Hosting mutiple websites on one DNS registration

[wolfadeus]

I just got a message from my hosting company that totally shocked me - I host several websites with very, very little traffic in sub-folders of a general DNS account and thought that was perfectly fine, but now this:

[the email stated i was in violation of the terms of service and i should therefore remove the offending sites or order additional hosting for each site.]

My question: A) Is that normal? I know plenty of people who host several websites from one account.

[edited by: phranque at 9:30 pm (utc) on Aug. 8, 2008]
[edit reason] email quote [/edit]

[SEOMike]

I'd reply apologizing for the misunderstanding of their TOS and that you will rectify the situation immediately. However, you have to wait up to 48 hours for the DNS switch to fully take effect during which time your sites have to remain in their current place or else you will lose lots of business over this misunderstanding. They should be willing to let your sites sit where they are while you a) move those sites to a new host, or b) move them to separate accounts. If you like the host's service, reliability and price, I'd just leave the sites with them.

Is this normal? I don't know. I've not encountered this before. I've got URL that points to a folder of a site so I guess that one account has two "sites" but it's been that way for years. It's interesting that they care because most hosts charge for the amount of space that you use on the server and the amount of bandwidth you use, not the number of sites hosted in one spot.

Also, check the TOS that you agreed to when you signed up for service.

[wolfadeus]

Thank you!

"I've got URL that points to a folder of a site so I guess that one account has two "sites" but it's been that way for years. "

This is exactly what I had!

[jdMorgan]

It strikes me as 'odd' that the hosting company *allowed* the secondary domain names to resolve. Unless you're using IP-based hosting, which you'd normally pay extra for. In addition to DNS, the server needs to know which 'filespace' to point a request to, and on name-based hosting, this is done by looking at the requested domain. In short, unless you're paying for IP-based hosting, it is equally their fault for *allowing* the extra domains to resolve to your account space -- Their control panel set-up is probably wrong.

Look into getting a 'reseller account' or whatever they would call an account that allows hosting multiple domains under one centrally-administerable account -- at lower cost than multiple individual accounts.

I'd also offer to pay them 'a reasonable fee' to keep your sites hosted as they are for up to one week -- enough time to arrange for new hosting accounts, get the sites moved, and let the DNS changes fully propagate.

Jim

[wolfadeus]

Thanks, Jim. We resolved the situation as such: I removed all sites but three, they triple my monthly bill and that's it. Now I have time to look into alternative hosting plans that allow me a "single-DNS, as many websites/domains as desired" account. I just freaked thinking that they might switch off all my sites in the middle of my vacation (which is *now*).