Setup server. Kena corporate bloodsuckers.

[hwzonerX]

Hi friends, I need your opinion here..

Currently have dynamic ip ADSL plan for my company's 10 computers paying ~$160 (1.5mbps) a month including email and website host. I recently bought a server tower and want to set it up to handle my files, mail, etc. Here's the problem:

Current plan still has contract of about 20+ months. I tell the company I need a static IP plan and they tell me it's considered break contract. If I want to waive the penalty, must go for higher bandwidth plan and the email/website package must get a new one.

I was offered a $330/mth for DSL plan(2M/512k + 14 Lan IP)
AND $65/mth for email/web hosting (250mb 25 accounts)
AND $700 one time charge (what?!)
AND $50 for new phone line
This would suck me out of $15k over a 3 year contract which is seriously disturbing.

My question is how can i save my money?
- Remain with the dynamic plan until contract finish (about $5k left to pay)
- Can I get a static IP just for the server from some other company?
- Can my server handle the email/website instead of paying someone to do it?

[liangtam]

Remain as it is currently.

[ionicle88]

remain bah....

coporate internet connections are ****ing expensive, but since u gt server to maintain LLST...

if personal usage in office would seriously recommend suckhub mobile broadband~

[hello8985]

Not really sure how to setup mail server with dynamic ip how with static confirmed can...

grab a open source mail server application and you are ready to go

[commonjunk]

Hi friends, I need your opinion here..

Currently have dynamic ip ADSL plan for my company's 10 computers paying ~$160 (1.5mbps) a month including email and website host. I recently bought a server tower and want to set it up to handle my files, mail, etc. Here's the problem:

Current plan still has contract of about 20+ months. I tell the company I need a static IP plan and they tell me it's considered break contract. If I want to waive the penalty, must go for higher bandwidth plan and the email/website package must get a new one.

I was offered a $330/mth for DSL plan(2M/512k + 14 Lan IP)
AND $65/mth for email/web hosting (250mb 25 accounts)
AND $700 one time charge (what?!)
AND $50 for new phone line
This would suck me out of $15k over a 3 year contract which is seriously disturbing.

My question is how can i save my money?
- Remain with the dynamic plan until contract finish (about $5k left to pay)
- Can I get a static IP just for the server from some other company?
- Can my server handle the email/website instead of paying someone to do it?
Answering your question,
1- Singapore ISP really sucks, like other suggest please stay with existing plan.
2- Static IP are not like a phone set that Singtel give you phone line and you use your choice phone set. You need to get IP address from ISP who give you internet connection. So you are out of luck here.
3- of-course it can. Website is not a bigy, just setup IIS and you can host website. For email you can try different options, i am using Mdaemon it is not free but easy to configure. With your Dynamic IP your only choice is to check http://www.no-ip.com to configure Dynamic IP for mail/web server purpose.

[lennardseah]

get server colocation in a data centre

[liangtam]

Answering your question,
1- Singapore ISP really sucks, like other suggest please stay with existing plan.
2- Static IP are not like a phone set that Singtel give you phone line and you use your choice phone set. You need to get IP address from ISP who give you internet connection. So you are out of luck here.
3- of-course it can. Website is not a bigy, just setup IIS and you can host website. For email you can try different options, i am using Mdaemon it is not free but easy to configure. With your Dynamic IP your only choice is to check http://www.no-ip.com to configure Dynamic IP for mail/web server purpose.

1)ISP service is ex here but do not sucks. You must have opted for the wrong one

3) Hosting website on a dynamic IP is perfectly ok, but for mail service, chances of mail bounce, rejected or blacklisted is high. Its not that easy to manage either.

[negativzero]

get server colocation in a data centre
Colocation in Singapore is expensive man, surely not in his budget.

[phuque99]

so little users if you run server yourself is creating headache and total cost of owners hip. just opt of shared hosting service with so many providers out there, they will host your domain and also your email address, including convenient webmail and imap with outlook.

Google hosted mail also quite alright:
http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/index.html

[pcteo]

Hi friends, I need your opinion here..

Currently have dynamic ip ADSL plan for my company's 10 computers paying ~$160 (1.5mbps) a month including email and website host. I recently bought a server tower and want to set it up to handle my files, mail, etc. Here's the problem:

Current plan still has contract of about 20+ months. I tell the company I need a static IP plan and they tell me it's considered break contract. If I want to waive the penalty, must go for higher bandwidth plan and the email/website package must get a new one.

I was offered a $330/mth for DSL plan(2M/512k + 14 Lan IP)
AND $65/mth for email/web hosting (250mb 25 accounts)
AND $700 one time charge (what?!)
AND $50 for new phone line
This would suck me out of $15k over a 3 year contract which is seriously disturbing.

My question is how can i save my money?
- Remain with the dynamic plan until contract finish (about $5k left to pay)
- Can I get a static IP just for the server from some other company?
- Can my server handle the email/website instead of paying someone to do it?

unless, the downtime of say few hours is not allow or can't afford by ur company. think static IP is not necessary.
since u have ~20 mth to go. u may well best stay with it.
u may want to try to figure out how to setup ur email and files server host in-house.

so, by the time when u are ready, u can drop the email host on ISP and do on in-house.
(pls note u may need to be committed in maintain ur own server, specially email server)

running email on dynamic ip is not a issue, but pray hard those dynamic ip host don't close down.
:)

[commonjunk]

1)ISP service is ex here but do not sucks. You must have opted for the wrong one

3) Hosting website on a dynamic IP is perfectly ok, but for mail service, chances of mail bounce, rejected or blacklisted is high. Its not that easy to manage either.
Sorry Liantam, i was just comparing with US (but i think shouldn't compare as everything here seems expensive).

[hwzonerX]

Hi guys,

actually i have everything i need now including the server tower. I still feel a bit apprehensive about cloud computing, not seeing your own hardware and stuff. perhaps will try that in the future though.

meanwhile looks like i'll reject the bloodsuckers' plan and stay on dynamic ip with the packaged email n webhost.. then pay someone else to give me one static for the server since that's all I require anyway. My emails I just want my server to get them off the ISP server so it doesnt clog up there. Maintenance wont do myself la, pay someone come over every month should be sufficient i guess?

Do I need a new phone line and do u think an $800 physical firewall is recommended?

[phuque99]

Hi guys,

actually i have everything i need now including the server tower. I still feel a bit apprehensive about cloud computing, not seeing your own hardware and stuff. perhaps will try that in the future though.

meanwhile looks like i'll reject the bloodsuckers' plan and stay on dynamic ip with the packaged email n webhost.. then pay someone else to give me one static for the server since that's all I require anyway. My emails I just want my server to get them off the ISP server so it doesnt clog up there. Maintenance wont do myself la, pay someone come over every month should be sufficient i guess?

Do I need a new phone line and do u think an $800 physical firewall is recommended?

Less than 100 users, running your own server has higher cost, both in time man power and also productivity lost in down time. sell away your hardware, pay your monthly fee to outsource your mail.

Unless of course hosting your mail server is your iron rice bowl in that company :s13:

[silver09]

Dynamic dns for your ip and route everything thru dns name instead?

[liangtam]

You dont seems to know ur stuff n upkeep, staying put is better.

[lordlad0]

http://www.no-ip.com/downloads.php
download the client, can dynamically tied ur DNS to ur ip if changes....u can also buy a domain name from them (which i did)

[hwzonerX]

It's a small company with big dreams, so we cannot afford a full time IT guy so i'm the chapalang IT i/c instead. yes liangtam that's why im seeking advice here, learn from the best no?

Big thanks for the help guys. I will find out more about this no-ip, dns-routing thing.. or just outsource it.

now i shall sit out the contract and hang on to my packaged mail/web/net and get 1X static IP for server.

[liangtam]

u cant get a static IP directly, you will still need to either get it from ur existing ISP or sign a new connection with static plan.

[phuque99]

It's a small company with big dreams, so we cannot afford a full time IT guy so i'm the chapalang IT i/c instead. yes liangtam that's why im seeking advice here, learn from the best no?

Big thanks for the help guys. I will find out more about this no-ip, dns-routing thing.. or just outsource it.

now i shall sit out the contract and hang on to my packaged mail/web/net and get 1X static IP for server.

Wow, you would actually bank your career and your company's IT future on unverified free advise on a public forum? :D

[Mr Wong]

You seems don't know your stuff well. I believe that you had chosen the wrong package right at the beginning.
I'll recommend you to stay put until the contract end.


Hi friends, I need your opinion here..

Currently have dynamic ip ADSL plan for my company's 10 computers paying ~$160 (1.5mbps) a month including email and website host. I recently bought a server tower and want to set it up to handle my files, mail, etc. Here's the problem:

Current plan still has contract of about 20+ months. I tell the company I need a static IP plan and they tell me it's considered break contract. If I want to waive the penalty, must go for higher bandwidth plan and the email/website package must get a new one.

I was offered a $330/mth for DSL plan(2M/512k + 14 Lan IP)
AND $65/mth for email/web hosting (250mb 25 accounts)
AND $700 one time charge (what?!)
AND $50 for new phone line
This would suck me out of $15k over a 3 year contract which is seriously disturbing.

My question is how can i save my money?
- Remain with the dynamic plan until contract finish (about $5k left to pay)
- Can I get a static IP just for the server from some other company?
- Can my server handle the email/website instead of paying someone to do it?

[hwzonerX]

phuque99, its the same reason why people dont put rubbish on wikipedia and why we go there instead of buy an updated encyclopedia.

im a janitor here to sweep up the mess...

package wasnt chosen by me lah. tell u funny story...
email account somehow set to Leave msg on server, so someone else can read. End up server choked up send warning say 80% full.
Management thought Oh our email hosting plan not enough, add more MB, renew a contract for cheaper monthly costs. So now stuck with this plan for 20 more months lor.

[liangtam]

phuque99, its the same reason why people dont put rubbish on wikipedia and why we go there instead of buy an updated encyclopedia.

im a janitor here to sweep up the mess...

package wasnt chosen by me lah. tell u funny story...
email account somehow set to Leave msg on server, so someone else can read. End up server choked up send warning say 80% full.
Management thought Oh our email hosting plan not enough, add more MB, renew a contract for cheaper monthly costs. So now stuck with this plan for 20 more months lor.

No la
The emphasis is still more on your network.

Unless your business dont mind constant downtime, side-effect that is.

[geckoSG]

TS, stick with ur current plan til your contract ends.

Since you are not so IT savvy, get yourself a vendor to support your office
operations. And when its time to upgrade your vendor should be able to
help you achieve your objective by helping you to analyse the situation.

There are more than one options of doing things, let them help you to weigh
the pros and cons.

A good outsource IT firm will help you plan all these while you concentrate on
growing your business or doing your main job.

[hwzonerX]

Yup I'm actually gonna outsourcing from server implementation onwards. Now I'm just doing the basic prep like upgrade and convert all to xp pro and getting 1 static ip for the server.

Thanks for all your advise!

[YorYor]

Why don't you just get a VPS with a static IP just to handle your mail, and have your office server connect to the VPS at regular intervals to download mails for the users? A little more hassle, but no need to splash out crazy money for a static IP in office, and can shutdown the office server if no one remotes in to check emails.

[geckoSG]

TS, outsource your IT to the professionals, by select the right vendors, they can
help you grow your business. Of cos, beware of IT companies that offer "cheap"
services. Mostly cannot make it in terms of service level, they are just trying to
secure deals by give you EVERYTHING at LOW PRICING.

For small strength company, can consider google mail to host your mails. Its
easy and downtime are relatively low. If you want to host your own server,
maintenance costs are there in terms of paying professional guys to look after
your server and server services, not forgetting electrical bills, etc.

Let external parties host your website as well, if you do not change your content
tat frequently. Fixed IP are relatively expensive in SG. Co-Location will cost you
a lot too.

By taking such steps, when your company grows big enough, then you consider
having your own mail & web server would be better.

We like to share our IT knowledge but also will not tell you everything. Else the
entire IT industry will die and we professionals will be out of job or taking cheap
pay.

:s13:

[DDanieLL]

TS, outsource your IT to the professionals, by select the right vendors, they can
help you grow your business. Of cos, beware of IT companies that offer "cheap"
services. Mostly cannot make it in terms of service level, they are just trying to
secure deals by give you EVERYTHING at LOW PRICING.

For small strength company, can consider google mail to host your mails. Its
easy and downtime are relatively low. If you want to host your own server,
maintenance costs are there in terms of paying professional guys to look after
your server and server services, not forgetting electrical bills, etc.

Let external parties host your website as well, if you do not change your content
tat frequently. Fixed IP are relatively expensive in SG. Co-Location will cost you
a lot too.

By taking such steps, when your company grows big enough, then you consider
having your own mail & web server would be better.

We like to share our IT knowledge but also will not tell you everything. Else the
entire IT industry will die and we professionals will be out of job or taking cheap
pay.

:s13:



Hahaha... i agree with it... nothing is free in this world... no one wish to break their own rice bowl oso... :D