Fasthosts server with SQL

Hillbilly · 1st January 2008

Hello all and Happy New Year! I am new here so please forgive me if I'm showing my ignorance and naivety! Your advice and help would be most appreciated.

I/my employer have been a shared Windows with SQL hosting customer of Fasthosts for the past few years and apart from a few occasions have had little problem with them although I have grown accustomed to their usual support responses of standard phrases and being fobbed off.

However, I recently signed up for a dedicated Windows server with (presumably?) full SQL Server 2005. However there is no SQL Management Studio installed which I believe I need to build and manage databases, etc. All I can see installed is SQL Server Configuration Manager and SQL server Surface Area Configuration.

So, Friday 28/12/07 about 16:30 I sent a support email asking why it is not there and how to get it installed. To my dismay I received zero response until today Tuesday 01/01/08 at 14:27! I know it is holiday season and all that but I was (foolishly it seems) expecting a higher level of support as we are spending a lot more money. And their response?: "This is not included in the server build but you can install this for free from link to Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express download.

Now please correct me if I'm wrong but this is the stripped down free version that won't allow me to remote access plus many other useful features. Also, the full Management Studio is on the SQL server install disc so why not available to me? What am I paying an extra £135 a month for?

So, enough of my rants for now, any thoughts, advice or suggestions please?

andyb28 · 1st January 2008

THIS USER HAS BEEN GAGGED BY THE FORUM HOSTS FOR SPAM OR BREAKING THE RULES...
User will be ungaged in around 78 hours from this post.

TDMWeb · 1st January 2008

If you are paying for a full SQL Server 2005 Standard licence (and it's difficult to see how it's possible to charge £135 extra for software that is free -- SQL Server Express) then you should get full Management Studio installed also, as well as any other of the standard tools you want. However, you may well find that SQL Server needs to be uninstalled and re-installed.

Hillbilly · 3rd January 2008

Thanks for your comments chaps. Backend is SQL Server SP2 v9.2.3042.00. I responded to last email from Fasthosts saying that I shoul have the full Management Studio plus all the other bells & whistles, their response -

Unfortunately the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio software incurs a further licencing cost and this is not something we support. As such, you will need to obtain this program from Microsoft.

I wasn't aware that it is available as a stand-alone product? I'm now thinking of telling them to remove the £135 per month SQL server and give SQL Server Express a go as you hinted thanks Andy. To be honest I'm a novice with SQL server but thought we'd go for the all singing & dancing (supposedly!) version with (supposedly) no restrictions, oh silly me.

I have since replied to them asking exactly what license version we are paying for - still awaiting their reply.

I am interested in the backup SP thanks Andy, is it downloadable or your own creation? I was also hoping to run scheduled price & stock level updates from a remote (at our office) SQL Server 7, plus have the web server SQL contact our office SQL when orders are placed. Not sure if it is possible with SQL Express though?

Thanks also to TDMWeb and anyone else who may like to comment. Although it seems a lot of people here are fed up of mugs like me moaning about Farcehosts!

JamieBeeston · 3rd January 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

Although it seems a lot of people here are fed up of mugs like me moaning about Farcehosts!

don't worry about it.. whilst we see it every day, people being sucked in by the marketing, you, as the customer, well.. you weren't to know better

Doesn't mean we don't get bored of it... but does mean you should get some replies

TDMWeb · 3rd January 2008

"Unfortunately the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio software incurs a further licencing cost"

I'd suggest you ask them to tell you *exactly* where on Microsoft's website this further licensing cost is described...

andyb28 · 3rd January 2008

THIS USER HAS BEEN GAGGED BY THE FORUM HOSTS FOR SPAM OR BREAKING THE RULES...
User will be ungaged in around 78 hours from this post.

Hillbilly · 10th January 2008

Thanks for your responses guys and for link to backup SP from Andy, all much appreciated!

I sent 3 emails following the "Unfortunately the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio software incurs a further licencing cost" response from Fasthosts and was met by a wall of silence for over 4 days so decided to 'escalate' my complaint according to their procedure, noting they say "allow 7 days for response" and asking them to just confirm receipt of my complaint - but surprise surprise, nothing received! So yesterday asked them to close the account, give a full refund and continue the escalation of my complaint. Will be interesting (?! or not) to see their final response.

Perhaps this can serve as a warning to others contemplating a dedicated server with Fasthosts -

DON'T DO IT!

If anyone reads this that has a Fathosts dedicated Windows box with SQL Server 2005 installed I'd be interested to hear of your experiences and what the install consisted of - database engine only or full-featured? Even when this thread gets old I'd still like to know!

So what now? Think I might look for some other shared hosting in the short term and look carefully at getting a dedicated box from a dedicated company - seems its a minefield out there and not something to be rushed into!

JamieBeeston · 10th January 2008

As you say.. dont rush.. go in with your eyes open and ensure you have anything you want in writing

J

PeteK · 10th January 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

So yesterday asked them to close the account, give a full refund and continue the escalation of my complaint. Will be interesting (?! or not) to see their final response.

Did you pay by credit card? They are in breach of their TnCs regarding licensing and false advertising as far as I can see. Call your CC company and get them to issue a chargeback.

markcastle · 10th January 2008

It's nice to see someone not just putting up with this nonsense from one of the big faceless hosts for once.

Hillbilly · 21st January 2008

Farcehosts fiasco update 21/01/2008:

I sent them a cancellation notice (filled in their emailed form and returned as instructed) 10/01/08, they confirmed receipt 11/01/08, and what do you know, today 21/01/08 they have billed me again for another month! I'm starting to get a little cross now!

Fasthosts = incompetent, dont give a damn, just want your money bunch of useless fools. Anyone think of using them - STAY AWAY!!!!!

Apologies for my rants but I want others to know the truth and be warned! I do so wish I'd gone elsewhere...

othellotech · 21st January 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

Farcehosts fiasco update

Could be worse, you could have gone to their parent company 1und1 !

freethought · 22nd January 2008

Yep, their parent company, 1and1 did pretty much the same thing to me.
Had a dedicated server with them for a couple of years and eventually the RAID card started failing and the server would have problems booting. After I spent a week or so with the server in a half working state, held together with sticky tape while I argued with them and they completely failed to do anything about it, claiming that somehow I was responsible for their hardware I got bored of their seemingly endless shenanigans, bought my own server and co-located it. Now at least when that breaks I have a direct line to complain about it, even if it it to myself!
For two months after I cancelled the contract they took money from my account and both times when I got the refund they were adamant it wouldn't happen again. In the end I just got the bank to block all transfers to them. Now I only use them for domain registration. Like most companies, they seem to be OK as long as you don't have to deal with their support.

Hillbilly · 22nd January 2008

22/01/08 @ 09:55 - fasthosts.co.uk and ukreg.com websites both down - they can't even keep their own sites running!!

Mine is still running at the moment (on their shared hosting) but I'm not holding my breath! What now - floods or did someone drop a bomb?