already.

[Confused Admin]

I could but I cant get access to any part of my site. They hav totally shut it down. I just wanted to be sure that this is their problem before I get too angry with them.

I have about 30 members and there were (or maybe were now) 9k of posts. The most users ever online was 14 but that was a one off. 8 or 9 is the usual maximum.

Anyway the company said it was nothing to do with bandwidth but MySQL.

I have asked them if there is any way of getting my posts back but havent heard back yet.

Do you think I have been totally ripped off here? They told me what I wanted to do was fine, took my money and a month or two later they have cut all my access to it!

[chrispadfield]

your host is correct. Do what tubedogg said any reply to the host saying:

"My forum software has previously been using persistant connections. This is an adjustable setting that I have now changed and will result in far fewer open connections at any one time."

They should then open the forum fine.

[tubedogg]

I personally think something shady's going on here. 14 people generating 50+ open connections? Is that even possible?

[chrispadfield]

impossible. Each page only opens one connection with persistant connections on dosen't it? Unless they were each viewing 5 pages all at the same time.

change your host would be the next suggestion there are plenty of decent ones out there.

[Confused Admin]

Thanks so much for your advice. I dont pretend to know much about MySQL and all that but I didnt think what they were telling me sounded right.

They have told me (after I said I am going to move and want the posts back) that I can get all the posts etc by using FTP. Could anyone help me with this? Will I then lose all the member names and forums I have created?

Thanks again.

[Martin]

FTP in and look for a file with a .sql extension. If they did a dump on your database and put a copy of it on your FTP root, you can download it and then import it wherever you move.

If they haven't done this, ask them to

[Confused Admin]

I am still having difficulty here. The ****s have stopped answering my e-mails and I cant change my DNS settings over to my new hosts or get my VBulletin posts.

I was careful not to mention their name before. I will now to warn anyone here what these people are like. Supanames.co.uk are the worst example of a company I have ever seen and if you are thinking of buying space from them please think again as there are much better companies out there.

[Confused Admin]

Well after an interesting evening of moaning and threatening them hopefully the .sql file will be there when I get home from work.

One question however. When I have this file what do I do with it? I guess I have to re-install Vbulletin on my new server but will the .sql file restore everything (all the posts, members and forums etc) or will I have to manually add all the members and forums back in?

I havent done this before so sorry if I sound stupid. I guess my name was well chosen though!

[JamesUS]

Once you've imported the .sql file, all forums, styles, members, posts etc will be back to the way they were when the sql file was made - you don't need to re-add anything manually.

[Confused Admin]

Thanks James! Thats good to know!

[Confused Admin]

Damn them!

I just got this e-mail:

Paul,

It has not been possible to make a full sql dump of your database due to the
size of it, the server just times out.

If you wish this to be done command line we will need to get an engineer to
do this, for an administration fee. Please remember your account was removed
due to our terms being broken and normal procedure is for accounts to be
deleted straight away.

To transfer your domain name away you must fax us with the IPSTAG of your
new ISP, this should be done on letterheaded paper and should include all
your account details.

Please fax to: 0870 125 76 78

As soon as we receive a transfer request via fax it will be action within 7
working days.

Please get in touch if you require any further help.

Ill forget the "your account was removed for breaking the terms" because thats crap but what about the rest of it?

My board had about 9k of posts on it. Are they just ripping me off even more here?

[Confused Admin]

Sorry to be a pain in the ass over this but I value the opinions here as an independent voice and also as its your product that Supanames think caused all these problems (I dont think so btw, I just think they ripped me off and use Vbulletin as an excuse.).

After that e-mail I sent them this:

After reading this mail I posted a message on my new servers message boards.
The head guy there (Allen) promptly responded with this message.

"This is a TOTAL crock! They are essentially holding your files hostage. If
I had telnet access to your database, I could move this in 20 seconds. NO
database is too big to dump. These people are FULL OF CRAP! I can not
BELIEVE they are telling you such garbage.

Email them and ask them what EXACTLY you did to break their terms of
service. Tell them that the files on the server are YOUR files and they have
no right to hold them hostage. Also tell them that if they give you telnet
or SSH access to them, that you will have them removed from their servers
promptly.

As for the domain name, advise them that you PAID for that name and can do
with it what ever you see fit. That your new host is f5hosting.com and if
they want to contact me, they can do so at my number.

If this fails...hire a lawyer and sue them. One other thing that you can do
is to do a chargeback on your credit card for the money that they stole from
you since you paid for service and they did not provide you the service you
paid for (domain name, etc.)

This is the kind of thing that give hosts bad names!"

Now I already believe that I have been ripped off here and this is the view
obviously of my new hosts.

If this is not sorted out very soon then I am going to Trading Standards
tomorrow. I have kept copies of everything that has been said and done and will see what they have to say.

And I got this in reply:

Paul,

If you send us another abusive message, such as the one below I'm afraid
that our communications will break down completely.

If you wish to discuss this with us please e-mail with a calm, non-offensive
e-mail.

Inaccurate and irrelevant opinions of non-involved 3rd parties are of no use
or interest to this situation, your data is not being held hostage, you have
broken your legal contract with us, which invalidates any agreement between
you and supanames.co.uk.

You have been notified for the exact reason of your site being terminated.

At no point have we held your domain name, please read my clear instructions
about transferring this to another ISP - once you send us the fax the domain
is transferred. At no point is your domain held, you can do what you please
with it.

If we receive a chargeback from your card for services which you have
received, and then choose to break our terms, we will be forced to reclaim
the money from you via arbitration plus £100 in expenses excluding VAT.

In light of this I advise you seek legal advice before attempting any type
of charge back or making any threats to us, or our staff, or taking any
points public which may effect any case we take against you, or you take
against us - please seek legal advice.

With regards to the unprofessional comment from you new web host: due to the
size of the database it is not possible to do a dump via phpMyAdmin because
of the php timeout, and if you wish this to be done via SSH (command line)
you will need to pay a consultancy fee for our engineers time.

The data is your responsibility to backup offline, we make no guarantees
(implied or otherwise) that we will have the ability to produce your data on
demand.

Please get in touch if you require any further help.

Could somebody please tell me if im wrong here.

[Freddie Bingham]

9,000 posts isn't anything, now if you have tons of attachments than it could still be a big database.

At any rate they are trying to use some sort of script to backup the database when they should ONLY be using mysqldump through the command line. That is what they are alluding to by the "engineer" remark. This is not a host you want to continue doing business with.