Where to find Sandbox Server Hosting

cousin_borat

Basically I'm looking for a Windows server 32/64 bit.

I want to be able to log onto the server using Terminal Services, install programs and generally use it as I would a test server at home. The intention is to use the server as a sandbox that I can access from anywhere, upload prototypes for clients, etc etc.

The problem my business broadband does not have sufficient upload speed to make it viable locally.

Was checking the Web Hosting forum but there appears to be no activity (looks like Corinthian has scared them all away).

Evil Phil

I think the webhosting forum has been locked down due to host providers bitching about each other.

I don't really know of a provider but would a hosted box as apposed to a virtual server suit your purposes better or is that what you have already?

cousin_borat

Evil Phil wrote: »

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I don't really know of a provider but would a hosted box as apposed to a virtual server suit your purposes better or is that what you have already?

Does not really matter. So long as I can log onto windows via Terminal services, download programs, install and configure them. It's looking prohibitively costly. e.g. hosting 365 at the least Eur 400 per month!

It's looking like it might be cheaper to buy a server and put it somewhere in Dublin where I can get a decent connection and maintain it myself. Not really a preferred option though.

cgarvey

You can get get servers from ~$70/mo state side if you want. Higher pings/latency, but in the best-of-breed data centres.

croo

have you looked at Amazons ec2?
I must admit I have only just glanced at it myself... but from others I know I understand that you can upload xen images over which you have 100% control.
Again just at a glance, the pricing looks reasonable too and they claim you only pay for what you use which sounds like it might be useful for a demo setup that might be mostly off. Those I know using it are using linux xen images, but I guess windows images can be used too ??? you'd need to buy a new windows server license though.

machalla

I'm assuming you're completely tied into windows?

If not check out

www.slicehost.com

$20 per month for a solid linux box with good bandwidth and total control. Plus decent remote access in case you manage to keel the box over somehow through an ajax console application they use.

On the windows side of things I don't really know of any decent hosted services that don't cost quite a bit really. Maybe these crowd as I remember one company I worked for hosting a dedicated box with them and it seemed to work ok. Windows dedicated hosting always seems to much more expensive than linux.

http://order.1and1.co.uk

Regarding EC2 does that give you access to the image if something goes badly wrong and you end up with no access for some reason?

Nice idea though, never realised you could use Xen up there.

cousin_borat

Thanks for the replies lads. For this client I am tied to Windows.

However in general most of the apps I want to have available for proofs of concept can be installed on Linux just as easily as Windows. EC2 looks like it could be the job (thanks Croo!). BTW, is Viridian Microsofts response to EC2. Wondering if down the line Hosting vendors are going to start offering Virtual hosting based on this.

Finally, I'm unsure fron initial reading if Windows Server 2000/2003 can be deployed on EC2. If not has anyone tried Mono to run .NET applications and how have they found it?