Hawkhost Review

Now, the interesting part about all of this is the fact that I’ve never really used FastComet in the past, it never really got onto my radar before I began this review, and truth be told, I probably would have never even found it, but damn, I’m so glad I did.

I will take you on a trip with me as we take an in-depth look at everything it has to offer, so you can see why I ended up loving it so much.

Your expectations might not be as exceeded as mine were, but keep in mind that I went on it expecting not that much to be honest. Anyway, without going on and on about how amazing this hosting provider turned out to be, let’s actually take a look at everything.

Getting Started With FastComet

When you first attempt to sign up for the service, you are greeted by three offers.

Shared Hosting – cPanel shared Hosting

Here you’ll have access to FastCloud, FastCloud Plus, and FastCloud Extra, all of which have their own distinctive feature sets.

Cloud VPS Hosting– Private SSD Based Cloud Servers

Here you have four plans to choose from, Cloud 1, Cloud 2, Cloud 3, and Cloud 4. Things can get a little bit more tricky here, but you shouldn’t have too many issues here if you know what you want.

Dedicated CPU Servers – High-Performance Solutions

I absolutely love the dedicated server part of this hosting provider. You get a lot, and the prices seem quite fair compared to many others out there. What you end up picking will ultimately rely on what you really need here, and the descriptions are self-explanatory.

For the purposes of this review, I went with the Shared Hosting plan FastCloud, which offers a single website, free website transfer, free domain transfer, cPanel and Softacolous, and 15GB of SSD space.

Keep that in mind as we move further along this review. If you’re going to go the cheap and accessible route, this is the perfect review for you.

Click on “Get Started” to begin this adventure.

You can register a new domain or simply transfer your pre-existing one.

On the account information tab, you’ll need to enter your first name, your last name, your email, your master password, your country and state/region, your zip code, city, address, phone, and optionally, the company you work in.

Then you can select the hosting plan you’ll want to use. In this case, I’m using Shared Hosting – FastCloud, the data center location, and the time period through which you’ll be making the initial purchase.

You also have other features, such as domain registration, domain privacy, search engine submission, search engine optimization (SEO) audit, and GoogleSiteMap.

Last but not least, you’ll just need to add your payment information, which can be done through a Credit Card or through PayPal.

That is all there is to it, so you should be good to go.

You should then receive an email that the credit card payment has gone through.

You will then receive an email showcasing everything, including the login details and the control panel URL. Your hosting password will be randomly generated, and you have the ability to change your account password with the link they will provide you. You will additionally receive information about the server name, server IP, nameserver 1 and nameserver 2, as well as the FTP hostname.

Using and Managing Your Website on FastComet

The very first time you end up logging into the FastComet website, you are greeted by this screen.

Here you have access to support tickets, invoices, domains, and orders.

Under that, you can see all of your active products on the service.

On the support tickets tab, you can submit tickets to the support team.

You can review all of your invoices on the invoices tab, see which ones are paid, and which ones need to be paid.

You can see your domains on the domains tab, register a new domain, renew or transfer a domain.

On the Order tab, you can basically upgrade or downgrade to a certain package.

Now, we’ll move on to the cPanel.

On the email you received, you should see your cPanel login as well as password.

Once you enter, you will be greeted by this screen.

You have many categories here, and although they may seem overwhelming after we go through all of them together, you should feel right at home using FastComet.

Files

File Manager

The file manager is your good ol’ cPanel file manager, where you can, as the name might imply, manage your files.

Inodes

An inode is this simple data structure that is used to describe a file or a directory in Unix-style file systems. This lets you see the inodes in each folder.

Images

The images tab lets you modify and manage images that are saved to your account. This includes the thumbnail, the scaler, and the converter.

Directory Privacy

Directory privacy lets you set a password to protect certain directories of your account. When this feature is enabled, a user who tries to open a protected folder will be prompted to enter a username and a password before they can access your content.

Disk Usage

Here you can monitor the available space on your website.

FTP Accounts

Here you can configure FTP accounts and get your website online quickly. There’s even the FTP client that can manage your website’s file.

FTP Connections

Here you can monitor the visitors that are logged into your site through the usage of FTP.

Backup

Here you can back up and download a full backup of your website.

Backup Wizard

This is essential as the previous step, although it’s done through a wizard.

Git Version Control

Here you can create and manage Git repositories and you can use Git to maintain any set of files and track the history of all of the changes from multiple editors.

JetBackup

JetBackup is the software that you can use to back up your servers to the disaster recovery server located in a remote facility.

Here you have access to full account backups, file backups, cron job backups, DNS Zone Backups, Database Backups, Email Backups, and Queue.

Databases

phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin allows you to manage all of your settings, including Databases, SQL, Status, Export, Import, Settings, Variables, Charsets, Engines, and Plugins.

MySQL Databases

Here you can create a new database and check your pre-existing databases so you can modify as well as repair them.

MySQL Database Wizard

Here you can create a database through a more streamlined process.

Remote MySQL

Here you can add a specific domain name that allows visitors to connect to your MySQL databases.

SEO and Marketing Tools

These are tools specifically made to help you rank up higher on search engine results.

This is done through Attracta, where your account is integrated with their web host’s control panel.

Keep in mind that the free SEO tools provided by Attacta allow for guaranteed inclusion in Google, Yahoo!, and Bing, and will get your website listed in the Powerful Attracta Directory. You also gain access to malware scanning as well as Google Blacklist checks, and in-depth SEO tips for better rankings. You always have access to the support team as well.

Domains

In terms of domain management, you have access to site publisher, domains, addon domains, subdomains, aliases, redirects, Zone Editor, and Dynamic DNS.

Site Publisher lets you select a template for your website, while the domain tab lets you create new domains, new addon domains, subdomains, and even aliases and redirects. This is all really straightforward and should allow you to manage everything with ease.

Email

Here’s where FastComet gives you truly amazing tools.

You have access to set up email accounts, forwarders, email routing, autoresponders, default addresses, track delivery and so much more. I specifically love the global email filters, email deliverability settings, address importer, spam filters, and email disk usage. This just lets me manage everything with ease and not waste storage on spam emails. Keep in mind we’re getting just 15 gigs of SSD storage, so every megabyte counts.

Metrics

• Visitors – View up to 1.000 of the most recent entries in the Apache log
• Errors – Review the most recent entries in the website’s error logs.
• Bandwidth – See how much bandwidth usage your website has used for the past 24 hours, week, or year.
• Raw Access – see who’s visited your website without the usage of graphs, charts or other graphics.
• Awstats – See visual statistics about the visitors to your website.
• Resource Usage – See how many resources your website is currently using.

Security

• SSH Access – allows for secure file transfer as well as remote logins through the internet.
• As the name implies, IP Blocker lets you block an IP address from accessing your website.
• SSL/TLS – allows you to generate SSL certificates, certificate signing requests, and private keys.
• Manage API Tokens – lets you create and manage API tokens for cPanel API 2 and UAPI.
• Hotlink Protection – prevents other websites from directly linking to files on your website.
• Leech Protection – This allows you to prevent users from giving out or publicly posting their passwords to a restricted area of your site.

SSL/TLS Wizard – This lets you purchase and installs SSL certificates for your account.

ModSecurity – This is a web application firewall that protects servers from malicious traffic at a network layer.

SSL/TLS Status – This lets you view the SSL status of your domains.

• Looks like I need to do quite a bit of configuration here.
• Two-Factor Authentication –  This lets you set up multiple ways of identification, such as a password as well as a generated security code.
• Let’s Encrypt SSL – this gives you access to free domain-validated certificates in an automated way.

Software

Here you have access to the following features:

• Ghost Publishing Platform – a professional publishing platform that is based on the Node.js runtime environment.
• Cloudflare – this lets you speed up and optimize your cPanel website.
• FastComet Website Builder – their own website builder with themes.

• WordPress Manager by Softaculous – you can essentially manage your WordPress website from here.
• PHP Pear Packages – This lets you install PHP extensions as well as applications.
• Perl Modules – Perl modules are essentially collections of functions that let you perform tasks in Perl.
• Optimize Website – You can optimize your website’s performance by tweaking the way Apache handles the requests.
• Softaculous Apps Installer – this lets you install apps through scripts.

• Setup Node.js App – This lets you create Node.js apps.
• Select PHP Version – This lets you change the PHP version.
• Setup Python App –  This lets you create Python apps.

Advanced

• Terminal – command-line access.
• Cron Jobs – automate certain commands or scripts.
• Indexes – customize the way a directory appears when no index files are in the directory.
• Error Pages – an error page that informs visitors when there’s a problem.
• Apache Handlers – control how the Apache webserver software manages certain file types and extensions.
• MIME Types – tell browsers how to handle specific extensions.
• Virus Scanner – scan for a virus.

Preferences

Here you can change the cPanel language, change contact information, and manage the users.

FastComet Website Builder – Themes

This lets you create your own custom websites through their own website builder.

Softacolous Apps Installer

Here you can install apps such as WordPress, Joomla, AbanteCart, and phpBB through scripts.

Planet WordPress

Last but not least we have Planet WordPress.

• Here you have AThemes – this lets you design, build and launch a WordPress website without programming.
• Solo Stream Themes – This is a collection of themes that work with WordPress.
• Themify Themes – This is a drag and drops WordPress builder.
• Theme Forrest – A store where you can purchase from over 51.000 WordPress themes.
• CodeCanyon Plugins – This lets you purchase WordPress Addons.
• Mojo Themes – Yet another theme store.
• Template Monster – You guessed it, a themes store.

This is what I like to call the advertisement corner.

FastComet Level of Support

FastComet is known for having a high level of support, and to test this, well, I decided to close my account and see how fast they would actually respond.

I opened the chatbox and entered my name, email and selected a department.

Here’s how that went.

I got an instantaneous response, with a person from the support staff saying hello.

I was kindly asked for the reason as to why I wanted to cancel, and once I explained, they told me how to. Even though the message states that the account is not eligible for a refund, since the account was made on the same day, I would receive it in either case.

So I did exactly as I was instructed to do.

Remember to state a reason, and click on Request Cancellation.

You’re also prompted to enter your master password.

That’s all there is to it.

Server Speed and Uptime

When it comes to uptime, throughout my testing period, the website did not drop its connection once, which means that they do indeed live up to the 99% uptime claim.

In terms of speed, the fastest my website loaded was 0.300s, while the slowest was 2.100s. The global average was around 0.800s.

This makes it an exemplary hosting provider, however, keep in mind that the speed can vary from website to website, depending on what you have to showcase. Text and images are one thing, but videos and animations are another.

FastComet Pricing

Shared Hosting Plans start at $2.95.

Cloud VPS Hosting plans start at $47.95.

Dedicated CPU Server Hosting Plans start at $111.19.

Because there is no great hosting without great technical support that cares about your website.

Security and Backups

As mentioned before, FastComet provides SSH Access, IP Blocker, SSL/TLS, Manage API Tokens, Hotlink Protection, Leech Protection, SSL/TLS Wizard, ModSecurity, SSL/TLS Status, Two-Factor Authentication, and Let’s Encrypt SSL in the cPanel.

FastComet is a superior provider when it comes to backups. As I explained in one of the previous sections, the company provides you with several features to manage your data and maintain copies for safekeeping. After all, not all web hosting providers allow for free daily backups, so I must give FastComet credit for it.

Specific Features of FastComet

There are certain features of FastComet that make it stand out when compared to other hosting packages. Keep in mind that none of these features make it the perfect all-in-one solution. However, they give a clear incentive as to what one can expect when picking this as their hosting option.

For one, it has fantastic uptime, and a lot of tests by various users have shown it to be at 99.95% throughout a 12-month average. Then you have the speed, which is around 500 ms, which is by far an excellent speed for any website, especially one that runs the heavy resource-intensive WordPress.

You also get quick as well as personalized support, or in other words, you aren’t talking with a robot. Still, you can resolve your issue quickly and efficiently, which I genuinely enjoyed, primarily through the live chat option.

The 45-day money-back guarantee lets you be a lot more flexible with your testing. You can basically push your website through its monthly usage, test out everything and then decide if you’ll stick with it or get your money back, which is another thing I genuinely enjoyed.

One thing that cannot go understated is the importance of free daily backups. You see, FastComet offers free daily backups, where these backups are stored off-site for up to 30 days, and the company will even help you restore older versions within a single click. Aside from this, the free Cloudflare CDN is an excellent touch and something I loved seeing.

Now let’s assume for a second that you already have a hosting provider and want to transfer your website and your domain to FastComet. They also offer this as a service, and the best part here is that it is entirely free. In fact, instead of just giving you an automated tool, the team will manually transfer the site for you, so you will not have to do anything by yourself.

Pros and Cons of FastComet

Pros:

• Amazing Server Uptime and Speed
• 45-Day Refund Policy
• cPanel Support
• In-House Website Builder
• Global Server Network
• Free Daily Backups

Cons:

• Plenty of Ad-Ware
• Some Features are Locked to the Higher Plans

Conclusion

FastComet surprised me with its ease of use, speed, uptime, and set of features that truly make it shine. The support team also ended up being extremely quick, and I was instructed on how to cancel my account and get a refund within minutes. I honestly had a wonderful time going through all of the menus and setting everything up. Installing WordPress or other apps is a breeze, and you get a solid deal with even the cheapest plan in terms of Shared Hosting if you are just starting out.

I would recommend FastComet for both newcomers and experienced users, as their Dedicated CPU Servers look solid as well.