Webhost Review

Powweb

I have used Powweb for hosting ever since I first launched my site nearly 4 years ago. The biggest problem I had was that while static pages loaded pretty quickly, once I started using WordPress for my blog, everything really slowed down. There was a period where it would take 30-60 seconds just to load my homepage.

There were some things I liked about them: phone, chat, and email support 24/7, good pricing, and an excellent web site and control panel made administration a breeze.

Recently, I was having some problems with my subdomains not forwarding correctly. When I contacted Powweb support, they claimed they could not duplicate the problem. Whoever was testing my site moved a bunch of folders around and took out three of my sites! They also moved my cgi-bin folder, so none of my php sessions worked! I alerted them to the problem immediately. Unfortunately, their support workers have about as much technical knowledge as their FAQ. I was told three times over the next 10 days that a specialist would contact me within 24-48 hours. I waited. I could have fixed the problem myself, of course – but I have principles. If they can fuck it up, they can fix it. A real technician didn’t contact me until 15 days after I first reported that my sites were down.

In the meantime, I started searching for a new host. I figured that I could buy a month of hosting and try it out before I made any commitments. I tried to research and look for reviews, but it’s hard to separate the legitimate reviews from the ads. I finally decided to choose a few that had familiar names, and some others that seemed like a good deal.