In the rapidly evolving landscape of information technology, finding a reliable hosting service that combines affordability, efficiency, and exceptional customer support is like finding a needle in a haystack. This article serves as an experience report that highlights why hetzner.de stands out from the crowd, not just as a hosting service but as a partner invested in the success of its clients.
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A Decade and a Half with Hetzner
My journey in hosting with Hetzner began in 2013 during the nascent stages of cloud hosting. My initial venture was with dedicated and virtual servers, or servers, a term that predates the widespread use of “cloud” in IT. Opting for a dedicated server from the “Hetzner server börse,” I capitalized on the competitive pricing of second-hand servers by bidding on a second-hand physical server for around 30 euros a month. Back in the day, you would still mostly host virtual machines yourself using KVM or Xen and then route an IPv4 address from the /29 subnet you would get with each server to your virtual instances.
This first server, which I affectionately called Bambi, marked the beginning of a long-standing relationship built on mutual respect and unparalleled service.
Unmatched Support and Technical Expertise
Hetzner’s support system is nothing short of stellar. Whether through phone or email, responses are swift and insightful. Receiving support within an hour during office hours has been the norm. However, their commitment to clients who provide a significant monthly contribution is even more impressive, with round-the-clock and usually direct responses. If you buy a rack with more than six servers, you will fall into this category.
My interactions have often led me to converse directly with admins located physically inside one of Hetzner’s data centers. Every technical person I ever talked to on the phone revealed a depth of knowledge in hardware and Linux that sometimes even surpassed my own extensive experience as a Linux consultant. This level of expertise is rare and contrasts sharply with the first—and second-level support offered by many other hosting providers.
Innovation and Reliability: The Hetzner Way
Hetzner has consistently demonstrated a knack for innovation, providing a stable and user-friendly API (https://docs.hetzner.cloud/) for all their offerings and ensuring their https://www.terraform.io/ modules are both functional and straightforward. Cloud servers are commonly ready for the first SSH login within 10 seconds, even if you create a very large number, like 50, in one go.
The company’s unofficial philosophy, “do one thing and do it well,” which is also the first UNIX philosophy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_philosophy), is evident in its product offerings. By avoiding unnecessary appliances and trends, Hetzner focuses on delivering top-notch hosting services for physical and cloud servers, complemented by robust and affordable cloud storage solutions and a few other small bells and whistles – all of which, however, are of very good quality and very reliable. Please note that in this article, I mostly focus on dedicated and cloud hosting, and I do not have much experience with their end-user products like hosted emails and the like. I do host domains with Hetzner as well, though, and their DNS management interface is very efficient and easy to use, while domains are priced very competitively.
Unique Features That Set Hetzner Apart
Hetzner Rescue System
The Hetzner rescue system is a feature that distinctly sets the company apart. This Debian-based live distribution, which can be booted on every cloud or dedicated server with just two clicks, offers an invaluable toolkit for diagnosing and rectifying issues when servers become unreachable. Its efficiency is unparalleled, with server reboots into the rescue system achievable in mere seconds—a convenience that is unmatched by other hosting providers, where you commonly have to attach an additional disk with a new operating system and then boot from that disk. In emergencies, this can cost you very valuable uptime.
Customized Server Installation
The flexibility in server installation, particularly for dedicated servers using the Hetzner-provided CLI tool “install image,” allows for highly customized configurations. This level of customization, from distro selection to partitioning details, is unparalleled and not commonly offered by other services.
A Singular Drawback
The only minor drawback I’ve encountered with Hetzner is the hourly billing model for cloud instances, which may need to be more cost-effective for managing very short load spikes or for certain continuous integration tasks. However, this is a small consideration in the broader context of their exceptional service and offerings. If you, however, need billing by the minute, my second recommendation would be https://cloud.ionos.com/, which is also located in Germany.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Hetzner.de has consistently proven itself to be a cut above the rest, offering a hassle-free experience backed by robust support and technical excellence. For those in search of a reliable Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider that excels in hosting Linux-based systems cost-effectively and extremely reliably, Hetzner is an unequivocal recommendation.
If you are looking for a managed Linux hosting solution that manages dedicated and cloud instances on your company’s Hetzner account, take a look at the Linux managed hosting offers by Blunix GmbH Berlin. With a decade of experience in leveraging Hetzner’s services, Blunix provides comprehensive management, customization, and maintenance services, ensuring your web applications are in capable hands.
In conclusion, Hetzner’s dedication to quality, coupled with its customer-centric approach, makes it an ideal choice for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of IT infrastructure with ease and reliability.
