Super Fast OVS Hosting| LLhost-inc.eu - 99.9% Uptime + 24/7 Support!

[LLHOST INC.]

Paying from anywhere in the world in any currency? Yes, it's real!

Greeting to our followers!
LLHOST INC. team works daily to resolve issues in order to provide services to all our users worldwide without restrictions. We are available 24/7 for any inquiry and ready to answer any questions you may have. One of the frequently questions asked relates to the payment methods available.

LLHOST INC. continuously expands the list of payment systems so that you can choose the one that works best for you.

Currently, in order to pay our services, are available following payment methods:
• Bank card (Visa and/or MasterCard),
• Wire transfer,
• Google Pay (Chrome) and/or Apple Pay (Safari),
• PayPal (payment via Paddle gateway in 200 countries and 25 different currencies),
• WebMoney (represented in 94 countries of the world),
• QIWI (cash payment at QIWI terminals, official QIWI website and/or QIWI Wallet app),
Cryptocurrencies::
- AAVE (Aave ERC-20)
- ADA (Cardano)
- ANKR (Ankr ERC-20)
- AVAX (Avalanche C-chain)
- BCH (Bitcoin Cash)
- BNB (BNB Mainnet)
- BNBBSC (BNB on Binance Smart Chain)
- BSV (Bitcoin SV)
- BTC (Bitcoin)
- COMP (Compound ERC-20)
- DOGE (Dogecoin)
- DOT (Polkadot)
- ETH (Ethereum)
- LINK (Chainlink ERC-20)
- LTC (Litecoin)
- MATIC (Polygon ERC-20)
- MKR (Maker ERC-20)
- NANO (Nano)
- POLYGON (Matic on Polygon Network)
- QTUM (Qtum)
- SHIBA INU (SHIB ERC-20)
- SOL (Solana)
- UNI (Uniswap ERC-20)
- USDC (USD Coin ERC-20)
- USDC (USD Coin on Polygon Network)
- USDT (Tether ERC-20)
- USDTTRC20 (Tron USDT)
- XLM (Stellar)
All the funds are carried out in on-line mode (instantly), wire transfer takes 1-2 banking days.

Check it out! As LLHOST INC. offers a discount on all  VPNs and Virtual Server (OVS). For that, apply the promo code “PS15OFF” and enjoy a -15% discount for three monthly billing periods. It runs until July 15, 2022, for an unlimited number of users.

Note! LLHOST INC. does not have access to your bank card or keep your payment card details. All data is transmitted as encrypted and stored only on a dedicated server of the selected payment system.

If there are any issues with payment through any of the above methods, our Sales Department will assist in resolving them as soon as possible.

[LLHOST INC.]

Protect your server from hacking!

Online security is a top priority for each and every one of us. Every person or business can face a virus attack or  servers’ hacking. This has implications related not only to data stealing or loss, but also to the power of your server that can be used to perform DDos-attacks on any other web resource.

For this reason, it is very important to pay as much attention to server security. Don't forget that when it comes to safety, it is not just a specific action, but a series of measures.

Today, let's discuss how to protect your server from hacking and secure all the data stored on it.

Services setup
OS and its default configurations contain a wide range of network services, from remote registry to print server service. Each service running on your server's operating system is an open port for attacks. Delete the unnecessary services you are not using. This keeps your server safe and increases its performance.

Software Update
Regular software updates are essential to secure the virtual server. The daily update of the OS, hypervisor, databases, apps, etc. removes all vulnerabilities identified by developers. However, we recommend that you check upgrades on a test server before installing it. This will allow to follow the impact of the new patches on the behavior of the associated programs.

Strong password
Do not use the same password on different services. We recommend that you change the default password of the control panel at the first authentication. Also send the address, login and password in separate messages if you need to pass the access passwords.

Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Use two-factor authentication, both to access the server control panel and to the server itself.

Firewall/Brandmauer
Setup firewall/brandmauer to filter traffic and control access to the network. It automatically protects vulnerable areas on your server from unauthorized communications and trespassing by blocking suspicious and frequent connections to your assets when, for example, a virus or potential attack is detected. LLHOST INC. team is always ready to assist you in configuring the firewall as needed.

Separate servers for development and testing
Any web project in its early developmental stages is the most vulnerable and poses a security risk to your server. As mentioned above, we recommend using individual servers for development and testing, each for their purposes.

Security monitoring
Keep server logs separate. Test the security of your server regularly (for example, by pentesting). Also check the logs for any information that indicates possible attacks.

VPN
Use VPN. In fact, it is your own local network that can only be accessed by your servers. VPN servers from LLHOST INC. help improve your privacy and security. You can configure traffic routing with the VPN for the entire server, as well as for certain services or applications.

Professional audit
The last step in improving the security of your server is a professional verification by security experts. They will identify any vulnerabilities on your server and resources and provide recommendations on possible steps to eliminate them.

Do not forget that all server protection methods are not a panacea for every hack, but they do help prevent most attacks. Protecting your server from hacking is a permanent job, not a one-time event. It is important to keep monitoring the operation of the server even after all security measures have been implemented. And LLHOST INC. is here for you!

Get a -15% discount on all LLHOST INC. Virtual Servers (OVS) orders until July 22, 2022! Apply the promo code "SAVE2SECURE"* and spend the resources you have saved to the security of your server to minimise the risk of hacking. Protect your server today!

* The promo code is valid for 3 monthly billing cycles and can be used by an unlimited number of users.

[LLHOST INC.]

A virtual server within a virtual server? Why not?!

Let's imagine that a project, you are working on, needs the software not supported by the main OS of your server. Or you are engaged in  the development for Android or iOS. In this case, it is necessary to have running multiple operating systems always at the disposal. Of course, you can configure each of them on a separate server. But also, you can skip all the challenges and run several operating systems at the same time (one within the other or two at the same time). This allows to work on the task in a separate environment. This configuration is known as nested virtualization.
 
Nested Virtualization is a set of processes that allows you to run virtual servers within virtual ones. It is carried out with the help of hypervisors, specialized programs that manage the operating systems you need in virtual environments. Hypervisors play an important role in regulating the performance of your virtual environments. They are responsible for allocating key resources like processing power, memory, and other resources that your virtual environments require to function, and bridge the gap between the hardware and the operating system.
 
The nested virtualization performance that you achieve will depend on the virtual environments that you deploy. You can select the amount of resources you want to allocate when deploying nested virtualization.
 
In other words, nested virtualization is the ability to run a hypervisor within a virtual server that runs on a hypervisor too.
 
What is nested virtualization for?
This question is quite reasonable if you are faced with the concept of nested virtualization for the first time.
So, nested virtualization is the ideal solution for companies that require virtual environments for development, testing, QA, demos, remote desktops, and more. This technology improves productivity, improves the customer experience, and ensures the correct functioning of your software in the environments that your customers will use.

What are the advantages of nested virtualization?
 
Compared to traditional on-premise solutions, nested virtual machines offer many advantages. Let's look at the most notable benefits in detail:

Settings flexibility. The ability to host virtual environments within virtual environments allows you to develop and test software on your own terms and provides you with flexible isolated environments that you can adapt to your needs.

Significant cost savings. With nested virtualization, you pay only for the resources you use, with no overspending on equipment or maintaining.

Support for multiple hypervisors. Not all hypervisors are equal. You may require a specific hypervisor that is compatible with the virtualization environment. Most virtual environments support the most popular of existing hypervisors.

Scalability. The goal of any company is growth. You can add additional processing power, memory, and other resources as needed, as nested virtualization is a highly scalable solution.

LLHOST INC. is pleased to announce the launch of nested virtualization on all virtual servers (OVS)! To celebrate the release, we have prepared for each of you a discount of -20% by the promo code “NV20OFF” when ordering any OVS plan.
 
Take full advantage of nested virtualization for development and testing, virtualization training, providing guest virtualization, testing configurations and deploying virtual clouds, as well as any other cases where you need to run multiple hypervisors within a single server!
 
Terms and conditions:
1. The promo code is valid until July 29, 2022.
2. It can be applied for 3 periods of monthly billing cycle.
3. The promo code is active for an unlimited number of users.

[LLHOST INC.]

How to create your own VPN server easily?

Hello forum users!

Blocking certain resources will not come as a surprise to anyone today. VPN services continue to be relevant in this case. They allow you to bypass regional restrictions, as well as ensure a secure connection to the network.

We have already covered all types of VPN and mentioned that there are functional limitations to a public VPN service:
- the speed and quality of the connection depends on how many users have reached the server,
- the trial period can be limited,
- there is no guarantee of data protection from leaks.

Today, we will teach how to access blocked resources, through deploying a VPN on a virtual server. As auxiliary applications, install PuTTY (a SSH-protocols client) and OpenVPN Connect (to establish a connection between your devices and the server).

Thus, step 1. Selection of the hosting provider.
A provider that enables the deployment of a VPN on virtual servers is required. LLHOST INC. is included therein. Choose any OVS plan and get all configurations for server access by email.



LLHOST INC. is one of the few European providers who accept payments from any country in the world and in any currency: bank cards, PayPal, WebMoney, QIWI, cryptocurrencies (more about Payment Methods here).

Step 2. SSH connection to the server.
Enter the IP address of the server (from the configurations sent by email) in the Host Name field and click Open.



Step 3. Authorization.
To paste the password into the console, copy it to the clipboard, then right-click (the password will not be displayed in the console). Press Enter.



Note! If a warning window appears, select the Yes button.

Step 4. OpenVPN script.
After successful authorization, enter the ready-made OpenVPN Road Warrior script: wget https://git.io/vpn -O openvpn‑install.sh && bash openvpn‑install.sh and press Enter key:



Step 5.  Setup wizard dialogue.
The setup wizard automatically includes the best suggestions within square brackets [ ]. Type your choice, confirming with the Enter key:
Protocol [UDP] — 1
Port [1194] — 1194
DNS — 1
Client name — You can type client, as suggested. In this example, Test was used.



Press any key — confirm data entry with any key and wait until configuration are completed.

Step 6. Protocol for running OpenVPN.
When configured successfully, enter the  command cat ~/Test.ovpn (instead of Test, use the name specified while configuring). The script will be displayed:



Step 7. File *.ovpn
Select the text of the script, starting with the line client and ending with </tls-crypt>, copy it to the clipboard with the Ctrl + V combination and paste into Notepad. Save file as Test.ovpn (instead of Test, use the name specified while configuring), choosing All files type:



Final step. Server connection.
Right-click on the Test.ovpn file and select Start OpenVPN on this config file.



If the connection is successful, the PuTTy console will display the Initialization Sequence Completed status. Ready! You build your own VPN server from zero. From now on, all traffic will go through the VPN, which means the network connection is protected, and all blocked resources in the area will be available.

This guide is one of many methods for creating your own VPN. If you don't have enough technical skills or want to save time in setting up, you can make the task as simple as possible. LLHOST INC. has a solution for it — a ready-to-use VPN server for a virtual server's price! All settings are performed in a few clicks: select any plan and install the received configuration files. And as a bonus, we offer you a discount of -20% using the EASYVPN4YOU promo code when ordering any VPN server until August 5, 2022*. Benefit from it and let your friends know, because the promo code is valid for an unlimited number of users!

* The promo code is valid for three periods of monthly ordering.

[LLHOST INC.]

SysAdmin Day. Wait, it’s today?!

They say that the profession of a system administrator (sysadmin) is similar to that of the doctor — they only remember him when something fails.

Installing and configuring hardware and software, preparing and maintaining data backups, creating and updating user accounts, system troubleshooting, planning and implementing ways to expand the network structure of any business, and often ensuring cybersecurity, these are the main tasks of a system administrator. Thus, the success and stability of business performance is directly dependent on them.

Nowadays, the world's largest computer network consists of 6,000 computers and contains 35,000 km of optical cable. It was created at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland to serve the Large Hadron Collider. On a daily basis, 2,500 specialists monitor the entry and distribution of approximately one petabyte of data. Although sysadmins are able to solve a lot of complex problems, the most common reason for apply remains fluid spillage on the keyboard. Every funny story spreads at lightning speed, turning into a joke. Let's remember one of them:

A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts,
"Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?
"The man below says, "Yes, you're in a hot air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field. "
"You must be in IT", says the balloonist.
"I am", replies the man. "How did you know?"
"Well", says the balloonist, "everything you have told me is technically correct, but it's of no use to anyone!"
The man below says, "You must be in management."
"I am", replies the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well", says the man, "you don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met, but now it's my fault."

It has become a tradition to honor our invisible but important G-men on the last Friday of July. Ted Kekatos initiated System Administrator Appreciation Day in 2000. The American system administrator with 20 years of experience was so inspired by a Hewlett-Packard ads, in which users thank a system admin for installing printers with flowers and fruit baskets. He arranged a picnic for his colleagues in the suburbs of Chicago. Since then, this holiday has been celebrated annually, and is gaining popularity all around the world.

This year it takes place today, on July 29. LLHOST INC. is directly associated with the work of system administrators, and we want to celebrate that day together! On this occasion, each system administrator (as well as our readership) is honored with a -16% discount on all LLHOST INC. services for 6 months! It is so easy to use: enter the promo code #SysAdminDay2022 in a special field when ordering a Virtual, Dedicated, VPN-servers until August 12, 2022.

And don't forget to take part in the SysAdminDay flashmob!
Share your SysAdmin Day party pictures on social media using the #SysAdminDay tag.

[LLHOST INC.]

Free hosting: pitfalls guide

Search engine statistics show that thousands of people request "free hosting services" every day. Despite all the wealth of choice, these proposals do not lead the market. Why doesn't the word "free" have its magic effect anymore, and why does "free lunch" pose serious problems? Let's look at all the hidden threats of free hosting in today's article.

Low uptime
98% uptime (that comes with most free plans) is in fact a critical range. This means that your project will not be available for 14 hours per month. An unavailable resource will result in customer turnover, which will certainly have a negative impact on your business.

Low data transfer rate (DTR)
As usual, every free server has many projects hosted on it. It gets overloaded, download speed is reduced, and this increases download time by 20-30 seconds. The user loses interest in that resource, and you find it difficult to work on the project.

Traffic limits
There is often a traffic limit for free servers. The excess of the consumed traffic is an additional expense.

Inability to scale
Free hosting has a limited amount of disk space. As your project progresses, the only way to move forward is to switch to a paid plan. Its price may exceed that of the standard.

No technical support
Free plans mostly do not provide any technical support. Any questions that come up must be resolved on your own.

Risk of being hacked
Generally, just the cloud space you share with other users is offered free of charge. This increases the risk that your resource will be hacked in case your "neighbors" are attacked.

Threat of losing your project
Using free servers, you can lose your project anytime. Many hosting companies, which provide a free service, specify in their terms of use that they may stop the service completely at any time without explanation. A good example of this is Geocities, a free Yahoo hosting. The project was closed in October 2009, with over 38 million web resources hosted.

Restrictions, restrictions and more restrictions - the only thing that free hosting can guarantee. Minimal assistance, limited tools and excessive risk mentioned above.

If you are working on creating a project that you intend to develop, invest your time and energy, then free hosting is completely inappropriate. However, you have to pay for it, but in a hidden form. The right way is to accept the fixed plan for reliable and mutually beneficial terms long-term cooperation, isn't it?

LLHOST INC. is always willing to provide options to build a strong foundation for developing projects of any complexity. We offer a permanent discount for long-term cooperation for all our users. For all new customers, we have prepared a promo code #lunchdiscount. Apply it when ordering any Virtual Server (OVS) before August 19, 2022, and take advantage of a -14% discount on 3 monthly billing periods. Save on hosting smartly!

[LLHOST INC.]

Public Wi-Fi: Top 5 threats and 10 protection methods.

In our previous post, we shared the dangers that free hosting presents to our projects. To continue the same topic, let's talk about public Wi-Fi. What threats and risks are involved, and how can you protect your device?

Yes, we are used to the fact that public wireless Internet is everywhere: in any coffee house and shopping mall, airport, hotel and even on the street. ESET research shows that 74% of respondents use Wi-Fi hotspots without considering their security. And interception of traffic at such points can easily be done. Personal information, digital identification data, including banking ones, are at risk.

What makes public Wi-Fi dangerous?
The primary vulnerability is that while using a public network, your traffic is not protected. That creates numerous "loopholes" for attackers. We'll talk more in today's article.

Threat 1. "Evil twins" - fake hotspots.
When connected to Wi-Fi, you may not notice that you are using a "parallel" network with a similar name, imitating only a legitimate one. These hotspots are known as "Evil Twins" used for the theft of personal data and credentials and unauthorized access to internal networks is made.

Threat 2: Cloned websites.
Similar to a fake Wi-Fi access point, there is a risk of entering a "clone" site. This kind of scam is called DNS spoofing. Instead of the URL entered, you are actually redirected to a website that can look exactly like the original and your traffic is redirected to a third-party server. So, without any suspicions, you can willingly transfer personal data to attackers.

Threat 3: Infected devices of other users.
You may have taken care of your device's security, but all guarantees come to nothing if you connect to a public hotspot. Gadgets of users from the same Wi-Fi network can be infected with various viruses, worms and other malware that puts your device at risk of infection and/or loss of personal data, even if you have antivirus software.

Threat 4. The risk of stealing passwords.
According to LogMeIn statistics, 59% of users set the same password to access accounts on different services for ease of use. It represents a threat not only to personal security on the network, but also to family and friends. With your universal password, attackers actually get the keys to your life and can use them for various purposes: from correspondence on your behalf on social media to money transactions from your personal bank client account (mentioned in the previous article).

Threat 5. MITM vulnerability (“Man in the middle”).
“Man in the middle” is an attacker who interferes with the data transfer protocol. During a MITM attack, communication between the parties is intercepted (normally within the reception range of a wireless access point) and then relayed to the counterparties. An attacker may steal the identity of each endpoint, or remain an intermediary host, deleting or corrupting information.

How to protect yourself when connecting to public Wi-Fi?
Refusing to use public Wi-Fi in the modern world is hardly possible. Following these guidelines can help reduce safety risks.

1. Use public Wi-Fi only when necessary. All important operations requiring authentication and the entry of other private information should be performed only through a secure and reliable access point.
2. Disable the automatic Wi-Fi connection and select the networks manually. Thus, your device will not be constantly scanning for a familiar network, and attackers will be unable to connect the device to their network without your awareness (see paragraph on "Evil Twins").
3. Make sure that the devices you use to connect to a public Wi-Fi network are protected by antivirus software. Don't forget to update it on a regular basis, because if you force updates to be installed on a public Wi-Fi network, malware may be installed on your devices.
4. Check the legitimacy of the wireless connection. Whatever network you connect to, always check the Wi-Fi access point information (network name and password or IP address).
5. Always mark your connection to public Wi-Fi as "Public Network". This will prevent your device from sharing files or other sensitive information with others in the network, which will decrease the risk of malware infection from its "holder".
6. Use a VPN. Private VPN servers from LLHOST INC. create a secure and encrypted network connection, taking care of your privacy.
7. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for critical resources (bank clients, email, social networks, etc.). This will prevent unauthorized connection to the device.
8. Delete your Wi-Fi connection when you have completed the necessary steps to avoid automatically connecting to a network when you get within reach.
9. Change your passwords once you have used public Wi-Fi networks. The recipe for a strong password is simple: use upper and lower case letters, numerals and special characters.
10. Use the HTTPS data transfer protocol. It supports the security of site operations, the reliability of connections and the protection of data transmission.

It's quite difficult to protect yourself from hunters who are deliberately trying to get your bank data. But you should be prepared for any attacks today. Private VPN servers from LLHOST INC. were created to ensure that your personal and business correspondence, instant messenger conversations, online purchases, browser browsing history, etc. were not intercepted or overheard. And we're ready to help and keep it simple! Use promo code #publicwifihowto and get a -12% discount on any Private VPN server from LLHOST INC. for 3 monthly billing periods. The promotion is valid until August 25, 2022, but why wait when you can take action now!

[LLHOST INC.]

All you should know about UPTIME.

We have mentioned uptime more than once in our publications. And since it is one of the keys when choosing a hosting, let's get into what uptime means, and why the quality of hosting directly depends on it.

Uptime is a measure of time an equipment, IT system, or device, has been working and available. It displays the time interval from startup to termination of server functionality for any of the reasons: an error, a reboot, an unplanned shutdown, etc.

Idle time of a system is called "downtime". This is the time interval during which the server is unavailable to users.

Server uptime is measured as a percentage of uptime to downtime.

The ideal uptime is 100%, which is impossible. Scheduled reboots or other preventive maintenance, as well as emergencies, are reflected in uptime rates. Short interruptions with the server are safe, because problems are diagnosed in an instant and immediately fixed by hoster. So, for example, 99% uptime says that your server will be unavailable for 15 minutes a day (8 hours a month), and 99.9% - 50 minutes a month. Uptime 98% is considered critical (see Free hosting: pitfalls guide). Your server will be unavailable 14 hours a month, which could cause serious problems for web project owners.

Low uptime affects search engine optimization especially. It pushes down in search results rankings, since indexing by search robots stops during downtime. Negative results demonstrate PPC ads, posted on the third-party advertising platform, if your resource cannot be achieved. Losses from low uptime affect not only progression of your project, but also earnings. If your resource operates with frequency of crashing, the user will appeal to another one.

Make sure your project is available for as much time as possible! Prevent your users from switching to competitors and increase the number of new ones. Choose high-quality and reliable hosting that will ensure the smooth running of your commercial project, as changing hosting to a more stable one will increase the rating of your resource.

LLHOST INC. guarantees the maximum server uptime to ensure the successful implementation of any projects. Our uptime rate is currently 99.9%. You can make sure of it when working with virtual (OVS) or VPN servers from LLHOST INC. And promo code #uptime will cut the cost of services by -14%. Apply it before September 2, 2022 to activate the discount for 3 monthly billing periods. Our specialists are always happy to help in our Telegram chat or Ticket system.

[LLHOST INC.]

QA environment on a virtual server.

Virtual servers are used nowadays for a variety of tasks, not just in IT, but in many other fields. However, before we can enjoy a software product, an entire team is working on it.

QA is one of the important production stages, for which virtual server is an ideal environment. The virtual QA environment greatly reduces the time spent working on a project because of the following reasons:

1. On a virtual server, you can simultaneously deploy several versions of the same software product, each of which can be run on demand. In this case, you can create an unlimited number of users with certain access rights to server resources.
2. Testing environments deployed on virtual servers also prevent idle time of your own servers when there is no need to use them. All the virtual resources you need are at your disposal without loss of quality.

3. All virtual servers LLHOST INC. are configured with nested virtualization, allowing you to create isolated QA environments that you can easily set up to your needs.

4. Developers can work with the virtual environment without fear of damaging the QA engineer's one.

5. A QA environment on a virtual server is also necessary to calculate the consumption of selected resources without affecting its own capacities.

6. Temporary projects, which require diagnostics of software functionality only, are advisable to deploy in a testing environment, since they will not be used later.

Testing environments based on virtual servers will help speed up the product QA stage with minimal overhead. They can be deployed in the shortest time, being flexible in configurations.

Choose virtual servers (OVS) from LLHOST INC. to arrange a QA environment (and not only), as now we offer a discount of -11%! Apply the promo code #qa when ordering any LLHOST INC. OVS plan, valid til September 9, 2022, for an unlimited number of users.*

* The discount is valid for 3 periods of monthly billing cycle.

[LLHOST INC.]

Dedicated IP address: what are the advantages?

Today we will talk about the IP address and the benefits of a dedicated IP for safe connection to the network through a VPN server.

So,
What is an IP address?
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical address that identifies a device on the Internet or a local area network. It is regulated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

There are two types of Internet addresses: IPv4 and IPv6.

What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 address is used since 1981 as the most widely accepted. It consists of four numbers from 0 to 255 separated by a dot. Since there can be only 4.3 billion such combinations, and the number of devices with Internet access has passed the 29 billion mark (according to statistics from CISCO, one of the world's largest IT companies), a new type — IPv6 has been developed. It represents eight blocks of letters and numbers separated by colons. The number of such possible combinations is 2128 billion.

What is an IP address used for?
All devices connect to the network, with an Internet provider as their bridge. A simplified model of it looks like this: device → provider → Internet. Thanks to IP address, the provider performs data exchange upon users' request.

Data from every website is stored on the server. Every server has its own IP address on the worldwide network. Therefore, each website also has its own Internet address, or more, if we are talking about a large portal hosted on several servers.

There is no need to remember the IP address to access a specific resource. To do that, the Domain Name System, or DNS, was created. This technology enables the browser to find the IP address by name and upload the website (see our article What is a DNS server).

Is a VPN server hiding your IP address?
When you connect to a network via a VPN server, your original IP address is replaced by the IP address for the VPN server, which can be located anywhere in the world. Beyond privacy, VPN servers from LLHOST INC. help improve your online security, as well as protect Internet traffic, by encrypting the data transmitted from your device.

What kinds of IP addresses do exist?
According to the assignment method, there are static and dynamic IP addresses.

A static IP address is permanently assigned to the user. It does not change with each new connection to the network, being an identifier for a certain network node.

Dynamic IP is a temporary address that is assigned to the device throughout the session. Once connected to the network, the user receives one of the addresses available at that time. When connecting afterwards, the device is assigned another address among the available ones.

A dynamic IP is characterized by a slower download and upload speed than a static IP address (which is highly discouraged when using a VPN service), with the threat of disconnect, from deceleration to complete shutdown, associated with the assignment of a new free IP.

According to the type of location, IP addresses are divided into public and dedicated ones.

A public IP address allows multiple users to access the Internet with the same address.

Dedicated IP address is a unique IP address which is assigned solely to you. With a dedicated IP, all the benefits of a VPN server are available, such as the interaction of company branches, access to geo-restricted content, mail service protection against blocking due to suspected spam, and much more.

What are the benefits of a dedicated IP address?
Secure access to all accounts. Bank clients, online stores, social networks can block your account if you regularly change your IP addresses. Connect to the network through VPN servers from LLHOST INC. for secure transactions.

No security checks required. Website security services will be less likely to consider you a robot and offer to fill out a CAPTCHA.

Secure remote work. Connect securely to your working network from your home device and continue to operate anonymously with our No-logs Policy.

Exclusion from black lists of public IPs. The absence of "neighbors" who can violate the Terms of Use will prevent you from being denied access. Only you can build your reputation online.

Protection of IoT devices. Data and settings from home security cameras, smart doorbells and other IoT devices which may collect data will only be available to you, and the opportunity for unauthorized access is minimized.

What problems can a dedicated IP address solve?
• Blackmail services if your IP neighbors are spamming. It will also block the Inbox and Mailbox from your asset.
• Sanction blocking of an IP address if neighboring resources are recognized as forbidden and blocked by supervisory structures.
• A DDoS attack against one of the “neighbors” by IP address threatens all resources with a public Internet address.

Thus, a dedicated IP address will help avoid many problems caused by users' actions with the same IP.

Obtain a dedicated static IP address when connecting to VPN servers from LLHOST INC. in any available location. Use promo code #iptips to enjoy a -12% discount!
Secure your privacy online with complete encrypted connections with LLHOST INC.!

Offer terms:
1. The promotion is valid until September 16, 2022.
2. The discount can be applied for 3 monthly payment periods.
3. The promo code is active for an unlimited number of users.

[LLHOST INC.]

What is the difference between a server and hosting?

Well, formally the term "hosting" is defined as "a service that runs servers connected to the Internet, allowing organizations and individuals to serve content or host services connected to the Internet". It is applied to all hosting services: from shared to dedicated servers.

In the informal communication environment, the meaning of "hosting" has become almost synonymous with shared hosting. In this article, we will cover it from an informal point of view. To do this, let's find out the essence of those services in order to have a clear understanding of the capabilities of your own resource.

It is known that absolutely all data on the Internet is stored on servers. Each server is a specially configured, powerful physical computer connected to the network 24/7. It can be fully managed by the user as a dedicated server (required for large organizations), or it can contain a certain number of virtual servers. This virtualization technology allows several virtual limited servers to run on one physical server. Each of the virtual servers is assigned a unique IP address. System files on such servers are completely isolated. This provides security at a sufficiently high level and protects against unauthorized access to user resources.

Virtual private servers are ideal for high-load resources and show stable performance, even if there is a technical failure on one of the neighboring virtual servers. You can configure the server by yourself, open and close ports, set a privacy policy, and more.

Complex managed hosting, such as hybrid (a combination of physical and virtual) can be applied to both dedicated and virtual servers, where the complexity of infrastructure deployment plays a key role.

Colocation provides just the Internet connection, constant power and climate control, and system administration is carried out by users.

Regarding the hosting, it is the service of providing disk space for hosting websites. All configurations are set up. Site management is implemented intuitive through the control panel’s user account. On the one hand, hosting is easy and simple to manage, and on the other hand, all resources are shared with “neighbors”, disk space and bandwidth are limited.

Although technical skills are required to set up a virtual server, this issue can be covered by any control panel that is convenient for you, which will set up your server for hosting.

In other words, hosting is a server with shared resources, configured to host and operate websites (with services already installed, such as control panel, mailbox, FTP, etc.). A virtual server, on the other hand, has dedicated resources and can be configured for any task (read more in our blog article
How to choose a VPS?).

Virtual servers from LLHOST INC. have a lot of advantages:
• Affordable price in the VPS market.
• Guaranteed allocated resources with no additional fees.
• Full access to all server resources.
• Set up flexibility: the ability to install any OP and software.
• Dedicated IP address.
• Projects of other users do not affect the performance of your server.
• Ability to link the required number of domains.
• The security of your server does not depend on "neighbors".

Put your commercial project in the best environment! Choose Virtual Server (OVS) from LLHOST INC. and enjoy a -13% discount for 3 months with a monthly billing period. For this, enter the promo code #sharedvsdedic in a special field when ordering any OVS plan from LLHOST INC. till September 23, 2022.

[LLHOST INC.]

Happy Software Freedom Day!

Every year, Software Freedom Day is celebrated on the 3rd Saturday of September. It was initiated by the non-profit organization Software Freedom International. The idea of the celebration is to inform as many users as possible about free software opportunities.

What is free software? Free software (FOS) is software that allows users to run software for any purpose, redistribute copies of it, and explore, study, or modify the source code. The most popular FOS today are: GNU and Linux operating systems, Firefox web browser, LibreOffice and OpenOffice office suites, etc.

The Free Software Foundation was founded in 1983 by Richard Stallman, creator of the Unix-like free operating system GNU. He always highlights the word "free", accenting that "the real goal of such software is freedom."

For the first time, Software Freedom Day was celebrated in 2004. 12 teams of volunteers participated in the event organization. They talked about the advantages of using free software in every sphere of life, with an idea to learn and share what they learned with others. Today, the geography of this event reaches about 100 countries.

Initially, the holiday was held on August 28, but in 2006 it was replaced by the third Saturday in September. Every year, participating teams from around the world celebrate Software Freedom Day at the regional level. Local organizers choose the format of the event. So they may differ from region to region. Conferences, seminars, cultural and educational meetings, exhibitions have become traditional activities. Celebrations may also contain master classes, demonstrations, games, discussions, Instalfests, during which experts will help you install and learn the FOS.

LLHOST INC. as well as Digital Freedom Foundation supports the distribution of educational content, including free software. Therefore, on Software Freedom Day, we are happy to keep the traditions of the holiday. Starting today and for two weeks (until September 30, 2022), our pleasure is to offer all our subscribers an -11% discount on all virtual (OVS) or VPN servers from LLHOST INC., which is valid for three months! How to get it, you may ask? It's simple: enter the promo code #softwarefreedomday in a special field when ordering any plan, and the discount will be applied automatically.

Celebrate Software Freedom Day with LLHOST INC.!

[LLHOST INC.]

All about Remote Desktop.

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed files or programs from a computer that is currently at home or at work? Or the project you are working on was not available while you were in a business trip? All this can be avoided if you have a Remote Desktop. It allows you to connect to your work or personal computer from anywhere in the world and access the files stored on it, or remotely share the screen with friends and colleagues as if you were sitting right in front of it.

Remote Desktop is a technology that allows you to control a PC or server remotely via the Internet. The connection is implemented by assignment of the administrative rights of your device to be managed by others. The ability to connect from almost any device, be it a PC or laptop, tablet or smartphone, is available due to the fact that the remote server takes the entire workload. You do not overload your device with running processes, but simply get an image from the server screen and freely manage its system.

Remote desktop on a virtual server is necessary for both private use and business. So you have a connection to your home computer at any time and access to your files and soft anywhere. And if you have to work with resource-intensive soft such like video editing, 3D modeling programs or run a video game that your home PC cannot keep up, Remote Desktop can help solve this problem.

For any company, both large corporations and small businesses, it is a great opportunity to organize a remote workplace, allowing you to work from anywhere in the world, having access to corporate software on your work computer and work files. At the same time, all documentation is stored on one server, and access to it does not depend on the presence of the employee in charge in the office. You can perform all actions on a remote device: change software settings, share files, encrypt transferred data, hold conferences, connect webcams, remote projectors and other network devices. It is very important that you have possibility to assign employees access to certain folders.

There are two options for organizing remote access:
• Special programs that connect two workstations via the Internet. In this case, constant access to power and the Internet are essential.
• Server rental, in which operational activities are performed on a remote server of the hosting service provider (therefore, the requirements for your devices are minimal), and it is accessed via the Internet.

A remote desktop deployed on a virtual server has increased protection, while special programs, both free and with a purchased license, have an increased threat of hacking and unauthorized access to the local network.

Now let's talk more about the areas in which remote desktop on a virtual server has a distinct advantage:

Accounting.
It is well-known that the database should be stored within the company, not at an accountant's home. If you have ever lost your ledgers, or broke the contract with an accountant, then you understand how important is it. With a virtual server, you will always have access to accounting files.

Bank-clients.
For security purposes, some bank clients are linked to the certain IP address and can only be accessed from one device. Virtual servers from LLHOST INC. have dedicated static IP address, which means that your bank account is always available for operations.

Electronic archives.
Remote desktop for the documents' archives contributes to the centralized storage of huge amounts of information. It is great for monitoring, statistics and data management.

Exchange trading.
To keep the network delay to a minimum, the server with bots that buy and sell assets should be located closer to the data centers. For example, LLHOST INC. has a data center in Amsterdam. You connect to the remote desktop from your location, and the bots trade directly from Amsterdam.

Alternative OS.
Some tasks or software may require a different operating system than installed on your device. Virtual servers from LLHOST INC. are the easiest way to deploy it.

System administration.
To system administrators, in order to manage the system and quickly troubleshoot malfunctions, remote access is a must.

Educational platforms.
Distance education is widespread today. Remote desktop technology is actively used by modern educational platforms for remotely students' access.

Personal gaming server.
If you want to set up a server to play online with friends, remote desktop can help in that.

VPN as a Bonus.
You can also deploy your own VPN server based on a virtual server from LLHOST INC. which will be a nice bonus for you.

Remote Desktop is an essential technical tool in almost any area of life. It finds its application for both private and business use, being effective and secure.

So, today we offer you a -14% discount on any LLHOST INC. virtual server (OVS) plan for three months with the #remote promo code, valid until October 7, 2022. A remote desktop based on OVS from LLHOST INC. is the best prompt solution to boost the PC performance without any substantial investments.

[LLHOST INC.]

12 proofs you need a VPN.

Talking about VPN, privacy and data security is always in focus. We covered this topic in the articles Who is following us on the Internet? and Beware: Spy Apps! This is really important, because information such as IP addresses, proxies, provider, etc. can be intercepted if they are sent over an insecure network. It is the VPN that creates a private encrypted tunnel between the two networks, which protects all your data.

However, there are many other uses for VPN that you may not even have heard of. Today we will talk about 12 of them:

1. Access to blocked resources.
In many countries of the world, several social networks are subject to censorship and blocking. For example, Facebook and Twitter are blocked in Algeria to prevent students from using them to get answers during exams. However, the blockage affects every user in the country. A VPN will help you bypass regional blocks of resources that are not available in your country.

2. High speed of media resources.
A VPN is your trusted companion for avoiding ISP (Internet service providers) speed limits on streaming media platforms like YouTube. In other words, a VPN will allow you to watch videos or movies across multiple platforms without annoying disconnects, buffers, or other barriers.

3. International libraries and streaming TV.
Streaming platforms like Netflix have different content in different countries. This may be due to copyright or censorship laws, as well as licensing agreements and price discrimination practices where the cost is different for one viewer or provider than it is for another. A VPN will allow you to access libraries that are not available in your area, as well as watch original programs from almost all TV channels in the world absolutely free of charge, bypassing geo-restrictions.

4. Change of location.
If, for whatever reason, you wish to hide your site from others, like employees or employers, a VPN will come to your rescue. For this, a server at the desired location will suffice.

5. Online gaming without speed limits.
Game developers often use BitTorrent for updates and fixed bugs. Such traffic significantly increases the load on the network, so it is "throttled" (intentionally slowed down) by Internet service providers to minimize bandwidth congestion. Using a VPN will help prevent those limitations.

6. Shopping in foreign online stores.
According to InternetRetailer.com, 24% of online shoppers purchase goods on foreign marketplaces daily. By using a VPN, you can avoid the challenges on different financial systems and make your shopping experience more enjoyable.

7. Anti-eavesdropping.
We have already highlighted the threats of public Wi-Fi. Since such connections are not encrypted and not protected, the risk of being eavesdropped is quite high, which you can check by all the permissions of installed applications. Even legitimate apps that let you control your kids or your employees' activities are vulnerable to attackers. VPN not only masks the route of your Internet traffic, but also encrypts your data, hiding your presence on the network.

8. Voice over IP (VoIP) calls.
Using a VPN for VoIP calls can make your connection safe from a country where the Internet is strictly monitored or blocked. It is also a means to save money on VoIP calls. The cost of this type of connection depends on where you are, and switching your IP address to a server address may help you access cheaper rates.

9. Safe connection to any Wi-Fi hotspot.
All Wi-Fi connections are highly vulnerable and are considered weak when it comes to IT security (see paragraph 7). Keep in mind that a VPN helps you connect to any Wi-Fi network safely.

10. Booking of air tickets and other services.
Many airlines and service providers may have different data collection methods that are used to generate service charges based on your location. Just like in the case of VoIP, a VPN will help you get a better price and, in addition, get rid of the annoying follow-up ads.

11. Marketing research on competitors.
It is known that each visit to a website is registered automatically. You can be identified by this digital footprint. In this case, a VPN will help you stay incognito. That is especially important when you are researching a competitor and anonymity is crucial.

12. The "Watch list".
Traffic, especially illegal, is carefully monitored by international security agencies, such as MPAA (Motion Picture Association) in the US or GPC (Government Communications Center) in the UK. Identified offenders are recorded under the so-called "Watch list". A VPN allows you to download and share files without risk of being included into one of these lists.

Those are just 12 reasons that prove the benefits of using a VPN. Highly secure encryption, IP masking, the ability to connect two devices at the same time, multilingual support - all this is about VPN servers from LLHOST INC. Take the chance to connect the service with an -11% discount for 3 months! Use the promo code #givemevpn when choosing any VPN plan from LLHOST INC. until October 14, 2022. Let your every connection to the network be as safe as possible!

[LLHOST INC.]

HDD vs SSD. Which is better?

When selecting a server, processor specifications and storage capacity are regarded as key factors. In any case, the function of a storage for a server differs from that of your PC as every server must store a great amount of data with 24/7 access. Thus, the main characteristics are:
• high performance,
• minimal response time,
• safety of data and possibility to recover it.

Modern storage media are represented by HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid-State Drive). What is that? What are the differences between HDD and SSD? What kind of storage to choose? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in our today's article.

So what are HDD and SSD?

HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is a storage device based on magnetic recording technology. Reading and writing data from a hard disk is performed by the sensing head located above a rotating magnetic plate (similar to the phonograph). It was invented by IBM (International Business Machines) in 1956 and immediately became a very popular type of storage, decreasing in size and increasing in capacity over time.

SSD (Solid-State Drive) is a type of storage that uses electronic circuits to store data instead of moving parts. The operating principle is based on semi-conductors that change the electrical condition of the trillions of circuits contained in the drive. They have no moving parts, which helps to avoid problems with data loss or disk damage (similar to a USB flash drive).

Both HDD and SSD are similar in their physical features, but they have totally different ways to store and recover data. However, both technologies come with their advantages and disadvantages. Let's talk about the most obvious facts.

HDD’s speed is very low.
Speed ​​is the main difference between an SSD and HDD, when servers have to perform multiple IO operations (Input-Output), and information is not distributed sequentially. The speed of an SSD is not mechanically limited, so it works better with random IO processes and reading or writing random information.

SSD loses in terms of storage capacity.
This is a major factor if you need a dedicated server for storing large-capacity data. One HDD can hold up to 16 TB. Although it is possible to increase the amount of memory with any storage device nowadays, the price-to-power ratio becomes the only difference.

HDD is vulnerable to many external influences.
This could be caused by sunlight exposure or high temperatures, fluids, dust, or sensitivity to other magnetic fields. Mobile parts of a hard drive may be damaged at any time and cause data loss. The architecture of the SSD makes it mechanically more reliable than a hard drive because it can withstand vibrations or shocks that are fatal to an HDD.

SSD has a limited number of write cycles.
Although SSD has a limited life-time determined by the number of write cycles, you should not worry about the data safety. SSD assets and smart planning can handle massive quantities of written data. For example, the controller evenly distributes data across all SSD sectors, levelling out its mechanical wear. Also, non-volatile flash memory cells used instead of RAM maintain their conditions when the power is switched off.

What storage type is worthy to select?
Of the two options, it is impossible to identify the winner, and there cannot be any clear answer to this question. Both technologies are relevant today, and the choice between them depends on the operations performed on the server. On some, the data are written more frequently than read, on others, inverses. So, video hosting basically requires data reading, logging systems, video surveillance or backup - recording, corporate information systems - both reading and writing. That's why HDD servers are suitable for long-term storage of data with a constant low load. But in case you need a server for quickly dealing with all the tasks under a heavy load, then an SSD is a must.

The storage of all LLHOST INC. Virtual Servers (OVS) is based on a fast SSD, which has an advantage in terms of speed and response time compared to the HDD. They can easily perform a wide range of operational tasks that require fast loading, such as 1C, web development, 3D graphics and animation, audio and video editing, etc. Also, you have the opportunity to get a -13% discount on any virtual server (OVS) plan using the promo code #needforspeed until October 21, 2022.*

With virtual servers (OVS) from LLHOST INC. the time for searching and reading data tends to zero!

* The discount is valid for the 3-month period of the monthly billing cycle.