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thanks in advance for any help

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice on improving and maintaining a positive online presence for both individuals and businesses. Recently, I noticed some outdated or negative content affecting visibility and credibility, and I want to understand the best practices for addressing this. Specifically, I’m interested in learning about tools, techniques, and strategies that can help with Reputation Repair. How can one proactively manage reviews, social media mentions, and search results? Are there ethical ways to boost positive content while mitigating negative impressions? Any insights or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Joomla 6.0 & 5.4 are now available. Be sure to read everything on the page linked to below before upgrading! Read more / Get them at: joomla.org/announcements/release-news/5939-joomla-6-0-and-joomla-5-4-are-here.html

Joomla 5.3.4, is a bugfix & security release. See more at the url below or use the built in updater. It is also a security release for the 4.x series of Joomla, see more info about that on the url below. Read more / Get it at: joomla.org/announcements/release-news/5936-joomla-5-3-4-security-bugfix-release.html

Thanks Thomas

Joomla 5.3.3, is a bugfix release. Read more / Get it at: joomla.org/announcements/release-news/5930-joomla-5-3-3-bugfix-release.html or use the built in updater.

I should have thought of that pretty obvious option. Thanks! Hopefully I'll be able to get some idea of whether the ported site is working before I switch the DNS and break everything 🙂

Hi, You can preview your WordPress site on TCH before updating the DNS by using the following format: https://servername/~username Just replace: servername with your actual server’s hostname username with your cPanel username Note that if your WordPress site was built using the original domain, you might run into issues when accessing it via the temporary URL. WordPress hardcodes the site URL and home URL in the database, so loading it via /~username may load the site incorrectly.

I'm porting a WordPress site from another hosting provider and am keen to make sure that it's up and running before updating its DNS settings. I can't for the life of me remember what the URL format is to allow me to access a TCH site in this case, though. Can anyone help me out? I've tried http://<user>:<password>@<server IP>, http://<server IP>/home/<user>, and a bunch of other options with no luck so far.

At TotalChoice Hosting, we’re proud to power everything from personal side projects to enterprise-grade platforms. Our dedicated servers are the quiet backbone behind thousands of websites, applications, and digital experiences — built by people who care about performance, reliability, and support that actually shows up when it matters. In this Client Showcase, we’re excited to feature Criticker — a smart, community-driven recommendation engine that helps people discover what to watch or play next. Whether you’re a film buff, TV junkie, or gamer, Criticker offers a personalized experience built on taste and trust. Behind the scenes, their entire platform runs on our high-performance Michigan Dedicated Servers, backed by over 15 years of partnership. Criticker is a film, TV, and video game recommendation platform that works a little differently than the typical streaming algorithm. Instead of guessing based on popularity, Criticker matches users with others who share their unique tastes and builds recommendations based on that network of similar preferences. We recently spoke with Mike Powell, Co-Founder of Criticker, about his experience with TotalChoice Hosting and what makes Criticker tick. Why Criticker Chose TotalChoice Hosting After facing reliability issues with a previous provider, Mike Powell and his team at Criticker were looking for more than just another server — they needed trust, performance, and real support! How Criticker Runs at Scale Criticker operates a server infrastructure designed to support the demands of a high-traffic, data-rich recommendation engine. Their platform runs entirely on a home-grown PHP framework, with MySQL and JavaScript powering the backend and frontend — all working in harmony to deliver personalized results in real time. With over 21 million ratings and counting, the platform is built to handle continuous load, dynamic content generation, and a growing global audience. Thanks to the flexibility and reliability of their dedicated hosting environment, Criticker can focus on refining its platform, not managing downtime. Performance That Speaks for Itself At TotalChoice Hosting, we don’t wait for problems to happen — we work proactively with our clients to identify opportunities for improvement before performance becomes an issue. That’s exactly what happened during a recent review of Criticker’s infrastructure. After coordinating a hardware upgrade to better support their growing workload, the results were immediate. By staying ahead of the curve with infrastructure planning and support, TotalChoice ensures Criticker’s platform runs at peak performance, no matter how much it grows. criticker.com Support That Shows Up When It Matters Most We asked Mike if there was a time when TotalChoice Hosting’s support really stood out. Without hesitation, he recalled a moment that perfectly captured what we aim to deliver: At TotalChoice Hosting, this is more than just a support ticket — it’s our standard. Real people. Real responses. And real solutions, even on weekends, when it matters most. Hosting That Helps You Grow As Criticker has grown, so has its infrastructure’s complexity. Today, its platform runs on bare metal dedicated servers, supporting a custom-built PHP framework, MySQL databases, and JavaScript-powered features. With TotalChoice Hosting, Criticker has built a scalable and dependable environment that keeps pace with its evolving demands. Mike Powell, Co-Founder of Criticker, said it best: This flexibility—backed by personal, responsive support—allows Criticker to scale confidently as its audience grows while keeping performance and reliability at the core of its user experience. Final Thoughts from Criticker For over 15 years, Criticker has relied on TotalChoice Hosting to deliver the stability, speed, uptime, and personal support needed to run a global recommendation platform. From server upgrades to weekend support requests, our team has been there to ensure their infrastructure stays invisible so their users can focus on discovering great entertainment without interruption. We’re proud to have earned that trust over so many years and even prouder to continue powering Criticker’s growth into the future. Partnerships like these define TotalChoice Hosting. View the full article

Thanks Thomas

Joomla 5.3.2, is a bugfix release. Read more / Get it at: joomla.org/announcements/release-news/5929-joomla-5-3-2-bugfix-release.html or use the built in updater.

This maintenance has been successfully completed, and all services are restored. If you are experiencing any issues, please feel free to open a ticket.

The planned maintenance on this server is now underway. We will continue to post updates in this thread as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.

Please be advised of the following upcoming planned server maintenance notification: Date: 6.24.25 Time: 20:00 EST Server: Ostego Service Impacting: YES Scope of Work: Software Stack Upgrades Resolved: NO Notice Source: https://status.totalchoicehosting.com TotalChoice Technicians will perform service-impacting server maintenance to perform operating system and software stack migrations. During this maintenance, you may experience temporary service interruptions. We will make every effort to minimize downtime and ensure a smooth transition. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to enhance our services.

Running your own server at home feels like a power move. You’ve got full control, no monthly fees, and the satisfaction of running everything yourself — whether it’s Proxmox, Unraid, Plex, TrueNAS, or a custom Docker stack. But when your self-hosted setup starts handling real workloads — backups, VPNs, Plex libraries, even business data — it stops being a weekend project and becomes a risk. Colocation might be the move for you! Let’s talk about where self-hosting shines, where it fails, and why Michigan colocation just makes sense. The Real Benefits of Self-Hosting Self-hosting definitely has its place. For homelabbers, tech enthusiasts, and privacy-conscious power users, it offers: Pro Why It’s Great Full Control You own and manage the stack end-to-end — hardware, software, and services. No Monthly Fees Once you’ve bought the hardware, there’s no bill for rack space or bandwidth. Learning Experience Running your own Plex, Proxmox, TrueNAS, or Unraid box is a great education. Flexibility & Customization Total freedom to run your own stacks, images, and configs — no restrictions. Privacy No third parties touching your data. If you’re experimenting or running personal projects, self-hosting is a great place to start. But when the stakes get higher — when uptime and data integrity matter — it’s time to level up. Fire, Flood, Theft — Your Basement Isn’t a Data Center We’ve seen it all: A sump pump fails — and a TrueNAS box drowns. A lightning strike hits — and the entire Proxmox node gets fried. A break-in wipes out decades of files and backups. Even high-profile creators aren’t immune. Watch: LGR’s data loss after a hurricane! “I felt physically sick. Years of my life — gone in one surge. I never want to experience that again.” — LGR, Lazy Game Reviews Self-hosting is fragile. When your hardware is sitting on a shelf in the basement, it only takes one moment to lose everything. Your Power & Internet Aren’t Enough Here’s the reality of residential hosting: No redundant power No enterprise cooling No static IPs without extra cost No backup generator for your ISP Even if you’ve got a home generator, your residential ISP infrastructure doesn’t. Most street-side fiber nodes, pole amps, or coaxial cabinets are only backed by tiny batteries, not generators. The Harsh Reality of Residential Internet We hear this a lot: “I’ve got a backup generator — I’ll be fine.” But that only solves half the problem. Even if your server stays powered up, your internet won’t. Here’s why: Residential ISP hardware (like fiber nodes or cable amps) is usually powered by small battery units. These only last 2 to 4 hours during an outage. After that, your neighborhood’s internet is down, even if your lights are on. Restoration is not prioritized for residential zones. The bottom line is that bad weather means you’re offline, generator or not. Meanwhile, in a proper data center like ours: Power is redundant and conditioned Bandwidth is multi-homed and enterprise-class Infrastructure is monitored, maintained, and restored first Real-World Example: Plex Isn’t Pretty on a Weak Upload Self-hosting sounds great — until Grandpa in Texas tries to watch home videos of Johnny the grandson from your basement Plex server… and the stream keeps buffering. Or you’re trying to stream Johnny’s 4K high school football game to five family members at once — and your home upload speed chokes. Residential internet usually gives you fast download, but a weak upload. 5–10 Mbps upload just isn’t enough to push full-res video streams to multiple devices. Even if your Plex server is a beast, your home bandwidth becomes the bottleneck — and your family ends up watching a stuttering slideshow. Think Self-Hosting Is Cheaper? Think Again. Here’s what it actually costs to run a modest homelab 24/7 at home: Item Estimated Monthly Cost Power (24/7 operation) $23 Business-grade Internet $40 Cooling / ventilation $15 Total $78/month That’s $78/month, just to keep your server online — not including security, uptime, or support. Our Michigan colocation plans start at just $59/month, and include: Professional power and cooling Fast, redundant internet Secure facility access Remote hands and support Your Data Deserves Physical Security Our data center provides: 24/7 video surveillance Locked cabinets Entry logging Fire suppression systems Controlled access to authorized personnel only You don’t get that in a spare bedroom. Why Michigan Colocation Makes Sense Michigan ranks among the best locations in the country for data center reliability. Here’s why: Advantage Why It Matters Low Disaster Risk Safe from earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires. Cool Climate Naturally reduces cooling costs year-round. Resilient Power Infrastructure Multiple grids, clean energy mix, stable delivery. Strategic Location Midwestern hub with low-latency routes to the U.S. and Canada. Tech Ecosystem Proximity to top universities and engineering talent. Our Michigan-based data center gives your hardware the best of both worlds: local access and global-grade infrastructure. Check out our blog entry about Why Michigan Matters! You Built It — Bring It Got your stack dialed in? We’re ready for it. Colocate your: Unraid NAS Proxmox cluster TrueNAS backup system Docker swarm or Kubernetes lab Plex Server We support client-owned gear and offer free rack and stack help during your deployment. It’s Time to Protect What Matters Your data isn’t disposable. Whether it’s family photos, client files, offsite backups, or production services — your setup deserves more than a shelf in a basement. Check out our Michigan Colocation Plans View the full article

This maintenance has been completed successfully, and all services have been restored. If you are facing any issues, please feel free to open a ticket.

The planned maintenance on this server is now underway. We will continue to post updates in this thread as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.

This maintenance has been completed successfully, and all services have been restored. If you are facing any issues, please feel free to open a ticket.

The planned maintenance on this server is now underway. We will continue to post updates in this thread as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.

When you’re shopping for serious hosting power, it’s not just about how many cores your server has — it’s about where it lives, who’s supporting it, and whether it’s truly yours. That’s where a dedicated server comes into play. If you’re looking for a Michigan dedicated server, this guide is for you. At TotalChoice Hosting, we specialize in delivering high-performance bare metal servers from our Michigan data centers. Here are the top 10 questions clients ask us — and why Michigan dedicated servers are the smart choice. We’ve answered thousands of client questions over the years — and these are the top 10 we hear most often. 1. What is a dedicated server (aka bare metal)? A dedicated server, or bare metal server, is a physical machine exclusively allocated to a single client. Unlike shared or VPS hosting, you have full control over the server’s resources. If you’re looking for non-virtualized hosting in Michigan, bare metal servers are the answer. Explore our Michigan dedicated server plans. 2. Why choose a Michigan data center? Not all data centers are created equal. When you host your server with TotalChoice Hosting, your hardware lives inside our Southfield, Flint, and Grand Rapids facilities, engineered for enterprise-grade uptime and Detroit metro reliability. Tier III+ certification 99.99% uptime guarantee Redundant power and cooling systems Carrier-neutral connectivity with over 120 providers If you’re searching for dedicated server hosting in Southeast Michigan, this is where it happens. Take a look at our Michigan data centers. 3. How is a bare metal server different from VPS or cloud hosting? While VPS and cloud hosting involve shared resources, a bare metal server provides dedicated hardware, ensuring optimal performance and security. For a comprehensive comparison, visit our blog post: Shared Hosting vs. VPS vs. Dedicated Servers. 4. Do I need to be a sysadmin to manage a bare metal server? Not at all. We offer both Fully Managed and Unmanaged Dedicated Server plans. Our managed services include: OS installation and updates Security patches 24/7 monitoring Choose the plan that fits your technical expertise and business needs. 5. What operating systems can I run? Our servers support a variety of operating systems, including: Linux: Ubuntu, Alma, Rocky, RHEL, Debian, and many more! Windows Server: 2019, 2022, 2025, and many more! Custom ISOs: For specialized requirements Customize your server to match your project’s specific needs.. 6. What kind of hardware do you use for your Michigan dedicated servers? At TotalChoice Hosting, we don’t cut corners on hardware. Every one of our Michigan dedicated servers is built using enterprise-grade Dell PowerEdge equipment. We’ve chosen Dell PowerEdge for three simple reasons: Reliability: Dell’s server platforms are rock-solid under pressure. They’re built for 24/7 uptime in real production environments. Lifecycle Support: Dell provides reliable firmware updates, BIOS patches, and hardware replacement timelines that align with long-term client hosting needs. Component Quality: From memory modules to power supplies to RAID controllers, Dell’s internal components are enterprise-class! When you buy a bare metal server in Michigan from us, you’re getting proven Dell hardware, tested in-house, and deployed in a professionally managed data center. You’re not gambling on generic components, and that’s a big reason we have clients who have been with us for 20+ years. 7. What about bandwidth and networking? We are carrier-neutral with 120+ providers, multiple fiber entrances, and direct peering via DET-iX — providing low-latency reach across North America. Our servers come with generous bandwidth allocations and are connected to multiple Tier 1 providers, ensuring low latency and high-speed connectivity. Details are available on our Dedicated Servers page. 8. How fast is the network? All Michigan-based servers connect to a high-capacity Arista core network, offering: 1Gbps or 10Gbps ports Unmetered options available Direct peering with DET-iX U.S. & Canadian route optimization That’s why our network is trusted by hosting resellers, universities, and businesses nationwide. Check bandwidth specs on our Dedicated Servers. 9. How fast can I deploy? Our most popular bare metal servers in Michigan deploy in 24 to 48 hours, often faster. Custom builds are racked, burned in, and tested before delivery. And because we manage our own inventory and infrastructure, we don’t wait on vendors. 10. How do I get started? Visit our Michigan Dedicated Servers page to explore standard and customizable configurations. If you’re not sure what you need, our team can help you choose the best bare metal server for your specific use case. Need something custom? Contact us directly through our Sales Contact Form or call our Michigan-based team. We’ll walk you through hardware options, upgrades, and deployment timelines. Once your order is placed, we rack, burn-in, test, and provision your Dell enterprise server in one of our Southfield, Flint, or Grand Rapids data centers. Most setups are completed within 24–48 hours. Final Thoughts: Why Buy a Dedicated Server in Michigan?. If you’re serious about uptime, control, and real performance, skip the cloud fluff and go bare metal. With over 20 years of experience, TotalChoice Hosting is the go-to dedicated server provider in Michigan, trusted by clients across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. From Detroit enterprise deployments to Grand Rapids colocation, we offer real infrastructure, real support, and real results. Browse Dedicated Servers Buy a Detroit Dedicated Server Today View the full article

Please be advised of the following upcoming planned server maintenance notification: Date: 6.10.25 Time: 20:00 EST Server: Hugaboom Service Impacting: YES Scope of Work: Software Stack Upgrades Resolved: NO Notice Source: https://status.totalchoicehosting.com TotalChoice Technicians will perform service-impacting server maintenance to perform operating system and software stack migrations. During this maintenance, you may experience temporary service interruptions. We will make every effort to minimize downtime and ensure a smooth transition. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to enhance our services.

Please be advised of the following upcoming planned server maintenance notification: Date: 6.09.25 Time: 20:00 EST Server: Elk Service Impacting: YES Scope of Work: Software Stack Upgrades Resolved: NO Notice Source: https://status.totalchoicehosting.com TotalChoice Technicians will perform service-impacting server maintenance to perform operating system and software stack migrations. During this maintenance, you may experience temporary service interruptions. We will make every effort to minimize downtime and ensure a smooth transition. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to enhance our services.

This maintenance has been completed successfully, and all services have been restored. If you are facing any issues, please feel free to open a ticket.

The planned maintenance on this server is now underway. We will continue to post updates in this thread as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.