Poll

What should happen to the price of HamHost?

Make it completely free. All features of the web control panel will br available for everybody.
Keep it free/premium, but give half of the features to free users.
Continue making more (web) control panel features for premium users, and occasionally make one for unpaid clients.
Keep adding more control panel features for premium users, but add none for free clients.
Make HamHost paid-only.

Author Topic: HamHost Dedicated Blockland servers | New poll: More free-user features?  (Read 102132 times)

You didn't even spell "Clinr" correctly.
Lol idc, this is just turning into a drama topic anyways.

This looks like a good service to me and when it comes out of beta I will use it.

We're currently having problems with downtime. I shut down the VPS, and I am unable to boot it again. I have tried everything, and I am now contacting the hosting provider's support by e-mail.
I expect that the whole hosting service will be down for at least 4 hours, and on average, 24 hours.
I apologize to all clients for this large delay.

The remote server responds to ping requests properly, but Remote desktop does not work. I tried logging in multiple times with SSH and VNC, but they both ask for a username and I don't know it. I believe that I do know the passwords, though.

EDIT: I have successfully got into VNC, and am trying to repair the OS. I will try to keep all of your files safe.
EDIT: I restarted the server again, and Windows says it is configuring updates.

EDIT: I have now logged into Windows Server 2012. Here is proof of it:


EDIT: I am now backing up the HamHost folder in case something like this happens again. Your servers will be started in about 10 minutes.

EDIT: The issue has now been fixed. Sorry about the 120 minutes of downtime.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2013, 10:17:30 AM by hammereditor² »

You should put your server on pingdom.

Real professional RFO there. Quick suggestion, keep the detailed cause and resolution of issues internal but by all means post brief details about the issue and resolution to maintain transparency.

Putting the server on Pingdom probably wouldn't have helped this issue; as he said it was responding to ICMP packets but the OS was dead.

Real professional RFO there. Quick suggestion, keep the detailed cause and resolution of issues internal but by all means post brief details about the issue and resolution to maintain transparency.

Putting the server on Pingdom probably wouldn't have helped this issue; as he said it was responding to ICMP packets but the OS was dead.

I meant let everyone see the ping and stuff, by putting it on pingdom. Not to prevent things like this.

No offense, really, but do you even know anything about security?
That "advanced security" section of the OP is the funniest thing I've seen all week.

No offense, really, but do you even know anything about security?
That "advanced security" section of the OP is the funniest thing I've seen all week.
I'm not a cryptographer, but this security system works. Go ahead and try to break through it.

You should put your server on pingdom.
I created and setup a Pingdom account just 5 minutes ago.
http://stats.pingdom.com/ef06vbpzumrl/924315
« Last Edit: August 12, 2013, 11:55:49 AM by hammereditor² »

Real professional RFO there. Quick suggestion, keep the detailed cause and resolution of issues internal but by all means post brief details about the issue and resolution to maintain transparency.

Putting the server on Pingdom probably wouldn't have helped this issue; as he said it was responding to ICMP packets but the OS was dead.
Okay. I'll start making a quick webpage with new about my hosting service, such as updates, downtime, and other stuff.

Also, you should add a "chat" on the server panel. So people can like talk while not in server and moderate.

Also, you should add a "chat" on the server panel. So people can like talk while not in server and moderate.
Chat is printed out to the Blockland console, so they can see the chat through the remote console feature.

I'm not a cryptographer, but this security system works. Go ahead and try to break through it.

I never said it didn't work. It's just more than completely unnecessary, that's what. Literally all you need to do to secure a Blockland install is to do proper write protections. Don't let people write to binaries or libraries, done.

Hey hammer, how do I add add-ons with the new update?
Also, how do I get system_hamhost to work? Where should I put it?
Please add some help things for all the features.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2013, 02:20:55 PM by xSetrox »

The operating system is the newest edition of Windows server. Since it is the newest, this OS is much more secure than Windows Server 2008 (which is what all of the other hosting services use). The datacenter edition is packed with a bonanza of features, as opposed to the standard edition.
You seem to be following the old "newer = better". Not saying that WS2012 is secure/not secure, but they tend to be more vulnerable the more young they are, since the exploits for the system haven't been discovered yet. This is usually where Microsoft releases a influx of knowledge base patches.

1: File names: This process checks if there are extra executable files in the server's directory. If there are extra .exe or .dll files, the user is identified as a hacker.
2: File sizes: This process checks the file sizes of all executable files against the values which genuine versions of the files would have. If there is a difference in the file sizes of any of them, the user is a hacker.
3: SHA-256 hash: It is relatively easy for a malicious user to get past the 2 methods above, but this step is far more secure. A SHA-256 hash is a string of characters which is uniquely generated according to the contents of a file. The HamHost control panel server generates a 256-bit hash of all executable files in the Blockland server's directory before launching the Blockland server. If the generated hashes don't match with those of a genuine Blockland installation, the user is a hacker.
It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a malicious executable file to match both the file size and the 256-bit hash. Furthermore, the system salts the hashes by adding a random number to them. This way, it makes it harder for a hacker to know exactly what hash the control panel server considers genuine.
HamHost's Blockland server security makes sure that other users cannot delete, steal, copy, modify, or corrupt any of the files in your Blockland server's folder.
Quite honestly; this is the most ridiculous "advanced" security system that happens to be very inefficient.
All you are doing is checking file integrity and not paying attention to stuff like a better authentication system (with this type of system, you can go further than just passwords) and encrypted traffic for the more critical parts of the server. If someone manages to get into your client's server, there is nothing stopping them from messing around with the running server. They don't even need to modify files to do this.

Also I don't understand why you use checksum algorithms for binaries and dynamic link libraries but not for other files. If they aren't checked for file integrity, one can easily change the contents of the file completely while still leaving the file size the same and the file name intact.

I should also throw in that your server does not check for brute force/dictionary attacks. I tested your server against around 20 incorrect guesses with random strings on a random user that I will not mention in a short period of time (guesstimated around 10 seconds, more or less). It still responded after 5, which is usually the threshold for password cracking detection (which is why turing tests like CAPTCHA exist). This is probably the most important part of your client's server security and yet you've made it the most vulnerable part of your "advanced security system".

If you really do "value" your customer's security: I advise you to build a better system and research on many different security methods so your server hosting won't equally vulnrable and inefficient than a lone infant. You put your customer's servers at great risk.

Also I don't understand why you use checksum algorithms for binaries and dynamic link libraries but not for other files. If they aren't checked for file integrity, one can easily change the contents of the file completely while still leaving the file size the same and the file name intact.
This is exactly the purpose of the SHA-256. It ensures that people cannot just match the file size and the file name, but the file must also contain the same content.

I also will look into preventing spam attacks.