Dinix Closure: Many Still Down... Where To Turn?

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Posted by capacityhost, 04-07-2005, 04:26 PM
This has got to be the worst thing they have ever done! So they transfer me over to some place in oregon and the people say its on schedule... then webhost plus says were not responsible but march is free... now after a week of being up and things going right i go to check my email and it says servers are down.. so i go to the domain ... yup servers are down... go to make a complaint with dinix.... cannot login .. called dinix talked to DOUG at dinix said my account has been canceled with them... told him i needed 24 hours to move my stuff out of there... he said ok it will be back up in 5 mins ... 4 hours later no sign of my stuff ... so i called LENNY from WEBHOSTPLUS.COM and he got very irritated with me saying im out of the office call extention 33 which leads to no where... IM AT MY WITS FREAKIN END WITH DINIX AND WEBHOSTPLUS.... and i dont care if they read this or if anyone gets mad that i did post there domains .. this is seriously the worst ive been treated from a hosting company ever.. they have 2 people in there company ... and about 4 that stand behind the scenes and play ... DONT EVER go to these guys for hosting there a nightmare.
Posted by David, 04-07-2005, 04:32 PM
Capacityhost, You're definitely not the only one with a few things to say about dinix/WHP: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showth...hreadid=387709 I wish you the best with your next provider - it may just be time to move.
Posted by capacityhost, 04-07-2005, 04:43 PM
Mike is about the only employee that has helped me ... MIKE IF YOU AROUND PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAILS AND VOICE MAIL
Posted by David, 04-07-2005, 04:44 PM
Capacityhost, You may have better luck responding in the previously mentioned thread.
Posted by JayC, 04-07-2005, 07:59 PM
OK. Back to the issue. First a word to those participating in the threads on this situation. The issue is not WHT and why threads are closed here (although the reason was made quite clear by the person who closed the thread in question in the final post). The issue is not other users of WHT -- and that message is for a select few posters in these threads. Post about the issue. Post about how it affects you. Post about possible solutions. DO NOT post commentary on the people who make those posts, do not question their reasons for doing so, do not repeatedly point out to them the futility of talking about their problems. Stay on topic, don't get personal, and perhaps this thread can be of value. Comment about other users and expect a vacation from WHT. Last edited by JayC; 04-07-2005 at 09:02 PM.
Posted by twidnet, 04-07-2005, 09:05 PM
As I pointed out, I WAS directly affected, having had to help a couple people restore. So let's hear it. Did you have backups or not?
Posted by Sheps, 04-07-2005, 09:06 PM
Thank you..... Now, Dinix CUSTOMERS, feel free to continue the discussion Last edited by Sheps; 04-07-2005 at 09:12 PM.
Posted by Shaw Networks, 04-07-2005, 10:10 PM
Can anyone summarize what happened with the Dinix/WHP move fiasco? I've read through about 70 posts in the downtime thread, but couldn't bring myself to read anymore
Posted by rmMark1, 04-07-2005, 11:15 PM
Ya, just my two cents worth and read every post. Mind you, never was a client. WHP purchases DINIX. ...DINIX is in the red and the upstream provider has a deadline to remove servers from network. Dinix sells to WHP and migrates off the cuff, unplugs and trucks all boxes to there NOC. Truck has a accident on the way, and they suffer hardware damage. (harddrives will become damaged from pot holes, if not packaged correctly if you did not know.) Due to the long downtime, as some servers come back on-line...clients are transfering to other VPN host using WHM and bog down the servers causing crashes as resources are no longer sufficent....more clients screaming for slow network. When nightmare starts to settle down...It's apparent that some servers have drive failures from boot up and WHP tries to restore from backup only to find out most data is months old. Many of those backups are are also lost on other servers. Existing tickets are ignored and closed...clients are wrote off as a loss and left without word of their future if they did not have backups elsewhere. My heart goes out to them and wishing you all the best.
Posted by WarpFactor, 04-07-2005, 11:40 PM
I personally haven't read anything but what rmMark1 has just posted on this company, and so all I have are his words on which to go on. The company was obviously under pressure to move out, and I do realize that, but they should have taken greater care in making absolutely sure that their customers data was protected and secure. The move seems to hasty and sloppy, and for that they deserve no mercy. They made a mistake that will be both unfortunate for themselves and their clients. I expect they'll be losing a lot of clients of this, but as well, it is a shame that the clients had to be put in such a position in the first place. This is yet another example of incompetence within the hosting industry.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-08-2005, 02:18 AM
I'm happy I got out when I did. A couple of months ago, I left Dinix for greener pastures, due to the downward spiral of technical support. A friend of mine was not so lucky and is missing data for about two weeks prior to the move. Her site is up because she moved about 20 hours into the migration. At that point it was clear WebHostPlus was not going to be able to handle things. She's a bit peeved about having to rebuild the data for the two weeks between her last backup and the time the site went down, but c'est la vie. She has now learned why skipping backup duties is not a good idea. I read the monster thread. Sorry for all those affected by that mess. Capacityhost, don't you have backups you could use, if only to get yourself up and running somewhere else? From the looks of things, and from the lack of repsonse my friend is getting to her 9 emails about the possibility of backups existing and to get them to acknowledge her cancellation, I doubt you're going to be hearing anything from them.
Posted by Karthick, 04-08-2005, 04:44 AM
This would be a good time to start praying that your server doesn't crash (because you can't get them to reboot it), and transfer your files to a new host ASAP (when their network comes back up)!
Posted by JenniH, 04-08-2005, 05:06 AM
Thanks Mods for keeping the focus. Those of us still in the rocky boat... where exactly are we? a) Has anyone actually had any contact in the last week? b) What, where, when? c) Any data recovered? The latter is all we are interested in. But like many... no response to emails, tickets or messages. So where to? Any ideas, in addition to the law? Any communication channels at all? Let's try to look at solutions. They have our data: how do we get it from them.... or how do we actually get confirmation it is lost? How do we get them to actually communicate? Any ideas? Anyone?
Posted by jmweb, 04-08-2005, 06:49 AM
I too was looking for information as to what happened. Seems like this ended up being a horrible nightmare. Good luck to anyone thats involved.
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-08-2005, 12:08 PM
I can tell you my friend has now sent a total of 11 pieces of communication to them and received nothing in return. We have already rebuilt her missing data, but it would be nice to cross check that with the original files. But, given the lack of response anywhere from these people, I don't think they're really attached to the people who were left off whatever restore list they had. I also don't think they want to hear from those people any more, and in the back of my mind I almost think they must just be deleting the mail altogether (but I can't be sure of that, it's just a guess). Since it's not really clear if the missing data was on a server they could not move or one that was moved, I don't think there really is any way to get that data back if WHP won't provide it voluntarily. The original servers at ATL have probably already been cleared, since they have no reason to hold them for Dinix/WHP if the past due bills are true. If the data was on servers that were moved and no other backups were available, then the data is just gone. That's a little sad for people who don't have their own backups, and I feel badly for them, but I always pound the idea of backups into the heads of my clients myself and I know that it's the client's responsibility to make sure they have backups. You can't force someone to communicate if they don't want to, short of dragging them into court. It may be bad business, but it isn't against the law for one private party to refuse to speak to a second private party. I know there is one person trying to set up some kind of legal case against WHP. Maybe you should join them, as that's really the only avenue left here. Anyone who does toss their hat in that ring should be aware that once they have done that, they should limit their public communications on this matter to nothing, or at most, just link people to an information page on how to join the action.
Posted by okihost, 04-08-2005, 02:07 PM
Thank you for that explanation, I started to read the downtime thread but ran out of popcorn and it was just too painful to read through the entire thing.
Posted by jayglate, 04-08-2005, 05:41 PM
Did hardware get damanged on the trip over? Or did the whole thing about "edi?" not letting the equipment out not happen?
Posted by rmMark1, 04-08-2005, 06:02 PM
No one really knows for sure...However, from having to migrate myself from one data center to another due to a disaster such as a hurricane and moving hardware ( the only reason to unplug for is lack of backup power on site)...drives will fail if not packaged correctly. If the truck was in any type of accident as stated and when I read that the truck was in a accident...I said to myself....oh oh.."things just went from bad to worse"...Some drives would fail easily and I am speculating this happened and is the reason for lost data. I have seen drives fail from dropping a box a 1/4" as it slips off your fingers...Nothing sounds worse from that click...click...click..when booting up...Once you hear that...start from scratch. WHP has not given their clients any other reason. Last edited by rmMark1; 04-08-2005 at 06:16 PM.
Posted by BigBison, 04-08-2005, 11:30 PM
I'm not sure where you're getting "the truck was in an accident" from. That, IIRC, was a rumor. Didn't that turn out to be the truck was delayed due to an accident, not the truck was in an accident?
Posted by Shaw Networks, 04-09-2005, 02:11 AM
Holy cow, that is a mess did a truck actually get in an accident, or just drive over some large pothole?
Posted by Aussie Bob, 04-09-2005, 03:23 AM
The "accident" was just a rumour, for things taking so long. You can see someone speculate that in the other huge Dinix thread. But when you have a vacuum of information from WHP, rumours seem to become somehow credible.
Posted by anon-e-mouse, 04-09-2005, 05:34 AM
Seems many still can't read
Posted by Project X, 04-09-2005, 10:53 AM
weeks ago i was told that dinix was only leasing vps servers and that whp didnt want to pay edeltacom the price that edeltacom wanted for them so they were left behind. i was also told that a rack tipped over during the move. i was told that there was a 3 month past due DC bill. i was also told that 4 nodes were damaged beyond repair. now that it has been this long, these things make even more sense. no one has ever disputed these statements and from the source they came from, i believe them to be true. the fact is, there are entire accounts gone that will never be able to be recovered. and yes, i was a dinix customer... thankfully i got out
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-09-2005, 11:43 AM
No offense, of course, but Dinix doesn't exist any longer, at least not in the way we used to know it. Besides, this is the way things at WHT go, do they not? It's difficult for people to keep their opinions on things to themselves, especially when they involve rather spectacular disasters like this. WHP flatly denied that the truck had been in an accident. Whether that's true or not is anyone's guess. I would wager that either equipment had been damaged or they were unable to complete the transfer of certain servers electronically before eDeltacom pulled the plug. Which of these scenarios is true or not is also anyone's guess, since WHP does not seem inclined to speak any further about the migration or its aftermath. I'm not a lawsuit kind of person myself, but even were I that sort, my poor friend can't show the tens of thousands of dollars in damages that any lawyer is going to want to see before jumping into something like this even though she runs an online business that depends on her site being available. Lesson learned the hard way for her and for many others.
Posted by MacMadame, 04-09-2005, 03:07 PM
Well, mgold flatly denied it here. There were WHP employees who told customers over the phone that the truck had been in a minor fender-bender so not everyone at WHP told the same story on that one.
Posted by ArnettME, 04-10-2005, 09:42 AM
For consumers Cancellation/Compensation: Log into your Dinix ticket desk and submit a ticket to one of the following departments, Compensation or WHP. File a formal complaint: Read the guidelines before proceeding... http://complaint.bbb.org/(ctc504mb24...)/Default.aspx For legal representatives WEB HOST PLUS, INC. 100 Plaza Drive 1st Floor Secaucus, NJ 07094 Principal: Alex Katser, President Local Phone Number: (201) 520-1800 Fax Number: (201) 520-1801 For alternative measures Visit, www.dinixclassaction.com Post reviews of the bad service at various directories. Since Dinix has become WebHostPlus, you should put complaints and reviews of your host as WebHostPlus. I hope the information provided is useful to some extent. I do not recommend pestering or harassing Web Host Plus using these contact methods.
Posted by Project X, 04-11-2005, 04:13 PM
has anyone been brought back up since last friday?
Posted by ReasonSinger, 04-13-2005, 05:29 PM
I doubt it. I know my friend has yet to receive any response from WHP and has written them off as I suggested she would have to. Anyone who is expecting anything at this point is kidding themselves, I'm afraid.
Posted by alaria, 04-13-2005, 08:33 PM
I just wanted to let everyone know that we are welcoming any one who wants to rant, scream, cry or offer support to those effected by this dinix/whp disaster. We are forming a class action for anyone interested but also invite you to visit. We have all gone through the lies and stress and loss together and welcome you to post anything you want. We all have every right to be beyond angry and devastated and we wont edit you or tell you to play nice on our forum. No offense to this one as it has been a great resource for us during the nightmare. Dinix locked us out of their forums over a week ago and deleted all our trouble tickets related to the merger...erasing the paper trail? Anyway - just wanted to let everyone know we are here if you want to stop by and if you are interested in joining a class action or wish to collect info about what others experienced to back up your own law suit, feel free. All the best - ALARIA www.dinixclassaction.com
Posted by PrairieRose, 04-14-2005, 12:29 AM
Because I didn't have a commerce site, this move did not affect me as much as many of you. I stayed with them and tried to be patient but my site is still down continually. I am moving on to greener pastures. My site has been down all day today. I wrote this afternoon and got a response and the site was back up for a very short time and has been down for the rest of the day. I have filled out tickets and gotten no response. Worse yet, I have no idea why. My payment has not showed in in my account area and no one knows where my payments went, although my account shows that the check was cashed. I am frustrated beyond belief! I was paid two months ahead and I suppose I'll just have to eat it. What a mess and what a shame. Dinix was great when I started with them and they had an exceptionally good reputation. I am very disappointed! PrairieRose
Posted by zzzz, 04-16-2005, 04:21 AM
and they start send bill for that terrible month , even the service back down again
Posted by PrairieRose, 04-16-2005, 04:34 AM
Hey there! Don't I know it! I am back down again tonight and can't get any tech support. I'm sure I won't get any until morning. Yesterday I got billed again and they still don't have my payments. I was wrong though, I sent it on the 15th and not the 9nth as I thought, but still they should have gotten it by now. It's been a month! PrairieRose
Posted by PP Host, 04-16-2005, 04:48 PM
My Dinix VPS came back on a week or so ago. I did not trust it for my client accounts, a few days ago I put a couple of my demo sites on it. Today its down again, Is this ever going to end? Am I the only one still having problems
Posted by PrairieRose, 04-16-2005, 06:58 PM
No, you are not the only one having problems. I don't know what's going on. Mine is still down and I have not heard from tech support, although I have heard from the billing department. They wanted me to cancel the check I sent them and write another but my check had been processed by my bank already on March26th. I don't know if it was coincidence or not but yesterday I updated apache and a couple of rpms manually. I rebooted apache after intalling the rpms and I couldn't get the site to come back up even though it said that httpd successfully restarted. Then I logged out of ssh for awhile and went and did something else. When I got back, I could no longer log into ssh. I wanted to try restarting apache from the command line to see if it would make a difference. I could get into ftp with one of my user's accounts but couldn't get in as root there either. Then the whole thing went down. Haven't been able to get mail or anything since. Sent emergency emails, etc. No response. I have never had a problem with updating apache or bind or any of those things so don't know what would be different about this time except maybe if the software was corrupt from the move. I could try installing a cp backup if I could get into ssh. Arghhhh!!!! I asked them for a refund as I have been down most of the time since they started the move. I have retained another server and as soon as that is installed and set up for me I will rebuild my site again. At least I have the backups. PrairieRose
Posted by Project X, 04-17-2005, 12:04 PM
jeeez, they just billed us again for service.... this is UNBELIEVABLE! i guess they missed not only the cancellation, but the fact that OUR ACCOUNTS ARE GONE!
Posted by aqi32, 04-17-2005, 02:48 PM
are people who cancelled getting billed still? i havent checked my statement yet, will do first thing in the morning.
Posted by labtest, 04-17-2005, 02:55 PM
I have a VPS with Dinix and indeed they are not responding to support requests and neither is WHP. WHP reps unhelpful and will only take messages to return calls which they do not return. Fortunately my VPS is up however, WHM/Cpanel license just expired. I am in the process of leaving them now and considering other providers. I would recommend anyone who is still with them to find another provider ASAP. I should have moved from them weeks ago.
Posted by aqi32, 04-17-2005, 03:16 PM
they don't seem to be doing much to repairing the damage done to their image.
Posted by Kaith Sutai-Rustaz, 04-17-2005, 03:38 PM
I received acknowledgement of my cancelation on the 7th, and that they'd reclaim the server the next day. A week later, I'm still getting reports from it (logwatch, etc). They've changed their support center and my old login no longer works. I have to wonder how long it'll take for them to take the box offline though.
Posted by mlindi, 04-17-2005, 07:39 PM
Hi kids - As I said before - the WHP/Dinix BlunderFest only caused me minor aggravation compared to some other folks. However, 32 hours of downtime is clearly unacceptable - heck the original figure of 11 hours is unacceptable. See below for recommended procedure. At any rate, I managed to back everything up over my measly DSL connection, I notified my clients that the server would be off-line for a physical move for 48 - 72 hours over the Black Weekend, made popcorn, crossed my fingers and waited. I looked like a hero to my clients when they were up in 32 hours. My total for unplanned work/aggravation was roughly 52 hours. So - being the understanding and patient sort of fellow that I am, I endured the whole thing and went merrily on my way. I took away a lesson in preparedness and life was good again. I submitted a request for accommodation for the down time and went about the business of cataloging my belly-button lint collection. OK then - here we are in the middle of the month of April and I get an invoice from Dinix requesting payment for the privilege of having been screwed without the benefit of intercourse. It would seem that they think that BlunderFest was a feature and I should be happy to have had the pleasure of the experience. Well then, fair being fair, I have prepared an invoice of my own detailing the 52 hours that I spent unnecessarily when I could have been re-arranging my sock drawer or something else. I have, of course, credited the server fee on the invoice. We'll see what happens. For what it's worth - all of the data on my Dinix server has been moved to a new server in a different location. The server was set up at the new location, the data migrated over the network, and lastly the DNS information was updated. Total downtime for the move was 3 or 4 femtoseconds - not 11, not 13, not 32 hours. All of that from a lowly hardware engineer. Of course, I had the help of a competent admin. The WHP MondoAcquisition Team could take a lesson there. *twits*
Posted by JenniH, 04-18-2005, 08:11 AM
I'll be putting our refund demand in very shortly. It should be interesting: we paid 2 years in advance 1 year ago.... so they owe us 1 years hosting fees! I will be asking for the full 2 years back, however: on the basis that we ordered 2 years hosting, and no reasonable person could possibly say that 2 weeks downtime is acceptable. We'll see how it goes.
Posted by aqi32, 04-18-2005, 10:01 AM
Good luck, keep us posted
Posted by JenniH, 05-07-2005, 01:14 PM
Well... we got a response from this outfit: "I am sorry webhostplus did not charge you anyting. We cant reverse the charge that we did not make. " So... they are point blank REFUSING to refund! They really are in the gutter. Incredible. They take over a firm and then try to be selective about which obligations they accept. Has anyone else had this problem? Any refunds obtained? Any refusals?
Posted by Stan Marsh, 05-07-2005, 04:03 PM
JenniH, I remember your posts from that HUGE Dinix thread and the peripetals you went through... And I just refuse to understand - haven't you contacted your lawyer yet? It's really beyond my understanding, sorry.
Posted by JenniH, 05-07-2005, 06:28 PM
We didn't do anything until we had all our data back. Since then we have: - contacted the BBB - opened a billing ticket requesting the refund. Only now have we actually had the response from them... which frankly disgusts me. Obviously the first thing to do is to check what has happened with others: which is why I am here now. Thereafter, we will certainly invest resources in dealing with WHP.
Posted by clotyc, 05-08-2005, 07:05 PM
Well I would certainly try harder to get a refund.. Buying a company not only buys its assets but its debt... Seriously sounds like you got stuck with a fly by night operation... A very sad icing on the cake of one the largest tragedies in web hosting history.
Posted by Stan Marsh, 05-09-2005, 12:30 AM
My thoughts exactly.