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1) What do you mean by a virtual server?

A virtual server is a system in which a single machine will resolve multiple IP addresses. This allows a single machine to act as many separate systems.

The design of the Virtual Server System is to maximize customer's use, control, and design of their own site. This is quite unlike "Virtual Hosting", such as Apache and others, which merely spoofs the domain name of a company to point to a subdirectory of a server controlled by someone else.

2) What kind of hit volume can an the virtual server support?

The virtual server system is designed to handle a small to medium hit load (under 30,000 hits a day). If a site begins to receive over 30,000 hits a day web page response will begin to be effected. For web sites expecting large number of hits they should consider purchasing a dedicated server. Dedicated servers can accommodate well over 1 million hits a day.

3) At what speed will my server be connected to the Internet?

The Virtual Server has 2 DS3 Internet connections. The speed of this connection is 45 Mbits/sec. A DS3 is about 27 times faster than a T1 (1.5 Mbits/sec). Each server is connected to the hub by a 10 Mbits/sec Ethernet connection. As of October 1, 1996 the DS3 was still below 30% utilization.

4) How many virtual servers are located on 1 host system?

There are usually 60-80 virtual servers per host system. The load on the host systems are closely monitored to have a aggregate hit count of 250,000-500,000 hits a day. At this level the server load is keep significantly below the capacity of the system.

5) How many accounts does iServer currently have?

As of October 1, 1996, iServer had over 3,500 virtual server accounts and several dedicated servers. Obviously the number of servers changes daily.

6) How long does it take to register a domain name?

The time taken to process a domain names varies greatly from week to week. Currently new ".com" names are taking about 2-3 weeks. Until the domain name registration process is complete the server can be accessed using the name http://.iserver.com. For example, "http://yourcompany.iserver.com".

7) Is there a support manual or online support resources?

Yes. See technical questions section below.

8) How do I subscribe to the news list?

Send an E-mail to majordomo@wylie1.com with the message "subscribe news " followed by your E-mail address. Repeat this in the body of the E-mail. Once you've subscribed you'll receive updates about our service and new features that we've begun to offer.

FAQ Outline

1) How much do the virtual servers cost?

Server A: 25 MB HTML server with E-mail aliasing.
Setup: $85 Monthly: $100

Server B: 75 MB HTML server with E-mail aliasing, POP E-mail server, anonymous and multi-user FTP.
Setup: $130 Monthly: $130

2) How much does a dedicated server cost?

Server D: Dedicated server running on Pentium 133 with BSD UNIX O/S.
Setup: $800 Monthly: $1250

There are more details about dedicated server pricing in the Dedicated Server Questions section of this FAQ.

3) Will there be a price increase in the future?

We don't anticipate any price increases until at least next year.

FAQ Outline

1) How do I order?

Order the server at the online order form at our web site. You can place your credit card number on the order form itself, fax it to us, or call it in.

2) How do I switch my site from another ISP to SurfTexas?

The first step in switching an existing web site is to order the virtual server. The order form is available directly at the SurfTexax home page. Once the server has been ordered you will receive from SurfTexas a DNS modification request form. This form should be forwarded on to InterNIC. A change of request for an existing DNS name MUST be done by the customer. SurfTexas can only process NEW DNS request forms without the aid of the customer. You can use the time during which InterNIC is processing the DNS modification to transfer your web page to your new virtual server.

3) How do I order an additional domain name for a server?

Send E-mail to domain@wylie1.com. For registering additional domains, the charge is $50 per domain.

FAQ Outline

1) Can I have a client with their own domain on my server?

You can have multiple domains resolve to one virtual sserver. In addition you can do virtual subhosting for these domain names

FAQ Outline

1) What are the costs and when do they start?

When paying by credit card the setup fee will be charged to your card when the server is first ordered. When paying by check order processing begins on receipt of the setup fee and a deposit equivalent to one month of service. With both payment options, there is a 10 day processing period from receipt of the setup fee before monthly charges will begin. After the 10 day period, you will be charged for the remainder of that month or remaining months of the billing period.

The monthly charge varies for each type of server. All future billings will be made at the first of the month or billing period. Prices are subject to changes in our costs, but are guaranteed through your paid billing period.

2) How can I pay for my virtual server?

SerfTexas strongly recommends that you pay for your virtual server with a credit card. Payment with a credit card will ensure that your account is never accidentally deactivated due to lost mail or other problems. The reactivation charge is $50. Accounts payed by credit card are charged monthly. SurfTexas accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express.

For accounts paying by check the setup fee and equivalent one month service deposit must be received at our office before the order will be processed. All invoices are E-mailed monthly at the beginning of the payment period. Payments are due no later than 10 days from the date of the invoice at the first of the billing period. All accounts overdue 30 days or more will be disabled until payment is received.

3) What if I cancel my account?

The setup fee is non-refundable. If a customer cancels within the 10 day processing period there will be no other charges. If a customer cancels after the 10 day processing period they will be charged for the full month ($50 + 1 month fee).

4) What if I want to upgrade/downgrade to another server?

This is no problem just send an e-mail to billing@wylie1.com stating your name, domain name, and the server you are on along with your preference to upgrade or downgrade and the change will be made. You will also be charged $80 for the change.

FAQ Outline

1) What is SSL and "Netscape" encryption?

As an add-on feature, SurfTexas offers secure socket layer (SSL), frequently referred to as "Netscape" encryption. This allows a Netscape browser to communicate with your virtual server in a secure SSL encrypted session. It is often used to securely transfer credit card numbers and other sensitive information.

2) What is the cost for this feature?

There is a one time setup fee for installing SSL on a virtual server. This is in addition to the regular initial server setup cost. The monthly fee for the encryption is $50. In addition you should consider purchasing from Verisign a digital certificate (see questions 6-9). The cost for the digital certificate is $290 for the first year and $90 for each year thereafter.

3) Can I order encryption after my server has been setup?

SSL can be added at any time to a virtual or dedicated server.

4) How long does it take to setup encryption?

SSL can be added to the server the same day it is ordered. Until a new digital certificate is ordered Internet Server's certificate will be used as the default certificate. Until a new certificate arrives a warning message will appear on the client's machine warning them that the certificate does not match the web pages URL. Technically, if you do not mind the warning message you do not need to purchase a new certificate.

5) What additional information will SurfTexas need to setup encryption?

To add encryption SurfTexas only needs to know the DNS name associated with the virtual server. You will need to provide directly to Verisign additional documentation for ordering the digital certificate.

6) What does a digital certificate do?

A server uses a digital certificate to prove it's authenticity. The digital certificate established a legal relationship between a legitimate company and their web site. For example, if I go to Novell's web page and decrypt their digital certificate it legally proves that this web site is authorized by Novell (or whoever's name is actually in the digital certificate).

7) What information will I need to provide to Verisign to get a certificate?

In order to purchase a certificate you must provide to Verisign a signed copy of either a business license or articles of incorporation. You must also supply a signed copy of the Verisign web masters form letter. The cost for a certificate is $290 for the first year and $90 for each year afterwards. More information on digital certificates is available at URL http://www.verisign.com.

8) What if I want additional licenses/certificates for other web sites I support?

Only if the domain name is registered to your company may the same license be used for multiple sites. In this case, each additional certificate is only an additional $90/year.

9) How do I order a digital certificate?

In order to avoid potential problems it is best to coordinate ordering certificates with SurfTexas. Currently SurfTexas is working on an online certificate order form. Until this form is complete requests for certificates should be sent to sales@wylie1.com for processing. Certificate processing takes about 7-10 days.

10) How do I activate SSL?

In order to activate SSL you simply change the URL to read https instead of http. Please see the "Netscape" encryption key on the SurfTexas home page for an example.

FAQ Outline

The virtual server system is a great solution for sites with low to medium traffic. If a site begins to receive a large number of hits (30,000+ a day) performance of their virtual server will begin to slow down and you should consider upgrading to a dedicated server. SurfTexas has a dedicated server option with a proven hardware configuration under very high traffic situations.

2) What is the cost for a dedicated server?

The setup fee for a dedicated server is $800. The Unix operating software will be included, but this server does not include virtual server configurations. Any special software would be the responsibility of the customer. The monthly charge for bandwidth is $1,250 for a direct connection to a hub on the DS3.

A minimum of 3 months service fees plus the setup fee is required before processing an order for a dedicated server (A minimum total of $4550). The order processing time is 3 weeks and is not considered part of your monthly charges. There are no volume discounts.

Should you cancel before the first three months are up, you will not receive a refund of the service fees.

Special arrangements to use your existing hardware may be possible. Those and other questions should be addressed to sales@wylie1.com.

3) Who owns the hardware for the server and what happens if I cancel?

The hardware belongs to SurfTexas unless other special arrangements are made. SurfTexas is responsible for the hardware maintenance and service subject to service contracts and other agreements.

If you wish to cancel you must give a 2 week notification to billing@wylie1.com. You will receive a prorated refund of unused monthly charges. If you wish to deactivate you must give a 2 week notification to billing@wylie1.com. You will receive a prorated refund of unused monthly charges within 2 weeks of deactivation. There is no refund of setup fees to deactivate. A 2 week notification, receipt of $250 reactivation fee and a minimum of 3 months connection fees are required to reactivate a dedicated server.

4) Are there any other costs other than setup and connection fees?

There are additional costs for backup services if so desired. There are no other required costs, except as described above or by special arrangements.

5) Who controls the server?

The customer remotely controls their dedicated server. It is recommended that the customer provide SurfTexas with the root password to the server, but it is not required.

6) What service is included with my monthly fee?

The monthly fee covers the first five hours of service per month required for your server. After the first five hours per month, service will be billed to you at the rate of $125 / hour.

7) What is the configuration of the dedicated server?

The dedicated servers have a 133Mhz Pentium CPU, 32 meg RAM, 4 gig mirrored hard drive, BSDI BSD Unix 2.1 O/S, and NCSA httpd web server software.

8) Is Windows NT available on the dedicated server?

We don't offer a Windows NT dedicated server because we feel that BSDI Unix O/S is a far more robust operating system. See http://www.bsdi.com/info/nt-comparison.html for more details.

FAQ Outline

Please note that most technical questions are answered by an online technical support FAQ located on our web site. See page (home.html). Any other specific technical questions should be directed to support@wylie1.com.

1) How is the server maintained?

Maintenance of the server is done completely by the client. We give you full Telnet and FTP access to your server and access to an online SurfTexas administrator's handbook beginning with notification by E-mail of your processed order. This 60+ page manual describes the configuration of your virtual server. You will later receive a hardcopy manual by mail with each order.

2) Do I have Shell privileges?

Yes. Maintenance of the server is done via both Telnet and FTP. The login name and password for the shell is supplied in your server configuration information contained within your E-mail notification of your processed order.

3) How do I get my web page stats?

Each virtual server comes with a program called GETSTATS which will provide a detailed description of the log files. This program can be run automatically anytime from midnight to 6:00 am Mountain Time.

4) Are CGI scripts provided with the server?

Each server comes with it's own unique CGI bin directory. Access to the directory is through Telnet or FTP. We also have many other GGI that you may add by simply copying into your own cgi-bin directory.

5) Can perl be used?

The servers come with Perl4. You can also load on Perl5. The servers also come with TCL/Tk, csh, sh, ond other popular UNIX scripting languages.

FAQ Outline

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Copyright 1997 SerfTexas. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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