VPS Hosting FAQ
This page is divided into two sections: the first section deals with general VPS Hosting Questions which we have found to be of interest to many potential VPSLink customers and the second section covers VPSLink Questions - including questions about VPSLink policy, our datacenter, and account setup.
VPS Hosting Questions
What is a virtual private server?
Virtual Private Servers (also called "Virtual Dedicated Servers") are servers which do not interface directly with the hardware which they are running on and cannot interface directly with eachother. The server is virtual as it is independent of actual hardware and private in the sense that other VPS servers on the node cannot interact with its file system or processes.
Instead of allowing the kernel or operating system to interface directly with hardware components, virtualization software intercepts requests, queues them, and manages their interpretation.
We recommend that you compare VPS hosting platforms to find out whether OpenVZ virtualization or Xen paravirtualization will be the best choice for your VPS.
Do I need a VPS?
Whether you have outgrown shared hosting or are looking for an affordable alternative to dedicated server hosting, there is a good chance that a virtual private server will fit your needs and your budget better than any other hosting solution.
VPSLink makes the most sense for those in search of a reputable VPS hosting provider: we have been around for a longer time than most, we have an infrastructure which will scale to your needs, and we are willing to stand behind our service with a Service Level Agreement that you can count on.
Take a look at the cheap VPS hosting plans and Linux operating systems we offer - you will be hard-pressed to find a better value and variety of VPS hosting options anywhere else.
VPSLink Questions
Account
- Do you offer a trial period or demo?
We do not offer a trial period. If you are uncertain whether a specific plan will meet your needs, please see our VPS Hosting Plan Comparison.
Our VPS hosting services provide full root access to a virtualized Linux server - if you would like to explore our Server Control Center Features, we have provided a complete description of their functionality on this site. Reseller control panels demonstrations can be found at the WHM / cPanel, HostInABox / LXAdmin, ServerCP+, and DirectAdmin sites. - How long will it take to set up my account?
Generally, your VPS hosting account will be provisioned and ready to use minutes after you have placed your order. If your order is flagged by our fraud prevention system, our billing department will contact you within 24 hours to approve your order and complete the account creation process. Please ensure that your billing information is entered accurately and avoid using e-mail addresses from free e-mail providers to minimize delays. - How is bandwidth usage calculated?
Upstream and downstream bandwidth is tracked and aggregated for all IP's registered to your account. - How are bandwidth overages billed?
If your virtual private server's cumulative bandwidth usage exceeds your quota over the course of a billing cycle, the VPSLink billing system will automatically apply overage charges of $0.50 USD per GB of bandwidth used in excess of your plan's monthly quota. You can check your bandwidth usage and upgrade your plan at any time to avoid overage charges. - Can I upgrade to another plan later?
Yes - the VPSLink Server Control Center allows you to upgrade your plan at any time. Upgrades are carried out instantly in OpenVZ, allowing you to scale your VPS hosting plan to accommodate your needs; upgrade requests for Xen accounts average a 24 hour turnaround time.
Policy
- Can I host adult content?
You are welcome to host any content which is legal in the United States. - Can I host an IRC server?
Yes! We have recently updated our policies to allow IRC server hosting. - Are applications like folding@home and SETI@home allowed?
We do not allow hosting of applications intended to use idle CPU clock time. Please see our Acceptable Use Policy for further details.
Company
- What is VPSLink?
VPSLink is a subsidiary of Spry Hosting. - Can I work at VPSLink?
Certainly! If you are a resident of Washington State (USA), please see our Jobs page to apply.
Server Hardware
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What type of hardware will my VPS be hosted on?
Our hardware configurations scale to address the needs of the users on each node. Your account will be provisioned on one of the following hardware configurations, dependent upon which hosting plan you select:- Dual Core Pentium 4 2.8ghz servers with 3 SATA disks in a RAID5 configuration (Link-3 and below)
- Dual Proc servers (2 to 4 total cores) with 4 to 8 SAS or SCSI disks in a RAID10 configuration (Link-4 and up)
Datacenter
- What is the speed of your network?
All VPSLink nodes are hosted at our Network Datacenter and connected to our gigabit ethernet backbone, guaranteeing your access to multiple gigabits of premium Tier-1 bandwidth.
Technical
- Which web hosting reseller control panels do you offer?
We're proud to offer WHM / cPanel, DirectAdmin, ServerCP+, and HostInABox / LXAdmin - Which VPS hosting platforms are available?
We provide VPS hosting on the OpenVZ and Xen platforms. You may want to compare VPS platforms to decide which one will be right for you. - Which packages are included with OS templates?
VPSLink OS templates include the minimal installation necessary to provide SSH access (with the exception of our LAMP stack and RoR stack templates). You will have full root access to install any packages which you need. - Will I have access to a firewall for my VPS?
You will have the option to configure iptables rules to secure your server however you like. - Will my OS count against my disk space?
Your operating system files will count toward your disk space allocation. Operating system templates require 125-300 MB of disk space. - Can I upgrade my kernel?
The OpenVZ VPS hosting platform does not allow kernel modifications (this platform uses the Linux 2.6 kernel), however, you will have the option to compile kernel modules against the current kernel version if you select the Xen VPS hosting platform. - Will my VPS work with _____?
So long as the software does not require modification to your VPS kernel and your server has sufficient memory to allocate, you will the capability to run any common applications, services, or modules which would run on a dedicated server (with the exception of extremely resource-intensive software such as the folding@home and SETI@home projects).
Note: If you plan to develop Java applications, a Xen VPS will be your best choice; swap space is often needed to avoid Java memory allocation issues when compiling.
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