When I got into DNN I also got a new host. I needed lots of cheap MSSQL and disk space and Webhost4life looked the part.

Good bits:
Cheap - $240 or so a year for 3Gb shared MSSQL and disk space.
Loads of features for no extra cost - PHP, Sharepoint, .Net2, Smartermail, Good control panel.
Support staff do try to help when things go wrong and are often willing to install or configure stuff hands on... they're open to new things... more "yes" than "no".
Server is quite reliable.
Unlimited data per month (note below).
Good access to DB's - Enterprise manager and PHPmyadmin.
The hidden costs for adding domains and db's are still relatively cheap.


Bad bits:
Slowwwww!
Support staff are like a 10-headed beast.. with a different opinion in each head, none of which are remotely connected to one's original query.
Server script time-out periods make certain control panel functionality completely useless. In particular anything that affects a large number of files, such as a typical DNN installation. Copying, moving, deleting, setting permissions on, zipping... all of these are impossible to carry out and the host is unwilling to change this. They say use FTP (which is ridiculous) or have them do it (which works, but can take anywhere up to a day to carry out)
Did I say it was also slow?
Awestats - the stats package is crappy. My other host has Smarterstats which is an excellent package and one that I cannot switch clients away from to something like Awestats.
The unlimited data per month will be hard to ever use because the outgoing bandwidth is so slowwww!
Hidden costs: Extra domains cost $15 per year each including email service. Extra MSSQL db costs about the same (4 included)


Now... I still have an account with my other host - Appliedi.net. I've had it for years and years and it is very professionally run, but it is just not suitable for my DNN work. It's main advantage is that it has only half the number of sites on my server (about 120) versus Webhost4lilfe which has well over 250. The overall responsiveness is therefore much better and more consistent.

The downside is that it costs me $50 a month and I only have two paying sites on it, both of which would run fine on WH4L. I've not made the switch for a couple of reasons. First, the clients both would not appreciate the switch to Awestats, and second, I'm not happy with the overall performance of WH4L.

What I really want is WH4L with far fewer sites per server and workable script time-outs. I'd be happy to pay a fair bit more for the account for the extra speed. WH4L offers a VPS account shared with 10 users, but this costs $60 a month and still uses the same control panel, the same email, the same stats and the same support staff as the cheapie account.

All up, my existing accounts cost about $80 a month and I'm considering bringing them all together into one higher spec account.. but where? Staying on WH4L and migrating my other sites to it would be easiest, but I'm not convinced I'll be happy with it in the end.

So, then I went digging and saw WebsSecureStores.
Can anyone fill me in on their systems? I've looked at all the features and many things are still unclear.. how many sites per server on a 50 dollar account? What are the stats like - automatically emailable? Can the control panel make a duplicate of a DNN site folder without timing out? Does it provide full access to the MSSQL and PHP db's for backing up and restoring? Does it let one set .Net version, redirect domains at will, zip up, unzip folders reliably? Can you run 20 domains off your DNN instance and duplicate, backup, move, the site and db easily.

I'm very interested in anyone's experience with any hosts.

I've looked at Scotts other site on WH4L and it seems to run faster than my ones, though it still stutters now and then. Is this on a VPS account or a cheapie?

Ventrian itself runs well.. can you let us know Scott, which particular account you have on WebsSecureStores and how you back up or upgrade the site when you need to?

Thanks for any info on these things.
Rob