Searching for UK based Debian/Ubuntu hosting

What seemed to be quite easy and straightforward task turned into complete nightmare.

We have been using 1and1 hosting for quite a while and although they are not perfect and helpline is pretty useless they do have stable and working servers. I have been administrating 2 windows 2003 server and I haven't got any problems so far. So as far as windows dedicated server I have good solution. The problem I have right now is that I have to find linux dedicated server with Ubuntu/Debian. 1and1 is using Fedora Core and therefore it is not an option, Rackspace are good but VERY expensive.

So the only companies providing Debian/Ubuntu I found are 123-reg.co.uk and Fasthosts.co.uk

I called both providers and asked simple questions.

1. Do you provide full root access
2. Do you have any trial period or am I able to cancel server hosting if I am not happy with results ?
3. What happens IF for some reason I brick the server. Is there an option to re-image it automatically or by your administrators
   

Now the answers:

123-reg.co.uk

• I believe helpline is non-existent - try to call them and you will see and hear it yourself. When I eventually got there I had to wait 5-6 minutes for every answer.
  

1. Yes BUT you will lose all technical support. That's it. It will be only you and your server and they will just charge you.
2. No trial but no contract so you can cancel after month or whatever period you wish to. On other hand you will pay set-up fee so if you cancel after month you will pay £50 setup fee and £40 monthly fee.
3. That's very interesting answer. Because you lost your technical support as you wanted root access they won't re-image your server nor help you with anything. Basically you have to cancel contract and order new server!!! How st*pid is that? When I asked about paying some fee for re-image I have been told that they won't do anything.
   

After that I decided not to use 123-reg.

Fasthosts.co.uk

• Again the problematic part. Have you ever been waiting in queue for 20 minutes and been placed as number one. Yes I was the first person in queue and waited 20 minutes. Possible answer is that they have only two people working on helpline or they were all having lunch. Neither is good, specially when you are in trouble and you need quick help and solution.

1. Yes
2. No trial and you can't cancel with DS200 (12 month contract). Or you can pay normal monthly fee and have 256kb line only. So it's your choice, you can either risk it and go for normal 12 months contract with high speed and unlimited traffic or you can have monthly contract but with either 256kb speed or 20gb traffic cap. And NO you can't upgrade your linux server after month to 12 month contract. You have to order another dedicated server and cancel old one. No comment.
3. No answer. Person on phone did not know. Called again and spoke to another person = same result. But it seems you are able to do that with tools called Full remote server control
   

So far I havent solved my problem and I haven't got any Ubuntu/Debian dedicated server. And I tell you one thing, it will be struggle and I am not sure I will find one (on normal budget). Rackspace seems like the only solution but quite expensive one.

Some interesting links:

ReviewCentre - Fasthosts.co.uk rating and reviews:
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews80572.html

ReviewCentre - 123-reg.co.uk rating and reviews:
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews92855.html

ReviewCentre - Rackspace.com rating and reviews:
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews107515.html

ReviewCentre - 1and1.co.uk rating and reviews:
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews8783.html

Cisco? Zyxel? D-link? Linksys!

I have to say that I am really impressed with Linksys hardware. Cisco might have some of the best wifi routers but Linksys really impressed me, specially when it comes to price. I have bought another WRT54GL and installed DD-WRT firmware. Linksys is famous for it's linux software within routers, so you can install customized (and almost always more useful) firmware instead default one.

You want great network and you are on budget? No problem with Linksys. Our network:

WRT54G v5 - main access point with WPA encrypted wifi network
WRT54GL v1.1 - wireless client bridge connected to WRT54G
RV042 - main router, both SDSL and ADSL line are connected thru this router

Ok so what's the point of this article? We are moving part of the office to another building (which is about 20 meters from ours) and I didn't want to use wired connection outside the buidings (scary stories about lightings and burned computers). Server and SDSL/ADSL routers are moving to another building but network printer and one computer which were connected to router have to stay on their current places. I was googling for a while and havent found much information. Then somebody recommended me DD-WRT firmware for Linksys, I gave it a go. DD-WRT can do magic things, for me most important is that I can switch WRT54GL from Access Point to Client or Client Bridge and connect do WRT54G like it was normal wired router.

Great tutorial how to do it is here : http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/DD-WRT_Docu_%28EN%29

For about £150 I have great router (RV042) with failover, 50 VPN gates; access point (WRT54G v5 with original firmware) and wireless bridge (WRT54GL with DD-WRT) and working network within two buildings.

First picture from Sardinia

We have been to Sardinia for 12 days two weeks ago and it WAS just amazing. If you are looking for photographic paradise this must be one your options. We made 1100km during 12 days and every day we've seen something different. If you want to shoot beaches and sea then Sardinia must be your number one. You will find best and cleanest beaches over there, certainly better than any beach in Spain and continental Italy. People are lovely and I was not afraid to keep my Pentax *istDS + lenses + my bag with photo equipment on beach whilst we did snorkel 100 meters or more from our things.

We have been to south of Sardinia (very close to Cagliari in village called Pula) with plenty of beaches close to our B&B. My favourite has to be Chia, you will find a lot of beaches over there. With car it took us only 20 minutes to get there. I would certainly recommend trip to St. Pietro island. You have to drive there for hour and half but it's absolutely worth it. If you love snokerling you will find real gem over there. I will post pictures from over there, it was just wonderful (well for my wife it was quite scary, you know a LOT of fishes and other underwater life).

That's it for now. I will upload my pictures to my Picassa gallery here.

Ok, that's it for now. I will post a lot of pictures from Sardinia.

Here we go.

Yes. It took me while but I have decided to have my own blog as well. And the reason? Well i'll do it for fun and I'll do it because I dont have time to finish my own CMS. So until I do I will use blogger.

What can you expect from this blog? A lot of Pentax related articles, recently I have bought quite a lot M42 lenses and I will write short review of every lens I have and I buy.

So that's for now. BTW first lens to review will be Pentacon 29mm f2.8 which I really like and which did cost me £10!