calling GoDaddy out.

[njdubois]

We are on a shared server hosted through godaddy. We can go months, sometimes half a year with out an issue and then there is a big slow down. It can be for a few hours, a few days once even weeks we couldn't us our system.

 

When we call GoDaddy they almost always say there is nothing wrong on their end and ALWAYS try to up sell us.

 

So that's my question. Is there any server tools that don't require an installation in the server. We don't have control of that. I want to be able to call godaddy and say this there is the problem. Or know for sure if it's not them.

 

Thanks

Nick

[Ch0cu3r]

It is most probably caused by other websites that is hosted on the same server as your site. This is the problem with shared hosting. If one site takes more traffic/resources then slow downs will happen to all sites hosted from the same server. 

 

The solution would be upgrade your hosting to dedicated hosting. That way you have control over the server.

[njdubois]

Thanks for the reply!

 

We have been on the verge of switching to a dedicated host because I need to convert audio files. Also aware that it could be other sites on the server.

 

There isn't anything I can do for extra info?

 

Thanks

[KevinM1]

GoDaddy sucks.  Full stop.

 

And what do you mean by "Is there any server tools that don't require an installation in the server"?

[njdubois]

If it was another site in the server sucking up resources, would everyone using our site have issues? Why is it only 3 of the 9 users? One of the 3 is in another state?

[KevinM1]

Let me see if I can parse what you're saying, because you're not really clear on what the problem actually is:

 

1. You have a site on GoDaddy shared hosting

2. The site converts audio files

3. 3 out of 9 users have issues with the site

 

Is that what you're trying to describe?

[njdubois]

Look at internet connection speed tests as an example. It isn't something that needs an installation.

 

I'm looking for something that I can enter server info in. Our website, mysql server, ftp. Something that will diagnose potential issues. I have no access to the server console. So if I have to do anything special on the server to get it working I'll have problems.

 

thanks

Nick

[KevinM1]

You don't have access to the GoDaddy control panel?

[njdubois]

You know when you call your phone company or bank or who ever and the voice says "this call maybe monitored...",blah blah? We listen to those calls and fill out basic customer and salesperson info. The providers of said audio files don't always give us mp3s. I said anything about it mainly to show I've already been looking at dedicated servers to convert those files.

 

I'll discribe the problem a hand full of users are having a little more detailed.

 

I use ajax on this form. We enter a salesperson name and tab out of the box. A little icon shows that there was a change. It Ajax's the data to a script that saves it to a database and returns that everything was OK. At that point the icon changes to a check mark.

 

The problem is that it's never hearing back from the server. The icon never changes. I use ajax to upload the audio files and it is never getting the file.

 

I know at first it seems there is a code problem. But the code is rock solid for months and months at a time. This isn't the first time this has happened.

 

So, it isn't the code. I have had users with issues test their internet connections and that's OK. I've called godaddy and they say no problems. Half our users have no problems. One of the 3 is in another state so it can't be internet connection?

 

It is frustrating. Is godaddy just trying to upsell us. The last time we had the issue we switched to some other package that gave us priority over the shared hosts resources and for a while it has been better than ever. This is a regular thing. Almost clockwork roughly every six months.

 

But its never godaddy fault...

 

Thanks everyone, hope this clears up my question.

 

Nick

[njdubois]

Access to the control panel isn't going to change the fact that I can't install software on a godaddy shared host.

[njdubois]

I agree. Godaddy does suck. You know immediately when their solution to your problems is give them more money.

[KevinM1]

I'm not saying it's not a GoDaddy problem, but like most big tech companies, their 'support' department is mainly filled with drones reading off a script.  You won't find much help there.  And, AFAIK, most, if not all, analytic programs/services would have to be installed on the server.  I could be wrong with that, but common sense tells me that's the case.  So, let's try to troubleshoot with the tools we have available.  Maybe someone else reading this will know of tools that you don't have to have direct service access to use.

 

So, with that said, some ideas:

 

1. Are the files that aren't working smaller than the max upload size set in the php.ini?

2. When are the uploads being attempted?

3. Do you have any access to the analytic tools GoDaddy supplies in its control panel?  You can, at the very least, look at your site's traffic

[njdubois]

Some good questions!

 

The file sizes always vary, we have been able to upload 30 minute calls no problem in the past.  I think the longest was 36 minutes.  Most calls don't go over 5 minutes.

 

so to answer your question, no the file size is not going over the max upload size.

 

It's not only uploads.  Sending something as simple as a phone number doesn't work.  Or checking a check box and sending true or false.  These tasks, both simple data and uploading audio files happens at all hours of the day.  Morning, noon and night.

 

And again, there is no consistency.  We can go months and months with no problems at all.

 

I will look into if there is any analytic tools available in just a few minutes.

 

Thanks for the help

Nick

[dalecosp]

Do you have shell access?  top(1) is nice for looking at issues like this.

You don't mention any database stuff.  If you are running a DB, there are some tools (I'm thinking mysqltuner.pl for MySQL) that can help analyze issues with that subsystem.

Log file analysis *might* help ... we have sites that get bot-bashed regularly.  Of course, since it's a shared server, it could be that one of the other users is being bashed ...

[.josh]

You keep saying that it can't be the code because sometimes it works and other times it doesn't, and it works for some people and not others. But these arguments are not strong enough to rule out whether or not it's your code. At a minimum, your code could just be inefficient sucking up a fair chunk of resources itself, and perhaps that could be part of the overall problem. Especially since you mentioned that a previous upgrade seemed to do the trick for a while.

 

So my thought is this: did you actually evaluate/audit your code to see if there's a problem there, in terms of logic bugs or inefficiency in general, or did you just dismiss it as a possibility, based on your stated observations? Because if your answer is the latter, you need to audit your code.

[Zane]

In my eyes, Godaddy is just a registrar (a place to buy and manage domain names).. When I look for hosting I got somewhere where hosting is their main business.  
Whenever I see a Godaddy commercial, I see that really hot chick talking about the new deals on .COM domains, not hosting.

 

There is a thread somewhere that has a list of good hosts.  I enjoy linode, but only for large scale projects...otherwise, I usually got with justhost.com or webhostingpad.com

[njdubois]

In reply to Josh:

 

I am completely self taught, so is there a better way to do what I've done, probably!  The reason I ruled the code out is this.  If you were to write a windows application and that app ran 24/7 and after 6 months of perfect use the system computer starts acting slow, sluggish or unresponsive.  Do you blame the App, or the system?

 

We are on a shared host, and to me it makes sense that after a few months it starts showing slow downs it would seem that the server we are on is reaching its capacity.  If it was the code and there was some kind of memory leak, or bad garbage handling wouldn't problems show up much much sooner, clear themselves only to reappear days later?  Why is it that we can go such a long time with mere perfect performance only to out of the blue hit a wall?

 

Zane, we have been tossing the idea around about going to something more dedicated for a while now.  The income isn't there just yet and we are getting close.  I will take your advice when that time comes!  Our biggest problem with godaddy is that when something is wrong, and we KNOW it's something on their end they never admit to it.  Their answer is ALWAYS to try to get more money out of us for a bigger "Better" product.  That's very annoying.

 

Thanks everyone for your input and advice!

[.josh]

@njdubois I see your "But my code worked fine before" and raise it with this: Godaddy has a LOT of people who host their site with them. If it was a problem on their end (and I'm not saying it's not), then surely there would be others complaining as well? I am not necessarily disagreeing with your assumption; if it were me, I'd be making the same assumption. Actually, if it were me, I'd be hard pressed to not write it off as being the downside to shared hosting. You have no idea who else is using what resources and when. But the difference between you and me, apparently, is that "probably" isn't good enough for me. I've lost count of how many times I've seen on these forums threads opening up with "My code worked fine before, and I didn't change anything, and now it's not working," or similar.

 

All I'm saying is you need to absolutely, not speculatively, rule out whether or not it is your code acting in whole or part of the problem. Especially if you decide to do more than write angry letters to Godaddy (e.g. take it to court). You know what they say.. assumption makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me".

 

But in any case, if you are so certain that it is not in any way your code, and the problem must be on Godaddy's end.. why stick with them? Find another host and be done with it.

[njdubois]

Your right of course.  I'm not planning on writing angry letters or taking anyone to court.  I'm only seeking information that I could bring up to godaddy when they say it is not their fault when it would seem it is.

 

I do not know the steps to insure that it is not my code.  This would be new territory for me, I'm use to running code, it gives errors, or it does not.  It's working, or it isn't.  

 

[EDIT] And why would this potential problem/flaw in my code take so long to appear? [/EDIT]

 

So, without having to spend anything to hire someone to audit my code.  What would be my first step to insure that it is not?  What would you do?  Keep in mind that this isn't one page, nor is it a small "program."

 

Thank you!  Really.  This could be the thing that takes me to the next level.  Having the ability to rule out the code 100% without a doubt is very important to me and I am really glad we are having this dialog!

 

Nick

Edited November 29, 2013 by njdubois

[tibberous]

Godaddy sucks as both a web host and a registrar. MediaTemple also kind of sucks (godaddy bought them)

 

 

Moniker is a good registrar.

 

[.josh]

I've used them as a registrar for years without problems. I've never used them as a host though. Instead of just saying they suck, how about saying why they suck.

[njdubois]

My biggest complaint with them is that they never admit blame.  Hence why I started this post in the first place.

 

Now that I know my way around their website it isn't as big a deal, but it drives me crazy that they list their products everywhere.  Even when listing your account stuff, there is always a link to buy something more.

 

Another issue I have is after switching to this new cpanel server I started getting 406 errors.  Everywhere I read is that its settings with the server/host.  I did the suggested changes to the htaccess file with no luck.  Found out I no longer have control over that, and to make it worse there is nothing they can or will do about it.  I have to find where the error is happening in my code, and find a work around.

 

One part it was messing up at was when a user tried to submit a full url in a php post back.  "http://www.google.com" would cause the server to spit out the 406 error.  It was the "http://" and the only thing I can do about it is add it after the post.  So, if the person is trying to add a "https://www.google.com"  I'm screwed.

 

And on top of all that, their hold music SUCKS and I'm always stuck listening to it for longer than I'd like.

[Zane]

Zane, we have been tossing the idea [of switching hosts] for a while now. The income isn't there just yet.

[...]

I will take your advice when that time comes!

What, may I ask, is holding you back from switching hosts, other than financial reasons?

You are a member of a community where very detailed solutions to virtually any technical problem(s) can be found; given, of course, that you supply a just as detailed question?

 

Shared hosting is meant to be very affordable, and you definitely get what you pay for. You can't buy a Geo and expect it to run like a Ferrari.

 

I have used GoDaddy as a registrar ever since I can remember buying my first domain name, way back in the 90s. I have also used OpenSRS and PipeDNS, but in the end I find that GoDaddy supplies me with the best user interface for my domain administration needs and that is why they are so revered. When you see a commercial of theirs, hardly ever will you hear them hawking hosting plans. Even though they could easily paint a picture of a hosting plan and its prices onto Danica Patrick and still make sales, they aren't. Domains are their forte, it's plastered all over their pages just as Danica was erotically painted on camera.

 

For around 200 bucks an account with justhost, or bluehost or anyotherhost.com can be purchased; and that's for a one year lease. For 20 bucks you can have a host up, running, and accessible for a month. They even offer free domains names, which you will not need since you're already with godaddy. Yeah, a FREE domain may seem enticing, but you would end up with a sub-par, poor quality, domain name management system. At that point you will have realized that Godaddy is a better place for your domains, and it will cost you fifty dollars or more to have that domain transferred to your Godaddy account. This is how I have experience with OpenSRS and PipeDNS, I took the bait and grabbed a FREE domain, which is only like a dollar (and some change) every month.

 

So when you say that the income is not there yet, I don't believe you. Unless you're living off free wifi, a free laptop scored by a successful dumpster dive, potatoes and water, there's no good reason you can't afford the switch.

 

Packup/Backup your entire site and database and copy it to your new host. It's not like switching apartments. So long as your godaddy account is not expired, all of your data will ideally be on both hosts until you let your GD account expire, or you physically delete them. Until you change the nameservers on your domain, the new host will act as a development server.

 

When you run into technical problems, PHPF and all of the rest of the free Web Dev Help communities that exist are going to be there for you, given, of course, your construct a clear question.

 

My biggest complaint with [GoDaddy.com] is that they never admit blame.

Yea, being a consumer has it's downsides at times as far as power and control go. Every financial institution has some sort of contract with their preferred software company making them consumers as well, passing all the savings and heartache of commercial software onto you as you struggle to understand how to transfer $2.52 to your checking account for that check floated for a double cheeseburger.

 

I promise you, once you switch to an actual host that doesn't spend most of its earnings on models, extremely gorgeous ones at that, who can seduct you into buying yourfullname.com just in spite of your dream of seeing it on her body; as though you were living vicariously through your domain name, you will have more of a stress-free experience with your website.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Zane

[kicken]

One part it was messing up at was when a user tried to submit a full url in a php post back.  "http://www.google.com" would cause the server to spit out the 406 error.  It was the "http://" and the only thing I can do about it is add it after the post.  So, if the person is trying to add a "https://www.google.com"  I'm screwed.

Sounds like a mod_security problem, check around your tools to see if you can disable it at all.

[dalecosp]

Even though they could easily paint a picture of a hosting plan and its prices onto Danica Patrick and still make sales, they aren't.

 

Heh heh, may have to hit up cuz and let him know your idea ;-) ;-)