Hosting Comparisons for Indymedia

Intro

Since the ahimsa siezure, it has become apparent that ImcUk needs to find a new publishing server as well as create multiple mirrors of the webserver. There are also other IMCs that could do with help. Consequently, the UK launched a server appeal and there is some UkCrypto#Hardware discussion about the physical servers. See UkServerProcess for ideas about how to sort out a team of people to deal with legal issues arrising from the server. This page is to help decide where to host that new server.

Requirements

Space for a 1U box (ie a server that takes up one unit or rackspace), based on the current hardware plan: UkCrypto#Hardware

UK IMC is in the process of discussing setting up a legal body for signing hosting contracts in the UK, (see UkLegalConstitution) until this is resolved it appears that UK ISPs will not be able to be used for this server, but please add them to this list anyway.

Riseup in Seattle do not need UK IMC to be a legally constituted body and for hosting in Amsterdam the NL 'Friends of Indymedia' are willing to sign a hosting contract with Calyx.

Options (alphabetical order)

NB: copy and paste the table below to make the standard questions to ask each option...

standard info	response	explanation
website		URI
location		city/country
bandwidth		limit per month
cost		per month
physical access?		is it accessible?
tech support (name)		local person
tech notes
legal notes		e.g. applicable laws, help available or lawyers etc
legal implications		e.g. forming legal body of uk group, "friends of indymedia" etc
security rating		would this ISP offer more or less resistance to server seizure than others

Black Cat Networks

standard info	response
website	http://www.blackcatnetworks.co.uk/
location	Belfast, Northern Ireland
bandwidth	35GB limit per month
cost	\xA350/month
physical access?
tech support (name)
tech notes	recommendation
legal notes	UK law
legal implications	as for UK
security rating

Bunker

standard info	response
website	http://www.thebunker.net/
location	Undisclosed UK
bandwidth	limit per month ?
cost	dependent on Gig
physical access?
tech support (name)
tech notes
legal notes	UK law, AUP
legal implications
security rating

Calyx

standard info	response
website	http://www.calyx.com/
location	amsterdam/netherlands and nyc/usa
bandwidth
cost
physical access?	yes, person need a key and a card
tech support (name)	Zapata
tech notes	See email from Nick @ Calyx to imc-uk-tech
legal notes	NL/EU laws applicable need to have a legal entity
contract holder	"friends of indymedia", dutch foundation set up as owner of indy.nl and as legal "buffer" between indy.nl collective and individuals: seems to be willing to meet with calxy lawyers and sign a hosting contract
other info/links	http://www.calyx.net/about/ - "Calyx Internet Access Corp. was incorporated in the State of New York in 1995. Since its inception, Calyx has worked with such companies as Ikea, Amtrak, Keynote Systems Inc (NASDAQ:KEYN)., and Tanqueray gin."
security rating	calyx did not give in when asked for IP logs in US subpoena google results

GreenNet

standard info	response
website	http://www.gn.apc.org/
location	London/UK
bandwidth	?limit per month?
cost/month	to be negotiated
physical access?	servers hosted with Poptel- Poptech? in London, to be negotiated
tech support (name)	London techies?
tech notes	linux/apache
legal notes	"GreenNet will not participate in the voluntary retention scheme and is principally bound to retain its current data retention policy (...) in the interest of defending the rights of our user community."
contract holder	to be negotiated, legal body, individual?
other info/links
security rating

Havenco

standard info	response
website	http://www.havenco.com/
location	Sealand in the North Sea
bandwidth	256Kbps
cost	$1,500 per month
physical access?	no
tech support (name)	none
tech notes	jebba contacted then after the FBI raid, they were on for doing IMC hosting, but they are very expensive also security claims may be false, for this kind of thing metacolo might be better, but again they will no doubt be unafordable...
legal notes	"Sealand currently has no regulations regarding copyright, patents, libel, restrictions on political speech, non-disclosure agreements, cryptography, restrictions on maintaining customer records, tax or mandatory licensing, DMCA, music sharing services, or other issues; child pornography is the only content explicitly prohibited.", see their aup
contract holder	none?
security rating

Public Internet Ltd

standard info	response
website	http://www.public-internet.org/
location	Telecity, London
bandwidth	100Gb (unmonitored, www3 served 180Gb in 44 days)
cost	70UKP (list price, subject to negotiation)
physical access?	Yes
tech support (name)	[machine] (owner of PI Ltd)
tech notes	PI Ltd already provide www3/DNS/mail for UK
contract holder	n/a
legal implications	UK/EU laws apply
security rating

Riseup

standard info	response
website	http://www.riseup.net/
location	Seattle, USA \ http://seaccp.org/
bandwidth	??
cost	donation - uses approx $50/box/month
physical access?	yes
tech support (name)	stefani is on for helping out
tech notes
legal notes	"You also agree not to use our Online Services to: (a) violate any applicable local, state, national or international law;" - comprehensive disclaimer/ terms of service
contract holder	none, i don't think (but i'm not a lawyer!)
other info/links	terms of service
security rating

xs4all

standard info	response
website	http://www.xs4all.com/
location	Amsterdam
bandwidth	500 GB
cost	EUR 95,- (1U)
physical access?	Yes
tech support (name)	Zapata
tech notes
legal notes	Same as for Calyx
contract holder	Same as for Calyx
other info/links	They have not replied to two email asking about hosting with them
security rating

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Moved from UkMirror: About 'secure' hosting http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/rja14/eternity/eternity.html | http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/07/02/160253&mode=nested |

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-- GarconDuMonde - 05 Dec 2004 - started
-- IonNec - 06 Dec 2004 - added greennet
-- TimBrown - 07 Dec 2004 - added Public Internet
-- RadgEd - 07 Dec 2004 - added security rating field
-- ZcaT - 07 Dec 2004 added security rating details to calyx