Considering HostNexus? Read this first.

stampie · 11-20-2010, 07:28 PM

I started our account on Friday. Was actually surprised that it was set up within an hour instead of the six hours that the email implied. Spent the afternoon transferring over the first part of my migration. Everything went well and I called it a day.

One of the main reasons I choose HostNexus is because they offer SSH. I only need it a few times a year but it's a real time saver for what I need to do.

So early this afternoon I went to test out SSH and find that I cannot connect. I open a ticket stating my subdomain on hostnexus.com and the problem I'm having. I get the conformation email at 1:13PM my time.

Here are the emails that follow:

Response at 3:37PM
Hello,

We use port XXXX for SSH on our servers.

Best Regards,

--
Matei Mircea
GNU/Linux Sr. System Administrator

My response at 3:52PM
Well that's a little better in that I get a time out now instead of refused.

Thanks,
Michael

4:23PM
You get timeout because we need to whitelist your IP address in our firewall, please send us your local IP address you can find it at: What Is My IP Address - Shows Your IP Address.

4:54PM
It is xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.

5:18PM
And now I need the server name where your account is hosted.

6:23PM
It's name is MERCURY. But I do have to ask if you know the subdomain is
xxxxxx.hostnexus.com then why didn't you know the server? Also why not
ask for that before. I just think that four emails and all afternoon is a
bit much for something so simple.

7:02PM
IP has been whitlisted

7:49PM
Do you enjoy doing this one step per email? Is it a game to keep me
stringing along? Did you turn to the guy next to you and say "Watch this
... his account isn't enabled for shell access."

Shell access is not enabled on your account!
If you need shell access please contact support.

It's now 8:25PM and I haven't gotten my next hoop to jump from Matei yet. Should this really take all day and all of these emails? If it takes this long for something so simple what happens when there is a major problem. I'm seriously considering the 30 day money back at this point.

Thanks,
Michael

**NexDog** · 11-20-2010, 10:49 PM

Yes, for SSH access you have to jump through some hoops due to the security implications. And as you don't have a real domain Matei thought it was a bit suspicious and wanted to wait until he had conferred with me before enabling the SSH access.

As you can see we are very serious about the security of our client's data. Not only do we run SSH on a custom port, we also have the port completely firewalled so only whitelisted IPs can access. And even then we carefully consider every SSH request.

I hope you can understand this. And yes, you can always expect our techs to be as responsive as this.

So yes, considering HostNexus? Only consider us if you are as serious about your data as we are.

SSH access has been granted.

**RobbieLePommie** · 11-21-2010, 06:45 AM

Stampie - the good news - we get given responses, nearly always very quickly, and we get issues resolved. There's nothing worse that just not getting any response (and I've been there enough) or getting "Can't do that" as many other places say.

Yes, I've had the one liners (like that). But you won't need support much, and when you do, it'll get resolved!

stampie · 11-21-2010, 06:12 PM

I totally agree with the security issues and yes the issue was resolved. My problem with yesterday was I felt when I first created the ticket that something like not being enabled should have been noticed. If I had gotten an email stating that was the case and to give some time to get it approved I would have been totally fine. Instead I feel like Matei found one quick fix and didn't look at the whole picture. I also know that stuff like this is a one time issue. Once set up properly you guys will disappear into the background like any good hosting service should.

Thanks,
Michael

**NexDog** · 11-21-2010, 07:49 PM

Glad you got it worked out and I'm sure your experience here will be an awesome one.

stampie · 07-02-2011, 06:56 PM

Ok so now I'm experiencing Deja vu. I was kind of put off from my last experience and really just didn't make the time to move our site over. Recently our car club elected me as president and we got a new webdude to take my place. So I put his email as a contact and knowing the SSH issues I start a simple heads up ticket stating that he's going to ask for SSH and is there anything else I need to do to in order for him to start a ticket to gain SSH access.

Again all afternoon and it's like we're not talking the same language.

The subject line of my ticket includes the subdomain and consist of the information above.

17:30 Anoop A

Please let us know the domain name and the ISP IP, so that we can check the request in detail. Please do get back to us if further assistance is required.

17:39 Me (assuming ISP IP means my ip on hostnexus. Maybe "your ip" would be better wording)

O my ... I dealt with this 6 months ago. In the subject you will see the
subdomain of xxxxx.hostnexus.com. We have not moved our domain over. I
would assume you know the ip but I resolve it out to be xxx.xxx.xx.xxx.

1815 Anoop A

I have checked the shell access for the account and it is already enabled. Can you please get back to us with the ISP IP. Browse the following link to get the ISP IP;

What Is My IP Address - Shows Your IP Address

Please do get back to us if further assistance is required.

Really? My ticket was simple ... I wanted to make sure my new webdude was authorized to start a ticket to gain SSH access.

A simple "Yes I see his email information on your account. When he's ready have him open a ticket" would have been all I need.

Ok we'll see how this next experience goes.

Stampie

**NexDog** · 07-02-2011, 08:40 PM

He's asking for your IP address so he can check it's present in the whitelist and hasn't been firewalled. He was quite clear, you justdidn't understand him. As you have a new webdude we need to whitelist his IP too. Simple stuff.

stampie · 07-02-2011, 09:23 PM

Right simple stuff. My point exactly. My ticket was simple. "Hey we have a new guy. Is he going to be ok when he opens a ticket to gain access?" Yes No Maybe. Anyway my point is in both cases my ticket wasn't read. Script troubleshooting works for the masses not for someone that has half a clue (my wife may say less than half). I'll have Thomas open a ticket and deal with it all.

Stampie

ThomasDodd · 07-03-2011, 08:40 AM

So, I'm the new webmaster referenced above.

How exactly do you whitelist a dynamic IP?

My ISP has assigned me 3 different IPs in the last day. I've had more than 30 IPs over the last year based on the logs I have.

**RobbieLePommie** · 07-04-2011, 05:23 AM

Usually what happens is that if someone tries to access SSH and makes an error, that IP address will get added to a firewall and access prevented. I'm guessing that the request is to make sure that the IP address has not been added to that firewall (possibly by someone else).

As for whitelisting, you don't need to actually need ot have it whillisted, but it helps in case, well, we all make errors. The most common is using the wrong details for SSH: you need your ftp username/pass and not domain controller username/pass.

If your IP address changes three times a day, then you have nothing to worry about - if you do enter the name incorrectly then just wait until you get a new IP address.

So, Thomas, give it a crack.