Blog Loom

All my web sites reside on a shared server hosting which is a big player in the industry. It’s probably one of the most promoted hosting service too. Almost every top marketer mentioned their name at one time or another.

I signed up a long while ago for HG’s “unlimited package” which let me have domains, sub-domains, parked domains, email accounts, storage space, bandwidth and scores of others as “unlimited”. It was an irresistibly good offer as the price was below $10 per month. Perhaps this is just another case of “too good to be true”.

I was having this “unlimited” thinking all the time and become a little lavish knowing I will never hit the limits

Along the way, I read in some forums that this hosting doesn’t actually allow heavy video hosting among other things. By now, my “unlimited” belief has eroded a little but still not really convinced as I had yet to encounter any problem with my hosting account.

Then the reality struck when I received an email from the hosting that said:

Hello,

To maintain the highest level of performance on our shared servers we have a maximum inode (file) limit of 50,000 inodes (files) per account. The size of the file does not matter, only the number of files. For example, a DVD image (say, 4.5gb) only counts as one inode, or file. Our limit, as outlined in our terms of service, is 50,000 files per account.

I was reminded that this was stated in the TOS when I signed up. Forgive me for not reading those cryptic document then. I wonder if you read those yourself. Whatever, I am the guilty party and I won’t make it through the court.

A 7-day period was given for me to correct the situation i.e. to reduce the number of files I had on the server and go below 50,000. There was also a risk of not having auto backup by the hosting for files beyond 50,000 count. They did not forget to offer me a dedicated server (where inodes are no longer checked) with price starting from $219. I didn’t find this amusing even for a second

I beheaded a few domains which have not gone operational but the total file count is dangerously close to 50,000 still. I also deleted a few unimportant email accounts to stay clear of the limit.

I hope this will save me for some times to come while I am shopping for a new hosting that has “real” unlimited account with good support and server uptime. If you know or actually use one, please let me know.{openx:16}