For anyone not aware of our affiliate scheme it’s a great opportunity to earn money by recommending us with a simple link to us on your website, in discussions with friends or using other methods to spread the word. With us paying up to a whopping £75 per client, the more you refer the more you earn!

Please see our Webhosting Affiliate page for further details and sign up instructions.

After a testing period and gathering client feedback in our forum we have decided to remove Fantastico and replace it with a similar application called Softaculous.

Softaculous comes with many great features including:

* install and maintain 200 scripts (four times the number in Fantastico)
* test a demo of scripts before installing
* much faster release of updates
* view ratings of other users and submit your own
* automatically import installations previously done with Fantastico

After the change to Softaculous, any scripts previously installed via Fantastico will be imported to Softaculous where they can continue to be updated and maintained. The Fantastico link will be removed from cPanel’s and be replaced with one marked Softaculous. We have new Softaculous tutorials available to view.

The work does not cause any downtime and does not affect files or scripts in any user home directory.

Incoming transfers for .uk domains have always been free and the half price promo will be extended to incoming transfers of other extensions too.  Therefore, now is the time to get any new domains or renewals processed to take advantage of this large discount.

No extra steps are required to get the lower prices as our ordering system will handle this automatically.  To see the full price list see our domain web page.

To order order a registration/renewal/transfer please use our regular order form.

Server Power

Our previous VPS systems were always aimed at those who require the features of a dedicated server but not the power of a full dedicated. This was ideal for those with very low power requirements but needed a customised configuration or software installation. However, as times have changed, so has the resource requirements of server software both in terms of operating systems and control panels along with web applications commonly used on websites. This change means that resource limits can be hit on VPS’s much sooner resulting in an unstable system if measures are not taken such as reducing resource requirements of websites or upgrading to a larger specification.

With our Managed vServers this should no longer be an issue because these are aimed at those wanting a low cost entry into dedicated hosting with the performance being the same (actually better) than a full dedicated server of the same specification. With much larger RAM (starting at 1 GB) which is truly guaranteed and set aside for each VPS along with guaranteed CPU resources (starting at 2.0 Ghz) our vServers will act and perform just like a full dedicated server of this specification, especially as we have will never have more than 10 vServers hosted on a single node (less in the case of larger specs). Furthermore, with a change to the underlying virtualisation software in use on vServers they are now truly virtualised bringing complete isolation of resources and allocations as opposed to our previous VPS’s which were closer to a ‘jailed OS’ rather than true virtualisation.

Management

Due to the lower cost of our 1st/2nd Gen VPS servers we had to provide a cut back management package as standard with our more intensive hands on management not possible to provide for the low cost. While this went against one of our founding principles of being a totally fully managed provider we decided on this so that the services could be priced lower.

With our new vServers we have gone back to our roots with our 100% Proactive full management included as standard. This includes the monitoring of 24 services with proactive reaction should anything be flagged, 24/7 support with everything that comes with the vServer, full integration with our email cluster and DNS clustering along with full backup management in the form of data being kept on our off server SAN systems.

All of the management and extra features included with our vServer is the same as is included with our dedicated hosting also which bridges the gap between VPS and dedicated hosting and very much lowers the cost of entry into dedicated hosting.

Email & DNS Clustering

These features have been standard on our shared/reseller systems for some time and have recently been rolled out to dedicated servers. I can confirm that they are also standard on our Managed vServers.

Our email cluster is a customised system of multiple machines responsible for accepting all incoming email and running it through the spam and virus scanning. Once deemed clean the email is handed over to the main hosting server and added to the user inbox. Not only does this bring a much better rate of spam detection, it also takes all the resources associated with spam detection away from the hosting server which can be significant.

All DNS is handled by our geographically diverse (as per RFC standards) machines which take the responsibility of keeping DNS zones updated from hosting servers then serving the DNS requests outside of the main hosting machine. Not only does this reduce load on the hosting machine, it also (and critically) brings total redundancy for the DNS service so that zones will always be online and available even in the case of vServer reboot or downtime (meaning email will still flow and be queued on the email cluster until the vServer is back online). In addition, those that manage their email using a third party Exchange server of GoogleMail will be unaffected by any downtime or reboots to the vServer due to DNS remaining online throughout.

Summary

With the vs-1 being less than half the cost of our lowest specification/priced dedicated server we believe our Managed vServer is ideal for those requiring more powerful hosting without the extreme power (and higher cost) of a full dedicated server. With this lower cost of entry into dedicated hosting it also opens up more options for those currently on a dedicated server they are only using a fraction of resources on because costs can be saved by changing to a vServer with no downgrade in performance whatsoever.

As a final note, current clients on one of our older VPS servers (vps-X or vz-X) can remain on these as long as they wish and no forced changes will be imposed. In addition, we are keeping our old VPS specifications and prices (vz-X) available to all current VPS clients for upgrades and downgrades as they wish.

For further info about our vServer specifications see our vServer webpage.

While the protection of sensitive data has always been important, the new powers available to the Information Commissioner are a big reminder that it should be treated seriously by all businesses who hold sensitive data about customers. For those running a website which holds such data or handles online transactions it is important to make sure everything is being done in a secure and conscientious manner to help avoid problems in the long term.

For clients using our services we are always happy to advise and provide solutions in several different areas:

1. Server location

If your business is based within the EU and handles customer data it is much better to be hosted on a server within the same region. If your website is hosted outside of the EU extra procedures are required while handling your Data Protection registration.

We are able to provide both UK based and USA based hosting services allowing customers to chose a server location closest and more convenient.

2. Software Security

If your website takes orders or stores data online it is very important to keep your scripts and software up to date. Over time, exploits can be discovered in third party applications which can lead to major security issues. To avoid this we always recommend staying aware of updates to the software in use and making sure to carry out upgrades when available, especially in the case of security updates.

3. SSL Encryption

If your site gathers sensitive information from users such as payment information, names, addresses, etc it is advisable to have this done using a secure SSL website connection. As well as encrypting the data passed through the connection. having that locked padlock in the browser goes a long way for customer confidence.

We can provide SSL certificates from £20.00 per year to existing hosting clients and those hosting elsewhere. For those already hosting with us we can take care of the whole process involved with installing the certificate on your behalf.

4. PCI Compliance

If you handle customer payments on your website you are required to be PCI compliant. This is a detailed set of tests and scans on your website to make sure that it is not exposing vulnerability or at risk of security issues. Having PCI compliance is also useful for those storing sensitive data online to make sure the website and server are secure and increase customer confidence.

We can assist with the whole process involved with being PCI compliant. You will require a managed vServer or dedicated server package (not available to shared/reseller hosting) which we can customise to your requirements so that all PCI scans pass. In the event of any issues with the first scan we will examine the results report and work to resolve each one by applying various settings and tweaks to our standard server configuration.

This is just a small selection of the issues involved with running a website and handling sensitive data online. We are always happy to advise clients on this topic so you can be sure that your websites are hosted in a stable and secure environment allowing you to concentrate on running your business!

In case anyone is looking for a quick laugh feel free to look back through our history of websites and the website designs that we used to have that now look rather dated!

Clook Internet @ Archive.org

Thank you to all of our valued clients (past and present) for helping us get this far!

We’ve had a few sales enquiries about our HP Blade dedicated servers that ask whether these are based on shared servers, virtualised machines or share resources between them. Upon following this up it would appear that an un-named, so called “competitor” has been putting the word out that this is what a “blade server” amounts to.

We had a good laugh about this over at Clook HQ and can only assume that said “competitor” either suffers from a severe lack of knowledge about the industry in which they operate OR employs the tactic of lying to try and get the sale. We’re still trying to decide which is worse!

To clear up any confusion we’d like to publicly state that our Blade Dedicated Servers are in no way virtualised or based on shared hardware in any way. Technically there are shared elements in that they are powered and cooled by PSU’s and fans within the blade enclosure itself but all server components such as CPU(s), RAM, hard drives, main board, etc are all contained within each blade chassis just like older style rackmount (or even desktop) server hardware. Blades used for our dedicated server line are not clustered or linked together in any kind of resource pooling way.

Blade technology is a fairly new development in hardware design allowing servers to fit into a smaller space and use less power meaning that we can get more servers per rack with less harm to the environment (by using less power). In addition, due to all components coming together as one package from the vendor (in our case, HP) the machines are considerably more stable and last a lot longer in full use.

This comes at a cost though with this kind of enterprise level hardware costing quite a bit more than cheaper, home built servers. While this does affect our costs we feel it’s money well worth paying in return for the much better stability we get in return along with the lower stress levels involved with having servers online performing well instead of broken, unstable or in urgent need of replacement (causing customer downtime throughout).

For anyone wanting more information about blade servers, and to see a picture of the exact blades and enclosures we use (HP c7000 Enclosure full of BL460c blades) please see the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Server

For more information, please see: http://www.clook.co.uk/services/promotions/competitor-discount/

Even if you are a web designer or agency who already has a reseller account up and running, you should always be on the lookout for the best possible reseller hosting services to give you the results that you desire. If you think about it, your business is constantly growing so it is imperative that you have a good, reputable online service that will bring your website and your business to a whole other level

With the inception of the internet, businesses have been popping up everywhere online. If you pair your business offerings with a hosting company that can serve you properly, then you are sure to see incredible results. Clook is a company that has all of the reseller hosting services and support that you could want all rolled into convenient packages. Whether you are looking for hosting, reseller hosting domain names or a number of services, you basically have everything that you need right at your fingertips.

For example, you can look at the reseller hosting package. Now, this particular Clook package offers customers such as web designers and agencies the chance to host sites on behalf of third parties. If you have sufficient space on your hard drive and bandwidth you can be making profits from hosting other party’s sites!

Reseller hosting packages vary in shapes and sizes. Generally the best reseller hosting packages will offer you total anonymity along with additional extras such as free billing software and a free offline network account. You should also look for the basics such as speed, accuracy and technical support. Remember, you are going to be appearing as the host to your clients so any problems are going to come down as the first point of contact.

The advantage to Clook reseller hosting sites is that you don’t actually have to run the e-business sites by yourself. Web designers and agencies profit by providing a service and as long as that service is of a high quality there is no reason why you shouldn’t turn a good profit.

Take the time to do some research on the types of businesses and sites that you would like to host. Areas that you may have experience or interests are good places to start. You will also have to research pricing; how to stay competitive as well as fair. Even if you already have your own online business, you can still think of taking on the role as the host. With a little bit of help from the Clook reseller hosting package the sky can literally be the limit for any web designer or agency.