In this tutorial we will demonstrate how to generate and install a Commercial SSL Certificate Product on cPanel Lite Service.

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security protocol that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web browser. The connection becomes from the not secure http:// to the secure https:// URL.

In this tutorial we will demonstrate how to generate and install a Commercial SSL Certificate Product on cPanel Lite Service. The main steps of the procedure are the follow :

1. Generate the CSR in cPanel
2. Upload CSR in portal – Generate SSL Certificate
3. Install SSL Certificate.

Prerequisites

The following are required to execute the task:

1. An account on my.netshop-isp.com.cy: For the purposes of this tutorial, a demo account was created: netshop-tutorials@netshop-isp.com.cy. 
2. A cPanel Lite Service: A Cyprus cPanel Lite Web Hosting product was purchased from my.netshop-isp.com.cy website. The product is hosted on https://athena.netshop-isp.com.cy:2083/
3. A domain: The domain ssldesk.com was purchased and associated with the cPanel service for this tutorial.
4. A Commercial SSL Certificate: A RapisSSL Certificate addon was acquired.

Let’s get started on how to install SSL Certificate on your cPanel account.

Step 1: Generate the CSR

The first step is to generate the CSR. A CSR (certificate signing request) is one of the first steps towards getting your own SSL certificate. Generated on the same server you plan to install the certificate on, the CSR contains information (e.g. common name, organization, country) the Certificate Authority (CA) will use to create your certificate. 

a. Login to your my.netshop-isp.com.cy portal and access your cPanel Lite Service. Through the main menu on the left, you can locate your services at the bottom. Select your cPanel Lite service.

b. Click on the Login Details option to find the URL (https://athena.netshop-isp.com.cy:2083/) where your service is hosted, along with the credentials to access you account. Click on the URL to access cPanel and use the credentials to login into your cPanel account.

c. Once you are inside your cPanel account, scroll down to find SSL/TLS option under SECURITY tab.

d. Next, click on the Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) on the right.

On the next page, you must fill some mandatory fields that will be used to generate your unique CSR.

d.1. Key: A mandatory field where you can select “Generate a New 2048-bit key” to generate a completely new Private Key, since this is the first time using the service.

d.2. Domains: A mandatory field you can add the domain(s) (example: ssldesk.com) you wish to secure. Keep in mind, ONLY Fully Qualified Domain Name(s) (FQDN) are valid.

If you purchased a Wildcard certificate, it should be represented with an asterisk in front of the domain (*.example.com). To create your CSR code for multiple domains, enter each domain in a new line.

d.3. The next page will show the newly generated CSR. With the use of the generated Private Key and the information provided, the CSR Code is created. You can now use the Encoded Certificate Signing Request to activate the purchased SSL Certificate through my.netshop-isp.com.cy portal.

Keep the below Certificate tab open as we will need the Encoded Certificate Signing Request later on, or you can copy the contents of the Encoded CSR: box now to a notepad file for easier retrieval.

You will have to copy the entire CSR from -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- until the end, including -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- when submitting the CSR code for SSL activation.

e. Before moving on to the next section (Upload CSR – Generate SSL), an email account should be created in cPanel to use it later for the domain validation and SSL request appoval (Upload CSR – Generate SSL, Step 4). Go back to the cPanel Dashboard and click on Email Accounts under EMAIL.

f. Then, click on the +Create button to create a new email account.

g. Add a Username and a Password in the respective fields and click the +Create button. For the username, you can choose between the reserved names: webmaster, administrator, admin, hostmaster or postmaster. In this example we have chosen webmaster@ssldesk.com. Instead of a password, you can send a login link to an alternate email address.

You can see that the new email is created under the current domain (@ssldesk.com).

Now that the CSR is generated and an email account is created, we can move on to the next section.

Step 2: Upload CSR in myNetShop Portal

In this step, we are going to use the CSR Code created in the previous steps and upload it in my.netshop-isp.com.cy portal. Then, we will approve the domain, activate the SSL through an email from the vendor and finally we can generate and download the SSL Certificate. 

a. Log in to your my.netshop-isp.com.cy portal. Through the menu on the left, click on SSL CERTIFICATES under SERVICES -> ADDONS. Then click on the RapidSSL Certificate product.

Note that the Product/Service’ status is still pending. As soon as the SSL Certificate is generated, the status will become active.

b. On the next page, click on the Certificate Setup on the left.

b.1. You will have to copy-paste (upload) the CSR Code generated earlier (Generate CSR – Step 5.12). If you didn’t keep the tab open or you didn’t copy it earlier, you can access the CSR Code from cPanel -> SSL/TLS -> CERTIFICATE SIGNING REQUESTS (CSR) under the Certificate Signing Requests on Server.

Reminder: You will have to copy the entire CSR from -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- until the end, including -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- when submitting the CSR code for SSL activation.

b.2. Under the Select server software: , choose cPanel and then submit.

c. On the next page, you will see that the CSR information is uploaded. Also, at the top right of your browser you can see the pop up message that the CSR was updated. You need to check and verify the rest of the information and once done, scroll at the bottom and click the Continue button.

d. To complete the order, you have to choose the Validation Method. This is where the email webmaster@yourdomain.com (in our tutorial: webmaster@ssldesk.com) is needed. On the Validation Method field select Email Validation and on the Approval email for yourdomain.com field, choose the email account you have created earlier (Generate CSR – Step 8). Click the Complete Order button when finished.

e. An email with a unique link will be send to the account specified. You need to access the inbox of the recently created email account (in our tutorial webmaster@ssldesk.com) to approve the certificate and validate your domain ownership. To access the inbox, go to your cPanel -> Email Accounts. Locate the email address (in this example: webmaster@ssldesk.com) and click Check Email.

f. On the next page, click on the Open button and check the Open my inbox when I log in checkbox.

g. You should now have access to your email account associated with your domain (in this example: webmaster@ssldesk.com) through the RoundCube cPanel plugin. You should be able to see your Inbox along with all the necessary folders. Check your Inbox for the Certificate Approval Request email from the SSL vendor (RapidSSL).

Usually the email is received within a few minutes, but the vendor might need up to 24 hours to send the validation email. 

Open the email from the SSL vendor and click the unique link included for certificate approval and domain ownership validation.

h. The unique link in the email will redirect you to a new browser tab to the vendor’s website where you need to approve your domain. Click on the Approve button to proceed.

Once you approved, a confirmation message should appear. 

Now that the SSL Certificate is activated and the domain is validated, we can move to the next and final section where we will download the SSL Certificate from the portal and install it on the domain on cPanel to make it secure.

Step 3 – Install SSL Certificate

We are almost done! The final step is to download the generated SSL Certificate from my.netshop-isp.com.cy portal and install it on our domain associated with the cPanel Service. 

a. Go to your my.netshop-isp.com.cy portal. From the main menu on the left navigate to Services -> Addons -> SSL Certificates. Click on your SSL Certificate Service.

b. Click on Certificate Details and then click on Download Cert button to download the SSL Certificate.

c. A cert.zip file will be downloaded. The file contains the necessary files to install the SSL Certificate on your domain. Extract the file and open the CER – CRT Files folder.

d. Go to your cPanel account -> SSL/TLS and choose INSTALL AND MANAGE SSL FOR YOUR SITE (HTTPS) option.

e. In the next page, you will find three empty fields that need to be filled with the contents of the downloaded SSL Certificate files and the CSR Code. Also, make sure to select the Domain for which the SSL Certificate is to be installed (example: ssldesk.com). Find below the association between the required files and the corresponding fields:

e.1. In the Certificate: (CRT) field you must copy-paste the contents of the ssldesk_com.crt (your domain) file from the SSL Certificate files (Step 3).

e.2. In the Private Key (KEY) field you must copy-paste the contents of the CSR Code generated in the previous steps (SSL/TLS -> PRIVATE KEYS (KEY)).

e.3. In the Certificate Authority Bundle: (CABUNDLE) field you must copy-paste the My_CA_Bundle.crt file from the SSL Certificate files (Step 3).

For each of the files, you will have to copy the entire code from -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- until the end, including -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- when submitting the text to install the SSL Certificate.

After uploading the Certificate: (CRT) in cPanel, you have the option to click the Autofill by Certificate button or the Autofill by Domain button to automatically fill the rest of the field boxes.

Finally, after all required files are uploaded in the respective fields you can click the Install Certificate button.

Upon successful installation of the SSL Certificate a pop up window will verify the activation.

That was it! The last confirmation is to visit the website and verify that is secure. Type https://ssldesk (or you https://yourdomain URL) and check the icon next to the URL. 

Summary

• Originally the domain ssldesk.com was not secured (http://). The SSL had to be installed to establish the website as secure (https://).
• The CSR was created with the use of the generated Private Key and the information provided in cPanel.
• The CSR Code was uploaded no the my.netshop-isp.com.cy portal.
• The domain was verified and the certificate validated via email in cPanel.
• The SSL Certificate was created and could be downloaded from my.netshop-isp.com.cy portal.
• Finally, the SSL Certificate on the domain and now the web server and web browser connection is secured.

Whilst hardware RAID may offer better performance and interoperability than software RAID, the latter is cheaper as no Hardware RAID controller is needed. In this tutorial, you will learn how to setup software RAID on Ubuntu 20.04.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to setup software RAID on Ubuntu 20.04. Whilst hardware RAID may offer better performance and interoperability than software RAID, the latter is cheaper as no Hardware RAID controller is needed. Additionally, software raid gives users the flexibility to configure arrays without being restricted by hardware due to a special multiple device (MD) driver that is contained in Linux kernels.

About RAID Level 10 (mirroring+stripping)

RAID10, also known as RAID 1+0, is a RAID configuration that combines disk mirroring and disk striping to protect data. It requires a minimum of four disks and stripes data across mirrored pairs. If two disks in the same mirrored pair fail, all data will be lost as there is no parity in the striped sets.

Create Software RAID10 on Ubuntu 20.04

While it is possible to configure software raid on an existing Ubuntu installation using the mdadm tool, in this tutorial we will demonstrate how to do it during the Ubuntu 20.04 installation.

Step 1 – Guided Storage Configuration

Once prompted for disk partitioning, choose Custom Storage Layout

Step 2 – Create swap

In this step you need to create a swap partition for each individual disk. To do so, click the first device, hit Enter and then choose the option “Add a GPT Partition”.

Type 4G to allocate 4 Gigabytes for your swap partition.

Repeat Step 2 for all your disk devices so that you create a 4G swap partition for all of them.

Once you have completed Step 2 for all devices, your partitioning layout should look like this:

Step 3 – Create partitions

At this point we are ready to create the partition for each of our devices. From the available devices section, click the first device, hit Enter and then choose “Add a GPT Partition”.

Size: use the max value indicated

Format: choose “Leave unformatted”

Mount: choose “Leave unmounted”

Repeat Step 3 for all of your devices.

Step 4 – Create Software RAID10

Choose “Create software RAID (md)” and you will be prompted to a menu screen as follows:

Choose RAID Level: 10 and mark the partitions to be included in the RAID.

Step 5 – Create root and boot partitions

Click your newly created RAID10 partition (md0 in our example) to create the root “/” and boot partitions as shown below. Then hit [ Done ] to continue with the Ubuntu 20.04 installation.

Deploy Ubuntu 20.04 on a Cloud Server

NetShop ISP’s global cloud infrastructure is popular for deploying virtual server instances with fixed or customized specifications.

To deploy Ubuntu 20.04 on the Cloud simply choose your desired VPS plan and during Checkout choose “Ubuntu 20.04” Operating System. Upon order completion your Ubuntu cloud server will be up and running in less than 60 seconds.

Recommended Server Specifications for Ubuntu 20.04 Server edition

The recommended system requirements are:

• CPU: 1 GHz or better
• RAM: 1 GB or more
• Disk: minimum of 2.5 GB

NetShop ISP is kicking off 2022 with the launch of our biggest ever flash sale on bare-metal dedicated servers. Starting on Monday 24th January, both new and existing NetShop ISP customers will be able to benefit from huge discounts of over 80% on reused servers.

NetShop ISP is kicking off 2022 with the launch of our biggest ever flash sale on bare-metal dedicated servers. Starting on Monday 24^th January, both new and existing NetShop ISP customers will be able to benefit from huge discounts of over 80% on reused servers.

The reuse and repurposing of equipment is part of a strategic effort to adopt a more environmentally-friendly approach. NetShop ISP’s initiative to reuse server hardware not only offers clients significant savings, but also furthers the company’s efforts of implementing sustainable practises.

NetShop ISP’s CEO, Stefano Sordini comments, “By aligning our customer-centric and ecological values, we’re able to offer exceptional value for money in our best sale yet, whilst also doing our part to lessen our impact on the environment.”  

Included in the sale are standardized server systems that can be found in our product portfolio, as well as customized systems that have been previously adapted to meet customer requirements. Servers purchased in the flash sale are pre-deployed in our racks, and will be provisioned instantly unless changes to the configuration are made during the checkout process, in which case provisioning may take up to 8 hours.

This limited time promotion allows customers to purchase servers listed in the flash sale within 7 days before they are withdrawn, and purchases cannot be combined with any other discount coupon.

To order your dedicated server and benefit from over 80% discount in our flash sale, visit our website here. You can also submit your details here to be notified of future sales and promotions. 

will help you resolve the error nf_conntrack table full dropping packet that may appear on heavy loaded CentOS servers. Solution for CentOS 6 & 7.

In this article we will help you resolve an issue which can come up on Linux CentOS servers that creates network flapping and packet loss.

Issue

During network monitoring of one of our customers’ servers we detected a network flapping. Accessing the server via ssh was not possible (due to the heavy network usage) so we connected to it via iDRAC.

The following messages were seen in /var/log/messages (they may also appear in /var/log/kern):

$ tail -f /var/log/messages
Jan  14 02:11:05 centos kernel: : nf_conntrack: table full, dropping packet
Jan  14 02:11:09 centos kernel: : nf_conntrack: table full, dropping packet

A server can enter this panic state in cases that it’s under a DDoS attack or very likely to happen when there are a lot of network connections. Our client’s server was used for virtualization so one or more Virtual machines happened to generate a lot of network packets.

CentOS servers, by default, allow 65,536 connections. This limit is enough for lightly loaded servers, but it can be exhausted on high traffic servers.

How To Fix

During a disaster it is important to remain calm. Below you can read how to mitigate this issue and resolve the network flapping. We provide the solution for both CentOS 6 and CentOS 7 environments.

Solution for CentOS 6

Step 1: Check value of nf_conntrack_max

Run the following command to check the value of nf_conntrack_max:

$ sysctl net.netfilter.nf_conntrack_max

Step 2: Check number of active connections

$ cat /proc/sys/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack/count

If the value of nf_conntrack_max is reached, then the server is dropping packets already.

Step 3: Increase value for nf_conntrack_max *

$ sysctl -w net.netfilter.nf_conntrack_max=2097152

To make the above change persistent after reboot, do this:

$ echo "net.netfilter.nf_conntrack_max=2097152" >> /etc/sysctl.conf

* To properly calculate the ideal nf_conntrack_max value, use the following formula:

CONNTRACK_MAX = RAM_MEMORY_SIZE (in bytes) / 16384 / 2

Step 4: Restart Iptables

$ service iptables restart && service iptables save

Solution for CentOS 7

Step 1: Increase size of has table for conntrack connections *

$ echo "options nf_conntrack expect_hashsize=131072 hashsize=131072" >> /etc/modprobe.d/firewalld-sysctls.conf

* To calculate the new hash value use this formula:

HASHSIZE = CONNTRACK_MAX / 4

Step 2: Restart Firewalld

$ systemctl restart firewalld

Step 3: Verify new nf_conntrack_max value

$ sysctl -a | grep nf_conntrack_max

The landscape of media entertainment has changed drastically, with IPTV and audio streaming services gaining massive traction. With that being said, in this article we’ll break down the top 5 essential features your Media Streaming Host should have.

There’s no doubt that streaming media online requires substantial resources, so choosing the right Web Host is vital. With the streaming market being worth billions, and growing rapidly, having a strong infrastructure is the key to success in what is now a highly-competitive industry.

Streaming media is the process of any multimedia content, video or audio, being transmitted over the Internet and played by the client in real-time. In essence, the user doesn’t need to download the file in order for it to play, as it’s sent in a continuous stream of data.

The landscape of media entertainment has changed drastically, with IPTV and audio streaming services gaining massive traction. With that being said, in this article we’ll break down the top 5 essential features your Media Streaming Host should have.

Choosing the right Media Streaming Host

The quality of your streaming service greatly depends on the server and network hosting the files, so here is what you need to consider.

Bandwidth Options

Streaming media consumes a significantly high amount of bandwidth, so it’s important that you check what options are available to you when deciding on a hosting provider. In most cases, bandwidth can be allocated as either metered or unmetered, and both should be considered depending on the amount of data you anticipate to transfer.

Metered bandwidth is a predetermined amount, and therefore the more economical option, unless you exceed the agreed upon amount. Whereas unmetered bandwidth, or unlimited bandwidth, is not measured so you don’t have to worry about overage fees. At NetShop ISP, we offer a range of bandwidth options to accommodate any streaming project.

High-performance Network   

The performance of your streaming platform will depend on the speed and reliability of your network. It’s important to opt for a hosting provider that guarantees your server will be operational under any circumstances with a comprehensive SLA. 

Our network has the capacity to rapidly deliver your content to a worldwide audience, with a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

Locations

Of course, the location of your server will directly affect streaming speed and quality. In order for your users to have a smooth experience with zero buffering, low latency is essential. Having servers in multiple global data centers, or utilizing a CDN, will enhance the delivery of your content and ultimately grow your viewer-base.

NetShop ISP has privately-owned data centers located in three different continents, designed for the effective delivery of content worldwide.

Storage

Media files, and video files in particular, are really large and contain a lot of data – thus they consume a lot of storage space. It’s important that your server has the right resources to correctly store huge amounts of data, with SSDs being the optimal choice to guarantee fast streaming speeds as well as efficient transcoding.

Support

Finally, it’s always recommended to opt for a hosting provider who understands the complexities of your project and is well-versed in media streaming. Having a support team available 24/7 will be greatly beneficial, as well as the option of Fully Managed services for complete peace of mind.

Host your Media Streaming Infrastructure at NetShop ISP

Our Media Streaming Hosting solutions are designed to accommodate even the most complex streaming project via purpose-built Satellite Colocation Infrastructure.  For more information on our solutions or to discuss your project, get in touch with our Specialists.

In this article we wil explain everything you need to know about the technical infrastructure requirements and the need of a Database Replication Server in order to apply for an MGA iGaming License in Malta.

The online gambling regulatory landscape in Europe is changing vastly. Since 2019, European countries like Cyprus, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Germany (and more to come) revise their regulatory framework in order to fight money laundering, strengthen the local players’ protection and, of course, to provide more attractive incentives for gambling companies that wish to apply for a license.

In 2017, the Malta Gaming Authority has published a White Paper launching a consultation process in connection with an overhaul of the current legal and regulatory framework applicable to gaming activities in Malta.

The multi-licence system which was in place until that time, was replaced with a system comprising of two different types of licenses; a B2C and a B2B licence.

MGA Technical Infrastructure Hosting Requirements

Along with the introduction of the new license types, the Malta Gaming Authority revised the hosting requirements depending of the license that an applicant holds. Today, igaming companies that hold a Malta MGA license may host their primary infrastructure in any European country as long as they maintain a database replication server in Malta.

Prior the new licensing changes introduced in 2017, cloud hosting was not accepted as a type of hosting for an igaming licensee. Companies had to lease dedicated servers or colocate their own hardware in a Maltese datacenter.

Today, cloud hosting is allowed as long as the servers are provisioned within the EU region.

As per MGA’s directions, any application proposal submitted to the Authority should include the following information:

1. Details about the replicated server including physical location, rack number and IP
   addresses;
2. Details about the connectivity to the live servers, including details of the security
   protocols in place for the transmission of data;
3. Details on the type of data being replicated and its transmission frequency
   including time lags, if any, between the processes taking place on the live servers
   and the replication servers. This should provide adequate assurances of real time
   replication, security, confidentiality and integrity of data.
4. A fully-documented procedure, allowing MGA officials immediate and unhindered
   access to be able to conduct routine or ad hoc inspections on the replication
   server, (both physically and electronically) as may be required.

What is Data Replication & Why Is Needed

Data replication is the process of generating copies of data in different, redundant locations for backup and fault tolerance purpose. When it comes to the online gaming licensing requirements, data replication is required by regulators so there is local copy of players activity and financial data in locally hosted servers.

Today, companies can achieve data replication using databases built-in capabilities, or use third-party tools. For example, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Databases support data replication with in-built tools, however in some MySQL database environments, IT professionals may use third-party tools to achieve real-time data replication.

Data replication comes into ways; synchronous and asynchronous.

Synchronous data replication is when there is real-time, automatic replication of data upon any changes.

In the Asynchronous mode, replication of data is initiated only when the Commit statement is passed to the Database.

Compliant Replica Database Server for Malta iGaming License

As explained previously, regardless of the location where your primary infrastructure is hosted you will need, minimum, a Cloud or Dedicated Server to be hosted in an approved Malta Datacenter to serve as replication of critical data.

As per MGA’s documentation, critical (or regulatory) data is composed of player details, financial transactions and game-play transactions.

Below you can find useful information about the different types of server hosting for MGA data replication.

1. Virtual Private Cloud Server

This is the most affordable type of hosting which also offers dynamic scalability.

Pros:

a. Cheapest option to get started

b. Deployed Instantly

c. Easy, on-the-fly Resources upgrade

Cons:

a. Hardware resources may not be dedicated to your application

b. Costly when hardware resources increase significantly (comparing with the same resources a Dedicated server may have)

Find a cheap Malta Cloud VPS Server for DB Replication >

2. Bare-metal Dedicated Server (Leased)

This is the most popular hosting option nowadays as you get to utilize the full power of the Server, without investing capital to purchase any equipment.

Pros:

a. Robust and more secure environment than a Virtual Cloud Server

b. 100% of the hardware’s resources are dedicated to the application or database

c. The higher the resources (CPU, Disk, RAM) the cheaper it is in comparison to the pricing of a Cloud server with same specifications

Cons:

a. Resources Upgrades may require downtime

b. No built-in capability for High Availability

Find your best Malta Dedicated Server for DB Replication >

3. Own Hardware Colocation

The Colocation hosting option is mostly preferred by established iGaming companies, usually by B2B Suppliers. In this case, the customer buys the hardware (servers, firewalls, network equipment) and co-locates it to the Datacenter facilities. The Hosting provider will provide Network connectivity, Power and Managed Services if needed.

Learn more about Shared Colocation or Full Rack hosting in Malta Data Centers>

The RIPE Network Coordination Centre has recently published an Internet country report for Cyprus, Malta and Israel. We have included a summary of the Report and you may download the full PDF report from the corresponding link at the end of this article.

The RIPE Network Coordination Centre has recently published an Internet country report for Cyprus, Malta and Israel. We have included a summary of the Report and you may download the full PDF report from the corresponding link at the end of this article.

Report Summary

Cyprus, Israel and Malta all have a long history of Internet development that is reflected today in their competitive markets and high penetration rates. Infrastructure and market development continue, with significant ongoing and future investment projects planned.

The networks in each of the three countries benefit from a good level of interconnectivity, and this redundancy provides the overall system with resiliency. This is an especially pertinent issue for Cyprus, Israel and Malta, as all three countries are either islands themselves or rely on connections with islands for their international interconnection, and are particularly vulnerable to bottlenecks or single points of failure as a result. However, we also see that the three countries have a large and diverse number of connections to the global Internet via their upstream providers, which helps mitigate this risk and reduces the potential for disruptions or outages.

Routing is generally optimised, resulting in fast response times, and we see some evidence that local exchange points are being used in order to keep domestic traffic local. However, there are also a few routing anomalies in which quite distant exchange points seem to be favoured over local options, which unnecessarily increases costs,
foreign dependencies and risk of disruption. Similarly, routing decisions to access the domain name system
occasionally send requests to quite distant root name server instances, although we tend to see this balance out when considering more than one root name server.

In comparison with one another, the three countries offer an interesting portrait of the potential influence of regulation: Israel’s Ministry of Communications’ IPv6 requirement for Internet service providers had an immediate and significant impact on IPv6 uptake in the country, while the other two remain at nearly zero capability despite their relatively large amounts of IPv6 address space. Despite high levels of mobile use in all three countries and relatively high IPv4 per capita rates, all three countries – but especially Cyprus and Malta – will need to further invest in IPv6 deployment in order to meet the demands of future growth and emerging technologies. With a relatively small number of players, these countries could make large strides in a relatively short amount of time, given the required commitment from the major network operators.

It’s worth noting that all of the observations in this report are based on active paths, and we cannot know what “hidden” world of backups exists that would automatically take over in the case of any disruptions. Whatever
redundancy does exist would provide the system with even more resiliency.

Source: labs.ripe.net (2021)

Download Report (PDF): https://labs.ripe.net/documents/178/RIPE_NCC_Internet_Country_Report_Cyprus_Israel_Malta_Dec_2021.pdf

It’s been an exciting year at NetShop ISP and things are moving full speed ahead as we enter into 2022! Here is a recap of what we’ve done to improve your hosting experience as well as a sneak peek into what’s to come in the new year. 

It’s been an exciting year at NetShop ISP and things are moving full speed ahead as we enter into 2022! Here is a recap of what we’ve done to improve your hosting experience as well as a sneak peek into what’s to come in the new year. 

Global Data Centers Expansion

NetShop ISP has grown its network infrastructure considerably over the last two years. From 1 Data center presence, launched in 2004, we have now grown our infrastructure into more than 14 Data centers across 7 countries in 3 Continents:

• Amsterdam, Netherlands – November 2020
• Singapore – November 2020
• Hong Kong – November 2020
• Los Angeles, United States (1 Data Center)
• United Kingdom (4 Data Centers)
• Malta (3 Data Centers)
• Cyprus (4 Data Centers)

Network Upgrade in Amsterdam, NL Data Center

In August 2021 we announced a network infrastructure upgrade from 1 to 10Gbps in our Amsterdam AMS03 Data Center. Read the PR

New Partnerships

In 2021, NetShop ISP has formed new partnerships in order to extend the portfolio of services and solutions offered to its customers:

• Tech.mt to empower Malta’s digital ecosystem – January 2021 (Read PR)
• Zimbra (Synacor) to offer Zimbra Collaboration & Email Hosting service – February 2021 (Read PR)
• cTrader (Spotware) to offer ultra low-latency Forex VPS service – June 2021 (Read PR)

ISO9001:2015 Certified

On October 18th, 2021 NetShop ISP has been awarded the ISO 9001:2015 Certification (No. QS.21.038). The internationally recognized certification demonstrates that NetShop ISP successfully meets the needs of our clients through an effective quality management system. (Read PR)

Exhibitions & Webinars

During the year 2021, NetShop ISP has successfully launched various webinars and exhibited in key industry exhibitions:

• iFX EXPO Dubai – May 2021
• SiGMA iGathering Cyprus – September 2021
• Webinar “Algo Trading Forex on a VPS” – September 2021
• SBC Summit CIS – October 2021
• iFX EXPO International Cyprus – October 2021
• SiGMA Europe Malta – November 2021

Upgraded User Interface

A new User Interface (UI) for myNetShop Self-service portal has started in 2021 and will be fully completed in Q1 2022. The new UI is to improve the user experience for ordering and managing Cloud, Dedicated Servers, SSL Certificates, VPN, Email Services, Domain Names and Web Hosting.

2022 Preview: A lot more to come

Business development never stops. As per our commitment for continuous improvement of our hosting services, we are happy to unfold some of our plans for 2022:

• New Data Centers for Cloud hosting and Bare-metal Dedicated Servers
• Bandwidth Capacity Upgrade in Cyprus and Malta Network Infrastructure
• Partners Program – More incentives to come
• myNetShop UI Improvements Development
• Webinars and Exhibitions
• … and more!

On behalf of everyone at NetShop ISP, we wish you a healthy and successful New Year 2022!

Windows VPS helps Forex traders to minimize the latency between the trading terminal and the Broker’s trading server. In this article we explain the 4 main benefits of integrating Forex VPS with NetShop ISP REST API.

As explained in a previous article, a Windows VPS helps Forex traders to minimize the latency between the trading terminal and the Broker’s trading server. Moreover it facilitates the uninterrupted execution of bots and expert advisors as the VPS can be online 24/7 without being affected by loss of power or network disconnection of your personal computer.

Why Forex Brokers Offer VPS

A decade ago Forex traders had to search for a VPS provider by their own, install their favorite brokers’ trading terminal and start trading. Nowadays, the landscape has changed as the competition is more aggressive and Brokers need to excel with innovative products and services to their customers.

There are 3 main reasons why a Brokerage decides to offer VPS to their customers:

1. Value-added service
   Like many bonus and promotions offered to Traders, a Broker’s VPS service can be provided complimentary to customers with high-volume trading accounts.
   
2. Improve latency for traders worldwide
   Most brokers today have their trading server hosted in London or Amsterdam, regardless of where they are regulated. As most brokers accept customers from Asia, the use of a VPS will help these remote traders to execute trades with a very low latency.
   
3. Extra income
   For startup brokerage firms, VPS service can generate a significant revenue each month. Brokers usually have agreement with VPS providers for a fixed, low monthly fee per VPS which they resell with a markup.

Benefits of Integrating Forex VPS with API

The first step Forex brokers do is to offer VPS to their customers on demand. This means that as soon as trader inquires for the service, the Broker will order it from the VPS provider. As the demand grows it is normal that the Broker won’t be able to cope with the manual ordering way. Here is where the API integration with a Broker’s client portal comes to automate the whole process.

There are 4 main benefits of why to use Forex VPS with API:

1. White Label & Price Markup
   Traders will not have to deal with an external company (VPS provider) for ordering or support. They will be able to use the Broker’s client portal for ordering and managing their VPS server. Additionally, the broker will be able to setup the price markup once through the integration script.
   
2. Apply Logic Conditions
   Most brokers like to offer a VPS in two tiers; Free and Paid. When integrating your client portal with our API, you can create your own logic conditions like setting a minimum trading volume that needs to be met for a client to be eligible for a Free VPS. Customers who don’t meet this volume, will be shown the Paid VPS option.
   
3. Automated VPS Orders Setup
   Brokers with growing requests for a VPS will not have to deal with manual orders to the VPS provider. The entire VPS order flow will be automated, from request, to payment and provisioning to the Trader.
   
4. Unlimited Payment Gateways
   By using the API integration you will be able to offer your customers the option to pay using all the payment gateways you offer for deposits. Even if the VPS provider can accept payment in Paypal and Wiretransfer, your customers will pay the Broker directly.

Get Started with Forex VPS API

NetShop ISP is offering REST API for seamless solution integration with any Broker. Our Forex VPS infrastructure is designed for ultra low latency with Brokers hosted in London, Amsterdam and Singapore and its fully compatible with Metaquotes MT4, MT5 and cTrader platforms.

Full documentation of our API can be found here.

For more information and to get started contact our Sales department today.

In this article, we’ll look at how to achieve low RTO with Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) to ultimately improve business continuity and resilience in the event of an unexpected failure or disaster.

In the event of a disaster, resuming business operations as quickly as possible and without any detrimental data loss is paramount, so implementing an effective disaster recovery strategy is crucial for businesses of all sizes. In this article, we’ll look at how to achieve low RTO with Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) to ultimately improve business continuity and resilience in the event of an unexpected failure or disaster.

What is DRaaS

Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) provides organizations a third-party cloud environment to back up their data and IT infrastructure through an as-a-service subscription model. By opting for DRaaS, businesses forego the huge investment and hassle of setting up and maintaining their Disaster Recovery solution, and instead rely on a service provider for a comprehensive and easily-deployed solution. 

What is RTO

Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is the time interval between a disruption occurring and the point at which your business is back up and running as usual. Time is money after all, so resuming business operations in as little time as possible in the event of a disaster is critical.

Achieving the lowest possible RTO should be a huge priority for businesses when choosing their backup and disaster recovery solutions, and opting for DRaaS makes it attainable.

The importance of low RTO

Reduce financial loss

Every minute that your system is not functional your business is quickly losing revenue – with the cost sometimes being exorbitant. Incurring what could be avoidable financial loss due to a lack of, or an insufficient, DR solution, can be extremely detrimental for any business. NetShop ISP’s DRaaS uses the core of Acronis Cloud Infrastructure, meaning that at the time that a disaster occurs on a live server or device, switching to a backup takes up to just 5 minutes.

Minimize interruption

Excessive interruption to operations can set businesses back in more ways than just financially. Businesses often depend on many different components for efficient operations to ensue. With NetShop’s DRaaS, customers need not worry about reaching any data limitations or bandwidth caps, as the software itself is limitless – so all critical processes can be functional within just 5 minutes.

Prevent damage to your reputation

Whilst disasters do occur, the time in which it takes you to recover is what really matters. Customer trust can be broken quickly, so when disaster strikes it’s important to have an effective solution in place that guarantees low RTO, ultimately causing as little disruption as possible to your clients.

By using Acronis Cloud Infrastructure, our DRaaS solution not only guarantees lower Recovery Time Objectives, but also Automated Data Integrity checks after Restore.

Improved RTO with NetShop ISP’s DRaaS

Our DRaaS makes it achievable for businesses of all sizes, with any budget and even the most limited in-house resources to achieve low RTO through an affordable and flexible subscription model.

Make sure your business is prepared for anything with a DRaaS solution that suits your needs and price range, with the choice of various billing models and cycles.

For more information, chat to one of our Experts.

Choosing the right hosting solution has a huge impact on the efficiency of business operations, so in this article we’ll break down the five biggest advantages of Colocation compared to On Premise Hosting.

Colocation and on premise hosting are two solutions that corporations often have a hard time deciding between. After all, choosing the right hosting solution has a huge impact on the efficiency of business operations, so in this article we’ll break down the five biggest advantages of Colocation compared to On Premise Hosting.

What is Colocation

Colocation, or Colo as it’s often called, is the act of renting space within data centers to house servers and other hardware. Typically all of the equipment housed in Colocation facilities are privately-owned and managed by the businesses, although some Service Providers offer hardware procurement and IaaS too. Colocation data centers usually rent out space per unit (PU), or as quarter, half or full rack, as well as rooftop space in some circumstances.

5 Benefits of Colocation

Infrastructure

Probably the biggest benefit of opting for Colocation over on premise hosting is the fact that you will effectively be moving your equipment into state-of-the-art facilities that already have the necessary resources in place.

Colocation data centers are built for performance, with the capacity to correctly store and maintain high volumes of data, with effective power and cooling systems, and multiple bandwidth and connectivity options. Implementing and maintaining the physical and networking aspects in-house requires a lot of work, whereas opting for Colocation means the key components are readily available as soon as you move in.

Reliability

Colocation facilities are designed to withstand disasters and other incidents like flooding or fires, with stringent precautions being taken to guarantee data and hardware protection. By opting for Colocation hosting, your equipment will also be stored in optimal temperatures with advanced cooling systems to ensure your servers don’t overheat.

Colocation data centers will also have redundant power supplies in place that guarantee business continuity and minimal downtime that can potentially be detrimental to your business. 

Cost-effective

In order to house your servers within your premises safely, a huge investment is required in terms of initial set-up and ongoing maintenance. The costs of building your own facility quickly add up, with many variables that need to be taken into consideration, from physical infrastructure to ongoing energy costs.

Colocation hosting definitely proves a lot more beneficial for your budget as these costs are effectively split between numerous customers. You also won’t be faced with any unexpected expenses, as everything you need will be included in one comprehensive agreed-upon plan.

Security

Colocation data centers offer second-to-none protection of data and equipment, with strict physical and cyber security solutions in place. Servers are kept safe from intruders with multi-level access authorization protocols, 24/7 CCTV and on-site surveillance. Not to mention, precautionary recovery solutions that can keep your business operating in the event of a disaster.

Scalability

With extensive resources already in place, Colocation facilities make it easy for businesses to expand seamlessly in a way that may not be viable when opting for on premise hosting. In terms of both physical space and bandwidth, Colocation offers a simple solution to business development without consuming excessive amounts of time and money.

NetShop ISP’s Global Colocation Solutions   

Our state-of-the-art, fully-compliant data centers in global locations including Cyprus, Malta, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Los Angeles provide optimal housing for servers and other hardware, including rooftop space for satellites.  Browse our range of Colocation plans and locations here, or get in touch with our team with any enquiries.

Benefit of our exclusive deals on selected hosting services which run from today, 17th December, until the 9th of January 2022!

This year we are joining the holiday craze with Holiday Hosting Deals, just right after the Black Friday & Cyber Monday Week.

Benefit of our exclusive deals on selected hosting services which run from today, 17th December, until the 9th of January 2022!

Get 10% OFF Bare-metal Dedicated Servers

With Dedicated Servers you own 100% of the Server’s Hardware which means your software or website can utilize all of the resources they need to meet your performance and availability / uptime targets.

Coupon Code: HOLIDAYS10OFF

Browse Dedicated Servers

Get 10% OFF Cloud VPS Plans

VPS Servers are ideal if you are looking to host an e-commerce website, deploy VPN for accessing geographically restricted websites, or developing applications that require scalable resources at an affordable cost.

Coupon Code: HOLIDAYS10OFF

Browse Virtual Servers

Get 10% OFF cPanel Web Hosting

With cPanel’s intuitive and responsive interface, you can manage all aspects of your hosting environment from any device without having to install any third-party software on your computer.

Coupon Code: HOLIDAYS10OFF

Browse cPanel Web Hosting plans