[futurism]

This site is regularly very slow to the point where you think it may be down.

There's no better way to stuff up your sites future than by bad performance.

Try http://www.apexhost.com.au/ don't think they do Linux but they will give you the right advice.

dodger, that host seems terrifying to me, and probably to ash, I dont want this post to seem confrontational, but I think my analysis could save some people significant heartache, sorry if you have an interest in the above mentioned webhost.

they might deliver great service (on windows strangely), but the costs are prohibitive and their plans are tiny

Their biggest plan allows 15gig a month data transfer, this is terribly low, and then they charge 13 cents per megabyte for anything over that.
The plan I use is 1.5 Terabyte per month, which is 100x more, I regularly consume over a terabyte a month, this site also uses a lot more data than 15GB a month.

Here comes the terrifying part.
If I was to host on this host, and my sites consume 1 terabyte in a month, I would have to pay (im going to go right ahead and use 1000 instead of 1024 in calculations) ,
1000GB - 15GB = 985GB excess usage
which is 985,000 MB
which at 13 cents a MB equates to....
$128,050

Theres also some other strange terms and consitions relating to media files only being allowed up to 500MB per momnth, but this seems ambiguous.
They have a strict no adult content policy, not specifying legal or illegal adult content, some of the images on the motivational posters are pornography and hence in breach of their conditions.

The accounts on that host might be appealing to people doing VERY low bandwidth, but 15GB is so low (and this is their highest corporate plus account) that I would be terrified.
You only need googlebot, baidu, yahoo, slurp or similar to find something of interest and you can do 15GB in a few hours, you wake up in the morning and owe $1000

By comparison, a dedicated 2Ghz xeon linux server with a 160GB drive and 2000GB data per month can be found for under $100 elsewhere.

[dodger]

I dont have an interest in them but I do use them for a site I have and have found them to be better than almost anyone else I've tried and I've had considerable experience in this field.

They can customise a plan for higher users, you'd be suprised at exactly who they host for and the traffic they cater for but you have to call them for a site like yours and they would be competative I'm sure, competitve to anyone who can deliver and not just someone who lets you down all the time.

Added - thats assuming you need a new host, I dont know how many complaints you get.

[futurism]

ok dodger
they do indeed have some impressive references, department of permier and cabinet is an interesting one

Im happy with my current host, and a lot of the content on my sites would breach their conditions
Given the types of organizations they are hosting, I can see why they wouldnt want to let people hosting questionable content anywhere near their data centre

[allanuber]

Dodger, post up more information on the issue you're having. What browser are you using, what's slow, is it slow compared to other sites etc etc.   You seem to be the anomoly since the change of hosting facilities recently.

<disclaimer> Uber helps subsidise Ash's hosting as this is a great community resource and we wanted to pitch in so extra bandwidth etc didn't always come out of his pocket when he's the guy keeping this place running.

[dodger]

In on XP Pro using IE 8

It's not just slow but just doesnt load at all sometimes. I come back later and it's ok, seems to be the same on Firefox.

If you're hosted in the US that may be it, but if no one else notices it, it might be just me.

[allanuber]

In on XP Pro using IE 8

It's not just slow but just doesnt load at all sometimes. I come back later and it's ok, seems to be the same on Firefox.

If you're hosted in the US that may be it, but if no one else notices it, it might be just me.

Hosted in Sydney. Dedicated Servers, dedicated link.

Have you got compatibility mode in IE8 switched on (little broken page icon up the top near the URL) - if so, switch it off as it attempts to stupidly work like IE7

[dodger]

No thats off, must be me.
Had the same problem with another site but that was hosted in the US but thats fixed itself somehow.

[ACP]

I use IE8 also, all good for me.

[AshSimmonds]

This site is regularly very slow to the point where you think it may be down.

Sorry - flat out today so haven't had a chance to look into anything - will check some logs etc tomorrow, but AFAIK there are no issues on AE's side, nobody else has reported any sluggo problems to me since we changed hosts a couple months ago.

Please do the AE Speed Test , report your findings and compare to other member's results.

[scud]

Dodger, post up more information on the issue you're having. What browser are you using, what's slow, is it slow compared to other sites etc etc.   You seem to be the anomoly since the change of hosting facilities recently.

<disclaimer> Uber helps subsidise Ash's hosting as this is a great community resource and we wanted to pitch in so extra bandwidth etc didn't always come out of his pocket when he's the guy keeping this place running.

i've told ash to charge for membership to help with costs, and make pp the #1 member 

then we can hate him.