Need information on reseller plans

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Posted by judith, 06-08-2003, 11:04 AM
I have a couple of shared hosting plans, which work fine for some of the sites I manage, but now need to be looking at reseller plans. I can't find a real description anywhere of how the different types of plans work. What is "bulk hosting", for example? Is there anywhere I can go to get a full description of how each type plan operates? I have had to learn the hard way - by purchasing plans and then discovering, for example, that frontpage extensions don't work so well with the addon domains. I am no technical wiz but learn quickly.
Posted by DirectAdmin, 06-08-2003, 11:29 AM
Hi Judith, The types of reselling and the terminology used can vary greatly, so hopefully myself and the other people replying to your post can help you figure things out. There are generally two types of reseller plans: #1 - You resell hosting packages for another host (e.g. you sell a 100meg/5 gig account at $9.99/month and you pay the host $4.99/month for it). #2 - You have a big reseller account on a server with lots of space and bandwidth, and you create as many sites as you want using this pool of resources. This type of reseller account is preferred because you have complete control over features, resource allocation, selling price, etc. Usually, the features you have with your reseller account (e.g. FrontPage) can be assigned to your customers without issue. Each host is different, so shop around. Mark
Posted by jabezhosting, 06-08-2003, 01:36 PM
Judith, Direct Admin is absolutely correct. Things vary greatly and it depends on what you're looking for. You can "sell as you go" or get a plan with a preset amount of space and domains. As far as things like FrontPage extensions a good re-seller should provide you with a reseller control panel that allows you to select what options you give your clients. You simply choose not to turn on FrontPage extensions, for example, if they don't need it. Either way you go you should get the reseller panel. With most you can "private label" your customers control panel so the main host is anonymous. A few even provide anonymous support for you. Edit - Another thought, I would stay away from resellers that are reselling reseller accounts (whew). Make sure they own or lease the entire server.
Posted by judith, 06-08-2003, 01:55 PM
jabez..you said: Edit - Another thought, I would stay away from resellers that are reselling reseller accounts (whew). Make sure they own or lease the entire server. How do you find this out?
Posted by judith, 06-08-2003, 01:57 PM
Thank you both, good answers. But back to my original question. Is there a place where I can see what is involved in the bulk hosting method, for example? What does it look like, how does it work? A web site that provides something like a tutorial (but not extensive) on how reselling options work.
Posted by bonnmac, 06-08-2003, 02:03 PM
Well, it can be difficult but you can check whois and see where and who the server is with. Check nameservers, registar etc. Most of all ask questions. You can check demo's of the major control panels at their sites. It will give you an idea of how they work. http://directadmin.com http://cpanel.net http://ensim.com http://plesk.com
Posted by jabezhosting, 06-08-2003, 02:11 PM
Not always easy. First I would ask. You can also get some idea by checking the whois info on nameservers. DNS Stuff If you checked ours for instance they would come back registered to Jabez Net. The IP's would show assigned to Servepath (where we lease some servers). Of course some hosts allow resellers to register their own nameservers. And some hosts use leased nameservers (such as ns1.servepath.com) because they don't want to setup their own. Most times I would tell by comparing DNS information, their website, plans they offer etc. I'd like to give a definitive answer but I don't think there is one. Alot of control panels only go down 1 level for resellers. So a reseller selling these services may not be able to offer a control panel where you can setup accounts. Sorry wish I could give a better answer. Maybe someone else has suggestion.
Posted by jabezhosting, 06-08-2003, 02:28 PM
You might want to look at http://www.demodemo.com/hostingtutorials.html They have some nice Flash demos that they sell to hosts.
Posted by okihost, 06-08-2003, 02:31 PM
The only way to be 100% sure they are not resellers reselling reseller packages is to ask them and as you know they could always lie to you. You safest bet is to find a provider who has been around for 2-3 years and has a good reputation and you should not have to worry. You usually get into trouble when you go looking for everything for nothing aka 'WHT Special'. As long as you are willing to pay a fair price for service and do a little bit of research on the host you should be ok.
Posted by Martie, 06-08-2003, 02:42 PM
You might find http://www.resellerconnection.com/ a good place to get info on different types of reseller plans, and resources in general.
Posted by judith, 06-08-2003, 02:49 PM
Great suggestions. I am really grateful to you all. I will check those sites out, and I am determined this time to check and recheck any hosts I am considering. Thanks so much.