Expert Overview
Primarily Focused on VPN & VPS Hosting
SHPV is a French company that is focused on providing customers with good quality VPS (virtual private servers) and VPN (virtual private network) services. They also offer domain name registration, seedbox servers to host files, and shared hosting options. They seem to try to meet the needs of a wide range of niche audiences. For example, some of their packages are tailored for gamers who need a game server that will respond quickly to reduce lag. Others are made for hosting traditional websites, and still others are for file sharing.
The website is very basic, and may be considered overly simple. They have a lot of white space without too much information. Also, their menus aren’t exactly clear about what you will be getting when you sign up. This is an indication that they are likely trying to focus their services on people who already know what they are doing rather than those who are inexperienced in hosting services and things of that nature.
Uptime & Reliability
Hosting Appears to be Stable
There is not much information about stability on their website. They do use high quality hardware and it is configured properly so that there won’t likely be any type of outages or downtime related to those types of issues. Users who have been with this company for some time all seem very satisfied with the stability that they receive. It would be nice, however, if they had a guarantee of some type to help ensure a good stable environment.
Features
Multiple Different Service Areas
The services are somewhat diverse and can meet the needs of many different types of people. Their web hosting services include DDoS protection services, one-click installation scripts, dedicated memory, unlimited traffic, daily backups, and more. The virtual private network (VPN) lets you route traffic through the server to access additional locations. This can also be good for coordinating multiple users and having everyone appear to come from the same place no matter where they happen to be in the world.
When looking at the virtual private servers, you will see that they have a “KVM” that lets you access your server from anywhere. This provides you with excellent control and easy manipulation of just about everything on your server. They also provide good analytics and other data to help track your site or whatever you are using the VPS for.
Support
Limited Information Available
They provide very little information about their technical support team until after you sign up for an account. They don’t tell you what their hours are, where they are from, or anything. Users haven’t complained about this aspect of the company so they likely do a good job. If you want any type of self-help documentation, you won’t find it on their site either. There is no FAQ, knowledge base, or even a blog to give you guidance.
Pricing
Pricing Could be Better
Their prices are listed in little boxes near the descriptions of each service. This makes it unnecessarily difficult to find exactly how much each item is going to cost. Some of the packages are priced very well, such as their entry level VPS that is €1.99 per month and their gaming VPS that is €3.00 per month. The higher end VPS, however, is €50.99 per month, which is quite expensive even though you are getting pretty good features. While certainly not the best prices in the industry, they also aren’t the worst, so as long as you are careful about what you select, you can find a fair deal.
User Friendly
Not the Easiest Option Around
Their website isn’t really designed very well, and they don’t put much information on each page. They clearly want to make it have a ‘clean’ look, but really it just looks sparse and leaves you wanting more. They should add additional text to describe each option so people will have a better idea about exactly what they are getting it before they sign up. Once someone signs up, however, the interface is pretty easy to use and you can get everything setup the way you want it without any delay.
Summary
Good Overall Option in France
This company does a good job providing users with specific services that they need. The fact that they specialize in specific areas is interesting, and a little unusual, but it will be good for people who need something specific. If you can get past the lack of information on their site, you’ll most likely have a great experience.
Pros:
- Lots of Focused Features
- Services have Been Around a Long Time
Cons:
- Not Much Information Available on the Site
- No Dedicated Servers
