MUD Hosting FAQ Frequently Asked QuestionsMUD Hosting FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

MUD Hosting FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about our MUD Hosting Services.

MUD Hosting and Web Hosting Questions

Billing Questions

Servers, Network and Datacenter Questions

Software and Development Questions

General Questions

MUD Hosting and Web Hosting Questions

Do you offer a special Software Account or MUD Developer package?

Yes, we offer a special Software Developer Account for MUD's still in their early development stages. This account provides complete access to all development tools as well as providing an early software and development testing environment.

Do you offer web hosting services with your MUD hosting packages? Am I able to host my MUD's website?

Yes, our web hosting services are included with all Standard, Advanced and Premium MUD hosting packages. You’ll have complete access to design, build and maintain a great web site.

Do you offer personalized email hosting services with your MUD hosting packages?

Yes, we included email hosting services as well as anti-virus protection and advanced spam filtering technology with all MUD Developer, Standard, Advanced and Premium MUD hosting packages. As an added benefit, our Advanced and Premium MUD hosting services now offer unlimited email accounts. Through our easy to use hosting control panel, you can setup and manage email accounts for all your players as well as yourself!

Does it cost anything extra for these web hosting or email services?

No, these services are all inclusive with the general price of each MUD hosting package. For a more detailed explanation of what is also included with all MUD hosting packages, please visit the Compare MUD Hosting Services page.

What email protocols does your network and servers support?

We provide a web-mail interface service as well as POP3, SMTP and IMAP services. We also provide secure email protocols as well. Our email services are compliant with 99.9% of email software clients.

I would like my own domain name for my MUD, how do I get one?

A domain name is a great way to establish your own unique identity on the web. You may purchase a domain name through us at any time. During the checkout procedure you’ll be given the chance to register a new domain name of your choice, or if you are already a customer, you may purchase a new domain name through the Client Support Center at any time. And as a great bonus! We also now offer a free domain name with all new qualifying hosting packages!

Do you offer a Free Domain Name? And how do I receive a Free Domain Name?

Yes, we include a free domain name with all new Standard, Advanced and Premium MUD hosting packages. You will have the option to include your free domain during the checkout procedure. (Valid with the .com, .net, .org and .info domains only. Requires a minimum of a three month purchase.) Just select your preferred domain name if it is available on all qualified hosting packages during checkout, and our automated billing interface will do the work for you.

I already have my own domain name, can you host it?

Yes, we provide several different capabilities to host your already registered domain names. If you so choose, you may transfer your domain name to our registrar for simplified administration or choose rather to point your domain to our nameservers and use our simplified managed DNS services. We also provide free domain transfers for all qualifying new customers.

Do you offer global DNS services?

Yes, we offer global DNS services to customers with domains registered with other registrars. We provide two tiers of service, a free managed service included with all hosting packages, or an additional customized DNS service that provides dynamic management as well as many additional features.

Do you offer a simplified web hosting solution, such as a web hosting control panel?

Yes, we currently offer cPanel as a web hosting solution for all hosting customers. Our hosting control panel provides webmasters with all the tools they require to create an impressive web presence as well as simplifying their daily administration tasks.

Do you provide additional shell accounts for MUD packages?

Yes, we provide additional shell accounts for all MUD Hosting packages as listed on the Compare MUD Hosting web page. All shell accounts are normally configured for individual and development use only due to security concerns and restrictions. We recommend MUD administrators to take pride in their security and use the CVS systems we have provided for you. However, if you require less restrictive access between shell accounts, (sharing applications for example), we are willing to work with any dedicated customer we feel that does not pose a security risk. We apologize for the inconveniences this may cause at this time, but shell exploitations, spam and fraud are becoming more widespread recently and security precautions have become necessary to maintain a secure environment for all of our customers.

How do I request an additional shell account?

Please log into the Client Support Center and submit a support request to our Technical Support Department. Please include in the support request your preferred account login name. Account login names must be at least 3 and 7 characters long. If you wish to request a specialized shell account that is capable of sharing applications or accessing applications between accounts, please submit a support request. Customers must have been with Third Generation Hosting for at least one month and have had no prior suspensions of ToS to be eligible for specialized shell accounts.

How do I transfer a domain name from another hosting provider?

Prior to requesting a domain name transfer, there are a few requirements that most registrars will require you to meet before they will process your request to transfer to a new registrar.

1. Before submitting a domain name transfer request, please check the accuracy of the information listed in the WHOIS Database for your domain.

2. To accept and receive the proper authorization and security codes, you must be listed as the Administrative Contact for the transferring domain.

3. As the Administrative Contact for the domain, you should have access to the email address listed as a contact point in the WHOIS Database. Most registrars will send a confirmation email to this address.

4. The domain name must be older than 60 days. Registrars are unable to transfer domain names unless they have been registered for more than 60 days.

5. Ensure your domain is not in a Registrar-Lock or Hold status. Some registrars automatically place your domain in a Registrar-Lock status for security purposes. Contact your registrar to remove the domain’s status. Or if you have access to the domain’s management settings, remove the status.

6. Verify your domain is not currently expired. We recommend transferring domains prior to the 14 day expiration date. All transferring domains, non-expired, receive an automatic 1 year renewal at the time of transfer.

All .com, .net, .org, .info, .us, .info and .biz top-level-domains (TLD) require a security authorization code (EPP Key) before any gaining or losing registrar may attempt to transfer the domain. You can obtain an EPP Key by contacting your current registrar. The EPP Key is generally delivered by confirmation email to the listed Administrative Contact’s email address listed in the WHOIS Database.

To access the information listed in the WHOIS Database for your domain, you must have modification rights to the domain or be listed as an Administrative Contact, Billing Contact or Technical Contact before you can update the listed information. Please contact your current registrar’s support department if you need assistance.

Can I switch hosting providers without transferring my domain?

Yes, to switch web hosting providers without the aggravation of switching domain registrars, we fully support external domain DNS requests. At purchase, you are given the choice to purchase a new domain, transfer an existing domain or use an external domain elsewhere.

At signup, you will receive a confirmation email from Third Generation Internet Services that lists our network’s Nameservers (NS) and DNS information. To use this information, you must have modification rights to the domain or be listed as an Administrative Contact, Billing Contact or Technical Contact before you can update the domain’s DNS servers.

Billing Questions

What types of payments do you accept?

We accept most major credit cards as well as PayPal. We also accept checks and money orders for all qualifying MUD hosting customers.

Do you accept Money Orders or Personal Checks?

Yes, on a special case-by-case basis we will accept money orders or checks from MUD hosting customers only. Please contact our sales department if you wish to consider this payment method.

Do you provide automated billing support?

Yes, we provide an advanced and secure automated billing support system. Our billing support system presents our customers with the capability to fully manage their accounts and all personal information.

Do you offer automatic upgrades and downgrades as well as partial account upgrades?

Yes, our automated billing system provides the capability to all customers to upgrade or downgrade their service as well as support individual upgrades and add-on services.

What is the Transfer Assistance service?

We understand that switching hosting providers can be a difficult and demanding task, that is why Third Generation will help simplify this process for you. Our support department will migrate your websites, domains, files, images and MySQL databases for you while you worry about more import matters.

What is the Terms of Service Agreement, ToS?

The Terms of Service Agreement is the conditions by which the provider and customer agree to abide by to use our Services.

Servers, Network and Datacenter Questions

What is your network speed? Can I test your network latency?

We provide a 100Mbit connection per server, hosted from multiple Tier 1 bandwidth providers. To test our network latency, please ping one of our server’s IP addresses: 75.125.210.145 – 75.125.210.157.

Where are your datacenters located?

Third Generation Internet Services is located in EV1’s Tier IV Datacenter in Houston, Texas, United States. We also provide redundancy services from Dallas, Texas as well.

What is the general specifications of your servers?

Dell PowerEdge 840 Servers, Quad Core Intel Xeon X3210, 2x4M Cache, 2.13GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 2GB DDR2 667MHz ECC DIMM, 500GB 7.2k RPM Serial ATA 3Gbps, 100Mbit bandwidth per server directly through multiple Tier 1 telecom providers.

Who are your Tier 1 Bandwidth Providers?

AT&T, AboveNet, Savvis, Verio, Global Crossing, Level 3, Time Warner Telecom and Cogent.

Are game ports reserved for each account? And how many ports are available?

We reserve ports in blocks of 25 and provide up to two blocks per account, providing in all 50 game ports per package. All game ports are reserved at the time of purchase and monitored at the firewall to provide security and reliability.

How do I reserve specific ports? Do I get to choose?

Yes, during the check procedure you will be given the chance to request specific game ports. Just note which ports you would specifically be interested in. However, please supply more than one request in case your first choice has already been reserved by someone else.

How often are server backups performed?

We perform backups nightly at 11PM PST, and weekly backups on Sunday nights. Backups can also be performed individually by all customers through their hosting control panels.

What does it cost to restore a backup or a specific file?

We do not charge for file restorations or account restores at this time. But we do request that each individual customer maintain backup files of their own. This provides for a quicker level of restoration in some cases. Backups can be performed by all customers through their hosting control panels.

Do you provide SSH access?

Yes, we provide SSH access for all shell accounts. Also, we provide SFTP access as well as secure POP3, SMTP and IMAP services.

What operating system does your company use and provide?

Our servers are currently operating with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. RHEL5 provides operational flexibility and maximum reliability.

Software and Development Questions

What is MUD Setup Assistance service?

With MUD Setup Assistance we will provide all new customers who request service, help with brining up their initial codebase on our servers. Please note, this service is limited to only an initial configuration and is not an agreement for further Software Development Assistance.

Do you offer alternate versions of GCC?

Yes, we currently offer two versions of the GCC compiler. We offer a newer version, 4.1.2 and a legacy version 3.2.3.

Do you offer Database Support?

Yes, we currently support MySQL and SQLite databases on all of our servers. All of our MUD hosting packages come with MySQL databases included with every package. Please visit our Compare MUD Hosting Services page for more information on individual package details.

Do you offer FTP Support?

Yes, all accounts currently support FTP as well as SFTP (Secure FTP) services.

What version of Python Programming Language do you currently support?

We currently support Python version 2.4.3.

What version of the MySQL engine do you currently support?

We currently support MySQL 5.0.45.

What version of PHP do you currently support?

We currently support PHP 5 w/ Zend & ionCube support as well.

General Questions

Do you support other MU*’s other than MUD's?

Yes, if its Red Hat Linux compatible then we most likely support your codebase without a problem. We provide a 30-day money back guarantee service to all customers. If it doesn’t work, feel free to ask for a no-hassle refund.

How long have you been involved with the MUD community?

We have provided private services to the community for nearly 12 years. In 2007 we decided to open our services as an actual AFFORDABLE and RELIABLE hosting provider. We felt the community has embraced a serious decline throughout the years with the introduction of MMORPGs and felt it was time to do something for the people we love.

Do you currently run a MUD of your own?

Yes, of course! And we use our own hosting services as well because we have faith in our own company and the product we offer. You can visit a couple of our MUD's here at ashendust.com 2569 and shryp.ashendust.com 2000.

How much system memory (RAM) do I actually need?

A general codebase today usually never requires more than 25MB. This is why our Standard MUD Package provides everything you need to get started. No longer the need to purchase more expensive accounts to run the codebase of your choice like other providers.

How long does it take to receive my account after purchase?

We provide same day account activations. You will receive your new account email within 24 hours of purchase. The average wait time for account activation is generally never longer than 8 hours however.

How many MUD's can I run at once?

All MUD Packages provide support for your main game as well as your development or builder game ports. So depending upon your configuration, each package will support up to two or three instances of the same game, as long as you are not exceeding your account or memory limitations.

Do you offer a development, testing or building port?

Yes, with each MUD hosting package we include 50 game ports. As well, there is full capability to run your alternate port as necessary as long as you are not exceeding your account or memory limitations.

What is a MUD, and how does one play a MUD?

For the best resource guide for all, please visit The Mud Connector.