Unix Virtual Server

What OS is used?
We proudly use FreeBSD 8, a rock-solid, battle-proven Unix OS and the jail facility.

How many IP addresses are available?
You get a single IPv4 address and an IPv6 /112 for your exclusive use. You may request updates to the reverse DNS for this IPv4 and any IPv6 addresses.

Is there a minimum contract?
There is no minimum contract, however Exonetric will require one month's advance notice to terminate service.

How do I pay?
The initial month's service and any setup fees should be paid by cheque or bank transfer, and ongoing costs will be paid by cheque, standing order or bank transfer. Invoices will be issued every month both for the standard and any variables charges (bandwidth for instance).

Will I have root access to my server?
Yes, you get complete administrative control of your server, meaning you can do exactly what you need, when you need to.

Will Exonetric register (or modify) my Domain Name(s)?
Yes, we will register your Domain Names for you.

Exonetric operates a per domain administration fee for this service.

Who uploads the content of my website to the server?
You have complete control of all content creation and management.

What happens if there is a hardware failure?
Exonetric takes responsibility for replacing failed hardware components.

What happens if I go over my bandwidth allowance?
There is no limit to the bandwidth you can arrange to use, and you will be charged for bandwidth over your agreed limit at that time. If you find you are regularly going over your limit, we will be more than happy to discuss arranging a level more suitable to your requirements.

We provide a console system that allows you to monitor your bandwidth usage in real time.

What tape backup solutions do you offer?
Exonetric can provide a custom backup solution for you.

Are there any restrictions on the software I can install?
There are no restrictions on the software you can install on your server. The only restrictions on the use of the service are covered in the Terms and Conditions and the Acceptable Use Policy.

Can I run Linux binaries in my VPS?
Yes, FreeBSD has a Linux binary compatibility layer that allows you to execute binaries compiled for Linux.

I've heard that "top" doesn't work in FreeBSD jails, is that right?
That was the case in some older versions of FreeBSD, but the "top" command works fine in a FreeBSD 8 jail.

I've heard that "ping" and "traceroute" don't work in FreeBSD jails, is that right?
FreeBSD 8 allows us to permit jailed processes to use raw network sockets, so "ping" and "traceroute" work fine in our jails.

I've heard that a FreeBSD jail is not a proper VPS, is that right?
It is true that there is no isolation of load between jails in a stock FreeBSD system, so a fork bomb or many busy processes in one jail can slow everything down for all the other jails on the same host.

However, we monitor our FreeBSD jail hosts for excess resource consumption and examine serious problems explicitly. It's not perfect, but it goes a long way towards ensuring that you have at least your fair share of the host's resources available, even if all of the other jails on the same host are very busy.

Most of the time you will be able to use much more than your fair share, since in practice different jails are busy at different times.

How is my VPS updated?
You are responsible for updating all software within your VPS, including the FreeBSD base system. The userspace of your jail is just like that of a regular FreeBSD 8 host, so any of the usual update mechanisms can be used.

We have a local "cvsup" mirror which you can use if you wish.

I want the "zsh" shell in my VPS, what's the quickest way to install it?
Run the command "pkg_add -r zsh" as root in your jail. Many other utilities can be installed in a similar way.

How can I reboot my VPS?
You cannot do a true reboot of the host from within a jail, since that would disrupt other jails on the same host and we currently will perform a restart of your jail on request.

I have one of the 2.5G FreeBSD 4 jails that you used to sell, can I upgrade?
Yes, get in touch and we'll get you moved over to an 20GB FreeBSD 8 jail.