Author Archive
Anatomy of Multi-gig Speed Testing
Akin to the struggles of medieval alchemists seeking the mythic philosopher’s stone, accurately testing your Internet connection’s speed requires perseverance. Testing 1Gb connections has been challenging enough but with multi-gig residential fiber deployments becoming more common we’re seeing consumers express frustration at their inability to prove that they’re getting what they’re paying for. The established […]
Keeping the Lights on at XMission
We thought some might appreciate a recent behind-the-scenes story about how XMission maintained uninterrupted service when utility water and then power were lost. Typically, infrastructure is something people only think about when it isn’t working. We take for granted the complex engineering and maintenance required to provide our modern world with real time access to […]
After GDPR Is Domain Privacy Still Necessary?
For many years now most of us have felt compelled to pay for domain privacy when we renew our domains each year. Since domain Whois information was readily available we eventually found ourselves getting spammed badly enough that paying the extra for domain privacy was a no-brainer. But after the EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection […]
Do It Yourself With XMission Control
XMission has updated its control panel. “XMission Control” not only consolidates previous online tools but also adds new functionality to help you better manage your account. This initial blog post will touch upon a handful of key features. Future posts will delve deeper into these and other awesome elements. If you haven’t already, we encourage […]
Sane Password Management
Do you have trouble remembering your passwords? Struggle to create a secure, new password when you have to sign-up at yet another new website? Get frustrated trying to correctly type secure passwords on your smartphone too? Follow along as I explain password security best practices for the non-mathematicians of the world. While online security has […]
Does Your Organization Need SOC 1 or SOC 2? – Updated!
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains outdated information. XMission is no longer HIPAA or SSAE 16 compliant. Please visit our SOC2 compliance page to learn about our recent certifications. What is SOC 1 (SSAE 16)? Not so many years ago, publicly traded businesses typically would conduct annual SAS 70 audits and feel content, knowing that an […]
Five Tips for Businesses to Avoid Downtime
Salt Lake City companies never expected a tornado to take their business offline but that’s exactly what would have happened to XMission if we hadn’t properly prepared for the worst. Back in 1999, we decided to expand into the empty former battery factory next door and convert it into a modern data center. The Internet bubble was in full […]
Is Colocation Right for Your Enterprise?
While most Internet savvy people have heard about data centers, many don’t know what it means to colocate servers in one, why they’d want to, or how to when it makes good business sense for them to do so. Why would you need to colocate? Virtually all web sites you visit online are hosted in […]
7 tips for aspiring systems administrators who also like to sleep at night
Nobody likes to get a call in the middle of the night that the company web site is down, or worse, hacked. It’s one of the key reasons why businesses often choose managed hosting solutions, after all. Of course, not all web sites can be run by someone else and in many cases administrating your […]
Archived Article: Reduce Risk and Increase Revenue with a HIPAA Compliant Data Center
PLEASE NOTE: This is an archived article. XMission is no longer HIPAA compliant. Please visit our SOC2 compliance page to learn about our recent certifications. While everyone has a basic understanding about HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), few know why it might matter for their business. Even if you don’t currently have any […]