Great Hosting, Average Service
Written: Oct 26 '00 (Updated Oct 26 '00)
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Pros: Reliable and a lot of services
Cons: Customer Service can be Frustrating
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| cutlernj's Full Review: OLM |
I've got a Reseller's Account with OLM, I've had this acount for 4 months and previously had a regular account for 6 months. I'm a CGI programmer using mySQL so I have generally tested the full features of this hosting service.
The Facts
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OLM is a massive network. They have a huge amount of servers.
OLM constantly upgrades their servers to the latest technology.
Customer Service is a Web based system, where you ask your questions and all questions must be made through the web.
Most accounts from OLM has a lot of features. Plenty of web space, many services such as counters, pre-built scripts etc.
They offer both shared hosting and dedicated hosting.
MySQL comes free with second to lowest cost accounts.
You have 1 cron job available. (Time execution scripts)
All accounts have a cgi-bin directory where all scripts must be put (scripts can't be put in just any directory)
All accounts come with a secure server. This is linked directly to your cgi-bin directory so there's no seperate server to upload the scripts.
All accounts come with a control panel which can control all services, even allow you to add new features such as mailing lists and databases.
OLM has a complete manual for almost all of it's services. More advanced services are not documented and must be asked.
WML documents are somewhat supported. (Wireless)
There is a startup cost of $25, but paying for a year eliminates this cost.
OLM offers both regular and e-commerce accounts.
OLM supports both Unix and NT solutions, however NT is only supported for dedicated service plans.
Their website provides detailled information about all their services and plans.
The Pros
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You get a lot of web storage with all accounts. Definately more then most services and the cost isn't too much for the amount of space you get.
I found there was no problems whatsoever with the speed of the servers, they execute complex scripts and the bandwidth is enough for fast delivery of web pages to the surfers.
The Secure Server is definately a nice way of having one. It is not a seperate server, it reads the same directory as your web directory, you simply call it by a different address. This means you only have to perform a few tweaks to get it working.
I have not experienced any down time at all for the WWW service. I did however found once that the FTP server was down for about an hour.
The services offered are extremely comprehensive. Add mailing lists, email, FTP and mySQL databases. You can also add a variety of e-commerce services even if you do not have an e-commerce plan.
The Cons
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Customer Service can be quite frustrating. They'll answer simple questions, but when more complex questions are asked, they tend to make you do the run around and quite often don't read the question correctly.
I found a few drawbacks with the mySQL system they have. They haven't upgraded to the newest one, so on occasion there can be a few bugs that appear and cause problems.
Although most services are documented in the online manual. I found the more advanced features have to be asked and can take awhile to sort out.
OLM does not have unlimited bandwidth for surfers. For a really busy website you may find yourself spending extra for the bandwidth you use over that of what your plan offers.
In Conclusion
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I've been really impressed with OLM, It is a reliable service that delivers what it says it will. I've had fairly bad experiences in the past where they have not delivered it so it's quite nice to finally find one that will.
Generally speaking this service is a little bit more expensive then some others, but I've found when your not sure if you're going to need the more advanced features like mySQL, you usually end up needing it in the end.
If you're looking for the cheapest entry level account this is probably not for you, but if you're not exactly sure what services you'll need, this can be a great solution.
I've outlined the features and drawbacks of OLM for you, some may find the drawbacks too serious to consider. But for most I do feel confident that you won't be dissapointed.
For more information, visit http://www.olm.net
Recommended:
Yes
Monthly fees (US$): 18.95
Platform used: Linux
Hosted on Secure Server: Yes
Database used: MySQL
Main focus of Web site: Database/Lists
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Epinions.com ID:
cutlernj
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Member: Neil Cutler
Location: Cowichan Bay, BC
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 32 members
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