IgLou has answered some of the most common questions we receive about our VPS services.  If you have any questions that aren't answered here, please email us at vps@iglou.com or call us at (800) 436-4456.

What is a VPS server?
What is cloud hosting?
Who should use VPS hosting?
What is the benefit of using a VPS versus using my own hardware?
How do I order my new VPS and how long does it take?
Does IgLou resell someone else's VPS servers?
What is cPanel and should I order it with my VPS?
Is it easy to set up web-hosting on a VPS?
How much technical knowledge do I need?
Do you offer Managed Services?
What is Xen and why is it better?
How do you allocate RAM and CPU?
How many IP addresses do I get?
What else can I do with my VPS?
How much can I host from my VPS?
Can I upgrade my existing IgLou VPS?
Are Microsoft Windows VPSs available?
Do you provide MySQL databases?
How are data backups handled?
Can I firewall my server?
Is my data secure from other customers?
What if I want to change my operating system?
How are bandwidth overages billed?
Can I pool bandwidth between multiple servers together?
Will my OS count against my disk space?
 

What is a VPS server?

Virtual private servers are physical servers that have been partitioned
into several independent, simultaneously-running server environments. A VPS
operates exactly like a stand-alone dedicated server and can be used to run web-hosting or any other applications of your choosing.

You have full and exclusive administrative control over your VPS. A VPS is
ideal for situations where you do not want the hassle and expense of
maintaining server hardware while retaining enterprise-class network and
hardware redundancy.   back to top

What is cloud hosting?

Cloud hosting is a general term that is used to describe services where
your data is stored and managed at an Internet-connected data center. The
service provider assumes all infrastructure and maintenance costs. This
is such a wide definition that the term is used to describe many different sorts of services. Our VPS services fall under the "Infrastructure as a Service" (IaaS) category of cloud services.   back to top

Who should use VPS hosting?

Anybody who has a web-site or server application that wants total control of their server, wants high reliability, and wants to save money.   back to top

What is the benefit of using a VPS versus using my own hardware?

Using your own hardware instead of a VPS can be very expensive.  To achieve the same results, you would need dual servers for redundancy, network-attached data storage for quick recovery from failures, gigabit switching equipment, generator backed power, and very high-speed upload Internet connectivity.  IgLou VPS provides all of these benefits while saving you thousands of dollars.   back to top

How do I order my new VPS and how long does it take?

Ordering is easy!  Just email us at vps@iglou.com or call us at (800) 436-4456.  You can be up and running in as little as 30 minutes.  If you choose the cPanel control panel add-on, the installation and configuration can take somewhat longer.   back to top

Does IgLou resell someone else's VPS servers?

No.  IgLou is a true hosting company as we own our own building, operations, data center space, servers, and network infrastructure.   back to top

What is cPanel and should I order it with my VPS?

cPanel is a powerful web-based control panel that allows you to set up web-hosting, configure SQL databases, and manage your website content.  We also include full root access to the companion WebHost Manager (WHM) control panel which automates most server management tasks.

If you are not familiar with Linux, it is highly recommended to choose cPanel as an add-on option for your server, along with either our Basic or Premium support.  You can view an online demo of both the cPanel control panel and the WHM system management interface.  back to top

Is it easy to set up web-hosting on a VPS?

If you choose the cPanel control panel add-on, your server will be immediately ready for web-hosting.  We would provide you the necessary instructions on how to upload your files and begin managing your server.   back to top

How much technical knowledge do I need?

IgLou VPS servers are easy to get up and running, especially when using the cPanel add-on option.  However, IgLou VPS is not a managed service by default (see below for information about Managed Services), so you are responsible for maintaining your server.  We recommend that you take the time to familiarize yourself with either cPanel or basic Linux administration.   back to top

Do you offer Managed Services?

IgLou offers both a Basic and a Premium level of support for your VPS that gives you access to support for any problems that you may encounter.  We can also provide custom tailored maintenance schedules for your server if desired.  Email vps@iglou.com or call (800) 436-4456 if you are interested.   back to top

What is Xen and why is it better?

If you are going to purchase a VPS, make sure it's powered by Xen.  Xen is the name of the underlying architecture of IgLou's VPS service and is widely regarded as the most flexible and reliable virtualization platform available.

Be cautious of other VPS platforms, such as OpenVZ or Virtuozzo, which don't give absolute allocations of RAM and CPU to your server and can lead to potential performance problems.

Xen's other advantages include access to multiple operating systems, multiple file system types, dedicated RAM and CPU allocations, almost universal software compatibility, and a much higher level of server reliability.

How do you allocate RAM and CPU?

RAM and CPU allocations are set as dedicated fractions of available system resources.  IgLou does not oversell VPS resources.  If one customer is consuming 100% of their allocated RAM or CPU power, it will not affect your VPS at all. Additionally, your VPS will always burst up to the full CPU power of the machine if additional CPU time is available.   back to top

How many IP addresses do I get?

Each VPS comes with 1 static IP address.  Additional addresses can be purchased for $1 per month per IP and are available in blocks of 5, 13 or 29 usable addresses. Requests for more than 5 usable IP addresses may require ARIN justification.  back to top

What else can I do with my VPS?

You can run any applications you like from your IgLou VPS.  You can run traditional web-hosting (with or without cPanel), an Asterisk VOIP server, Java or Rails applications, or even a dedicated DNS server.  You have full root access to your VPS server so the possibilities are endless.   back to top

How much can I host from my VPS?

There is no limit to what applications or how many services or domains you can run on your VPS server, as long as your chosen rate plan includes enough resources for the applications you will be running.   back to top

Can I upgrade my existing IgLou VPS?

Adding additional RAM or CPU is easy.  Just email us at vps@iglou.com with what plan you would like to upgrade to.  Please note that additional disk space will appear as a second disk partition on your VPS.   back to top

Are Microsoft Windows VPSs available?

Our VPS servers do not support Windows Server at this time.   back to top

Do you provide MySQL databases?

It is easy to set up MySQL database servers on your VPS.  You could even purchase a second smaller VPS as your own dedicated MySQL server.  If you choose the cPanel add-on option, MySQL is easily managed through a web-based control panel. IgLou can assist in setting up your MySQL server for you.   back to top

How are data backups handled?

IgLou's network attached disk storage automatically keeps snapshots of your VPS drives from 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours in to the past.  These snapshots can be used to restore your server to that point in time or you can restore individual files or directories from them.  We also make internal backups in the event of hardware failures.  It's important to note that these backups are not accessible from your server and are meant as a means of last resort.  If you need file-level backups, you would need to purchase an online backup solution separately.   back to top

Can I firewall my server?

Yes, using any Linux firewall software of your choice, including iptables, APF and CSF.  With our Basic or Premium Support plans, we can even configure your firewall for you.   back to top

Is my data secure from other customers?

Yes. No other customer on the same physical server can gain access to your data.   back to top

What if I want to change my operating system?

We can easily create a new VPS for you with the operating system of your choice.  However, there is no automated way to change your existing OS without reformatting.   back to top

How are bandwidth overages billed?

If your VPS's bandwidth usage exceeds your quota over the course of a billing cycle, overage charges are billed at a rate of $0.20 USD per gigabyte of bandwidth.  You can check your bandwidth usage and upgrade your plan at any time to avoid overage charges.   back to top

Can I pool bandwidth between multiple servers together?

Yes!  One of the benefits of IgLou's VPS service is that the bandwidth quota and usage of multiple servers are pooled together prior to calculating any overages.  We can also set up private IP space on a separate virtual Ethernet port for non-billed communication between servers.   back to top

Will my OS count against my disk space?

Yes, your operating system files will count toward your disk space allocation.   back to top