At DataPacket, we want to help. So we’ve put together a list of tips to ensure that you have a great experience. If you can implement these best practices, chances are you’ll never have to say, “I wish someone would have told me that.”
Don't Share Your Login Credentials
Your account's login credentials should be shared carefully, if at all. Your login credentials control your account and must be protected. To enable someone to use the Client Portal, we recommend that you setup a sub account for the individual. This allows you to have the most control over who is able to interact with your account.
Keep Your System Secure
The use of a firewall is highly recommend and effective for clients with VPS hosting or a dedicated server. It allows you to lock down ports, and manage outside accessibility to your system. If you use our service for Web hosting keep your scripts and code updated. For instance, applications like WordPress should be updated regularly to remain secure.
Make Regular Backups
Backups should be a part of your normal routine. If you’re a Web hosting client, backups can be made in your Plesk control panel, and downloaded for additional safety. VPS and dedicated server clients should implement your own manual backup routine or use automated scripts to keep important data safe.
Close RDP, SSH, and Control Panel Ports
The Internet is great for many things, but there are certain aspects that, when left available on the Internet through open ports, can leave your system vulnerable to exploit. Protect yourself by disabling RDP or restricting SSH on the Internet. If these services must be available on the Internet, consider moving RDP or SSH to a custom port number, and use strong passwords.
Don't Perform a Reinstall Without Confirming Your Data is Safe
Under VPS & dedicated server hosting, reinstalling the operating system will wipe the server hard drive, destroying all existing data. Prior to reinstalling, back up your information offsite and verify the backup. After the reinstall has been completed, lost information cannot be retrieved.
Monitor Your Server
Monitoring your server gives you the ability to check on it at any time, and you can be automatically notified if it goes down. We recommend using basic ping monitoring, at minimum, but encourage you to customize your monitoring options in a way that best suits your business needs.
Read The Terms of Service
The Terms of Service contains all important details that you agreed to when you became a DataPacket client. This is our primary legal document, and outlines the responsibilities you have as our client, and the responsibilities we have as your hosting provider. By taking some time to read the Terms of Service, you’ll have a clear understanding of what to expect throughout your relationship with DataPacket.
Don’t Ignore Emails From DataPacket
Skipping over emails from DataPacket may mean that you miss important information regarding your account. If an issue arises, you will generally be notified via email so you have a record of the events that occurred and what, if anything, we need from you, and a timeline in which action is required. By skipping over our emails, you may miss those important notifications, but will still be held accountable for anything that we’ve requested. Be sure to read every email from DataPacket to ensure that you don’t miss any important information.
Keep Your Profile Updated
Your profile contains important information that DataPacket uses in the event that we need to contact you. If your phone number or primary contact email changes, we may be unable to contact you about issues with your account, including things like billing and abuse. Keeping your profile up to date means you will never miss an important message from DataPacket.
Maintain Your Billing Information
All of your billing details, from invoices to payment information, are securely stored in the Client Portal. DataPacket provides the option for automatic billing, so the card on your account will be charged at the same time every month. If your payment method changes, or the card is canceled or expired, update your payment information soon as possible to avoid any interruption of service.
Let’s Keep Each Other In The Loop
Our mission is to make sure that you have the help you need, exactly when you need it, and that’s why we operate 24/7/365. In order to best serve you, we need your cooperation. Please refrain from creating multiple tickets for the same issue.
Tickets are assigned and handled using an “emergency room” methodology. This means our team works through the tickets queue based on the severity of the issue submitted. Rather than creating multiple tickets for each service that is experiencing the same issue (e.g., an outage), associate your services in your ticket by hostname or domain name and they can all be handled at once. This also ensures that we are aware of a widespread issue on your account.
In summary:
By following these best practices it helps to ensure that we're on the same page, and an environment where both parties gain a great experience.
