[This message has been edited by Why_Me (edited 12-30-1999).]

No idea what might be causing this. I'd wait it out for a few days, especially as you probably can't do anything about it right now. For all you know, they're testing or upgrading or something.

Good luck, and I hope you don't need it.

By changing the dns servers I assume you mean changing nameservers for the domain.

If the registar is out of buisness you should be able to just log into bulkregister.com using the name and password you where given before, If this is not the case I am afraid you have to email/phone them.

If the other place was just a reseller though, I don't see why you can't just log in there, I know I can do that with other resellers and there main registers.

You coudl also try and get another register to transfer the domain to a new account.

Basic checks: Do a ping and a traceroute (tracert) to see what is happening on the network. Try calling your site using the IP address directly. Do an nslookup on your domain and see if it is configured correctly.

If you do an nslookup on cihost.com (at the time of writing), you'll get no repsonse - meaning that your browser doesn't know where to look for cihost.com - it's not associated with an IP address. This means that every potential connection with the site (http, ftp, telnet, email) will fail.

Any testing or ugrading they are doing should not affect your web site. In the extreme case that they actually had to take their machines offline in order to perform upgrades, it would be customary for them to send you a service announcement beforehand to make your aware of what they were doing.

I am in the process of moving part of one of my sites to CI Host, in the search for a better web host. (Maybe I jinxed you ) The fact of the matter is that there are no standards and no quality controls when it comes to web hosting. Web hosting is very simple 99% of the time - the entire process is automated so the host has little to do but answer customer support emails. It is that 1% of the time when problems occur that hosts have complete meltdowns. The majority of hosts are simply not capable of handling a crisis.

Things like the "Web Host Guild" do exist, but they are run by web hosts, and seem to do little more than exchange a seal of approval for a fee. What can we do? First, be *very* selective when you choose a web host. Admittedly, this is difficult because there are thousands and thousands of hosts available. Some basic questions to ask your potential web host:

1. Are they a reseller? Confirm their answer by checking their upstream providers. I have had web hosts tell me they were not resellers when in fact they were.

2. Can they refer you to some current clients?

3. How long have they been in business?

4. What is their client retention rate? How many clients started with them and are still with them? I'd like to see this become a standard gauge for web hosts.

5. Is their telephone answered by a person or a machine? The funny thing about web hosts is that the support number is usually answered by a machine, while the sales number is answered by a human. (A very "fly-by-night" business practice. I always call the sales number directly when I need technical support )

6. How many sites do they host per machine? This is the best indication of how your site will perform. You can test their servers at netmechanic as well.

OK, it seems I've dragged on here. Frustrated, I guess. Our businesses depend on our web hosts.

Anyway, after we all decided to move to CI Host, it goes batty. Do I hear thrity day guarantee. Where next? pair.com? Anybody? I wish Alabanza sold directly to customers and not to resellers. They have the fastest connection I've seen so far.

[This message has been edited by raja (edited 12-30-1999).]

[This message has been edited by Why_Me (edited 12-31-1999).]

I'm glad to know it's not Y2K!

Note that as a apology gift we can host as many extra domain names on our sites as we want for as long as we stay there with no additinal fees (cool I say )

I see it as a really bad crisis whenm their domain servers went kaput...but not a long term problem

On the other hand I am NOT a teche...Any techies have a take on whether or not there is cause for concern here?
Renee

The reason they gave in their press release was "data corruption," a rather vague reason. Thus it is hard to tell how serious the problem was. In the big picture, a problem which causes "48,000" websites to go offline for two days is a major meltdown.

On the bright side, there is no permananent damage.

Cause for concern? Yes. They have posted no detailed explanation of what happened. I would also expect them to outline the steps they are taking to make sure it does not happen again.

quote:

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Nameservers are designed to be redundant - if their primary nameserver goes offline, there is a secondary nameserver, and perhaps a tertiary nameserver, etc., etc..

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That's certainly the way it should be designed. But there is nothing to mandate it. My web server, my primary DNS server, and my secondary DNS server are all sitting within the same computer. I am fully aware of the risks I'm taking doing it that way, but the cost savings in my case are the determining factor. I simply can't afford three dedicated boxes. And, after all, it is ONLY my own sites I'm risking.

Would I put my primary and secondary named servers on the same box if I was hosting tens of thousands of domains? Of course not. Is that what CIHost did? I don't know. But it certainly is a technical possibility.

[This message has been edited by Ron C (edited 01-02-2000).]

a short aside on CI Host - the stats program (wusage) is poor and it took me a while to pull all the junk CGI out of the account they set up. And they haven't set up my mySQL db yet. I'll be testing the telephone customer service on monday.

As of right now - it's down and CIHOST is down, as well - both the regular site and the support manual. In fact, I haven't been able to access the support manual since early last week.

We've decided to leave them. How hard do you think that will be?