Friends,

I am going to start my new project called "Desi-Dudes". With this project, all the web hosting companies in INDIA will be exposed. Let me explain the process below :

I will do a Google search : " India Web Hosting" . I will take a list of companies from the out put of my Google search
1) From my list I will first do a "nslookup" to the websites of the companies. If the result is from an IP with in India, my rating will be +5. If the IP is not from India, my rating will be -5. If they spacifically say that they host their servers in other Countries the the Points = 0.

2) If they claim that they own their DC, and I prove that they are wrong : FAIL = -10, PASS = +10 ( i.e Either they do not claim that they own their DC or they accept that the servers are co-located by some other DC or they truly own thier DC)

3) I will contact the customer support (Live chat / Phone call / Support E-mail) To ask the details about their Hosting Plan that I am interested in. If the plans are Unlimited/Un-metered I will add them to my Stress test list. If the list their plans Honestly I will add them to Normal-Test result.

4) Stress Test : There is no such thing as Un-limited or Unmetered. Any thing on this earch should have been limited. If any one claims that we are offering Unlimited / Un-metered, that product should be tested.

4a) Disk space : I will read their TOS/AUP . If it case hidden limits that limits my use of space ( Your file should be at least X-MB in size or you can store only X-number of files, then it should be bogus). I will give -5 in my rating. If they do not have such rules in their TOS/AUP then they must be honest ( At least on their rules). I will create big files or Legitimately download or upload legal DVD ISO files to my hosting account. If they found my Testing, and suspend or terminate my account a straight -10 in my rating.

4b) will read their TOS/AUP . If it case hidden limits that limits my use of space ( You can only download/upload X-MB in size or you can upload/download only X-number of files, after X-amount of bandwidth your bandwidth will be reduced to Y mbps, then it should be bogus). A Legitimate provider should allow me to upload/download as much as I can, after all they offer unlimited/un-metered bandwidth ! is not it ? pASS = +10 , FAIL = -10

4c) They should not care about the domain that I am Hosting. I may be using my subdomain or I may be using a co.cc (or what ever) domain. It is my own freedom to use what-ever the domain I wish use. I am using only thier hosting space. So if they limit their enforcement upto that point I am OK. PASS = +10 FAIL= -10

5) Normal Testing : What ever the bandwidth or Disk space limit they propose in the hosting plan , I will use up to that point. There is no point in saying 100TB for 100 Rupees. Is n't it ? PASS = +10 FAIL = -10

6) SPAM blacklist : If any of the IP (mail IP or Hosting IP) allocated to me is already in RBL then PASS = +10, FAIL = -10

7) Support Response Time : the Time they tool to respond my Tickets : <5 hours = PASS = +5, >10 hours = FAIL = -5

8) System Uptime : >99% = PASS = +10 , < 99% = -10 ( Uptime in minutes Per month )

9) Customer Satisfaction : If their support team's technical ability is satisfactory PASS = +10 , FAIL = -10.

10) They offer much for what very they charge me for ( Fantastico/Softacolus/any-simple-script installer = +2.5, SEO assistance or Search engine submission assistance/tools = +2.5 , Site builder tools +2.5, Caching (WP-super-cache or any database based caching +2.5.

Overall score : Sum of all scores

> 70 = Will be given Honest hosts of India award from my Website. 70 - 60 Not-so-good-Host from India, < 60 = Hosting Scam of India. All the Hosting Company sites will be listed alsong with the proof in my site.

BTW what is my Site name : That is suspense. I will post it during my review rating in this thread.

Very good comprehend way of testing any web hosting company. Too bad to think from the angle of a webhosting company.

Some questions from my part,
How will you test the caching in the server? wp caches are specific to wordpress and it is purely user choice, DB cache is purely from system provider but hw will you test it?

Why do you think no of files in the hosting server are its space shouldn't be limited?

(15-02-2011 12:34 AM)Rajeev Wrote:  Very good comprehend way of testing any web hosting company. Too bad to think from the angle of a webhosting company.

Some questions from my part,
How will you test the caching in the server? wp caches are specific to wordpress and it is purely user choice, DB cache is purely from system provider but hw will you test it?

Why do you think no of files in the hosting server are its space shouldn't be limited?

1) Wp-cache or wp-supercache : some hosting companies are known for not allowing this. Because during the cache building process, the server may use high load ( Only when the site is too dynamic and the large number of pages). I agree that it is about the user's choice. But some hosts do not allow this.

2) When they advertise : Unlimited or un-metered, It should be pure unlimited ( No restricted in number of files or per file size)/unmetered (when it is not metered, why should you count my files or per file size)

Is it making any sense.... ?

Now .........

Stage 1 : NSlookup ( A test to verify the network ownership of the webhost and verifying the same with the information from their web site)

I Googled exactly for the phrase "India Web Hosting"

Top 10 match for "India Web Hosting" ( Including Google Advertisements)

First 3 results are Google Ads The rest are Search results

1) hioxindia.com
2) ewebguru.com
3) hostbig.com
4) znetindia.com
5) indiawebhosting.com
6) hosting.b4uindia.com
7) ideastack.com
8) manashosting.com
9) hosting.india.to
10) ibeehosting.com
11) host.co.in
12) webhost18.com
13) web-host-india.com


NSlookup Results :

hioxindia.com = 74.200.85.17 ( Ip owned by: Virtacore Systems Inc,Ashburn, VA, USA)
Notes : From hioxindia.com/faq/index.php "Serving Indian customer from coimbatore, chennai, hyderabad, kerela, mumbai, bangalore, delhi, kolkata, pune, ahmedabad, ....."
Result: FAIL (-5)

ewebguru.com = 67.227.210.113 ( IP owned by: Liquid Web, Inc. Lansing, MI, USA)
Notes : From their mail page "Currently we are maintaining more than 1000 domain in our server of different companies of India and abroad and giving satisfactory support."
Result : Neutral (0)

hostbig.com = 67.23.226.213 ( IP owned by : HostDime.com, Inc, USA)
Notes : From hostbig.com/data_center_and_network.php they accept that they are from USA and also the owner of the domain is from Long Island, NY.
I really don't know, why they advertise targeting Indian customers.
Result : Neutral (0)

znetindia.com = 173.193.215.21 ( Ip owned by ZNet Technologies Pvt Ltd, Jaipur Rajasthan, INDIA)
result : PASS (+5) Jai ho INDIA

indiawebhosting.com = 208.115.38.210 ( IP owned by WorldIndia, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA)
Notes : Contact us says they are from INDIA, Web site name says indiawebhosting.com, But IP is from the US. They don't deserve to be a Host fro Indian customers. They don't even mention that their servers are from the US.

hosting.b4uindia.com = 115.124.104.42 ( IP from India)
host.co.in = 115.124.121.5 (IP from India)
Notes : Both these two sites are owned by same company. hence forth in my reviews, my rating will be averaged for both the two sites. Advantages and disadvantages are equal. Still I need your views on this.

Result : PASS (+5)

ideastack.com = 184.154.46.3 ( IP owned by Single HOP, USA)
Notes : No where they mention that they host the server from the US. Also there is no information about their infrastructure.

Result : Neutral (0) No information about Location of the server. I should have given a FAIL for this site. This is worser than mentioning a wrong location. They seems to be using the innocence of Indian Hosting Customers.


manashosting.com = 174.121.137.82 ( Ip owned by The planet(softlayer) US)
Notes : No where they mention that they host the server from the US. Also there is no information about their infrastructure.

hosting.india.to = 67.225.247.154 ( owned by Liquidweb, USA) and 173.199.133.120 (owned by Cogswell Enterprises Inc, USA).
Notes : When I check this site, For every link on this website, the site was showing a "Suspended Page" . That means that they do not own the server. They are just a reseller hosting customer from a Cpanel host and also they had been suspended by their Host.

I feel pity for the customers of hosting.india.to.

Result : FAIL ( -100) till they get their site back online.


ibeehosting.com = 174.36.180.215 ( IP owned by ZipServers Inc, USA a reseller of Softlayer)
Result : Neutral (0) No info about infrastructure.

webhost18.com = 96.30.26.72 ( Ip owned by wiredtree, USA)
Result : Neutral (0). No info about infrastructure.

Result summary : Only znetindia.com and host.co.in (plus hosting.b4uindia.com) passes this Test. Majority of the Hosting companies are hiding the information from their customers.

Moral of the Story :
1) To the Hosting Companies : If you do not own the servers convey this to your customers up front. If you collocate, there is no harm in it. One of the world largest web hosting company is still co locating their servers in another DC. If you have leases one or more servers from the US or EU, again no harm in informing this to your customers. If you are a reseller from another server owner, directly or in-directly inform this to your customers. After all your Customers are believing that their site is in safe-hands of yours.

2) To the Hosting customers : Stay tuned for the remaining 9 tests from me and also beware of the Hosts whom you trust to host your Data.

NSLOOKUP itself revealed major heart break to companies, Lets see what else come out.

@barry Good work man.

This project is going to make a great impact on fake Web Hosting companies in India
Awaiting for the results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very Good Test indeed Barry ! keep up with your Good work.
If you are True in your analysis ( I hope It is ), Lot of Hosting companies will be exposed. Awaiting for your next round of testing.