[FREE HOSTING] Fastdownload incl. Bzip

[d4f]

Speed-Housing.de proudly presents it's 2008 Xmas release:
-FREE FASTDOWNLOAD HOSTING-

What is Fastdownload?
Fastdownload, also known under it's cvar name sv_downloadurl is a command for Goldsrc/Source-based games which allows users to download content (maps, sounds, skins, ...) vwith full speed via a website instead of the integrated 'trickle' mechanism.
Furthermore, the optional bzip2-compression for Source-based Games allows to even further reduce file size to roughly half!

Who are we
Speed-Housing.de is a company hosting GameServers, Webspace, Domains and Rootservers since 2006.
Our sponsoring-project speed-stats.de successfully hosts 150 free Psychostats3-installations with update intervals of only 3minutes.

Why do we sponsor
As it is a tradition for us to release new special products and/or sponsoring products within holidays, we do not make an exception this time and release our newest Sponsoring project for Christmas.

What is Speed-Housing Fastdownload?
Our fastdownload-sponsoring is particular in multiple ways
~Files are automatically downloaded from your FTP. So no need to upload them twice!
~Source-game files are automatically bzipped.
~Whenever a file changes on your ftp, our servers sync the update
~As every file is only downloaded once, you save a huge amount of bandwith.
~Protection from malicious calls (blocking of certain folders and file-extensions)

How does it work
In a nutshell, the first user connects to the fastdownload and requests a file.
The server then fetches that file from your ftp, stores in the database and sends it to the user.
The second (simultaneously connecting) user is given the file from the database.
Within a few seconds the server bzip2-compresses the file and every further user is given that file.

Even more extras
The map-database can be browsed and searched by Downloads and Filename. Interesting files can be directly downloaded from our pool to your local computer or even one-click installed on your gameserver.
A later version will also allow you to bundle multiple maps into map-packs, which you then can distribute with a simple link!
All fastdownload-accounts can contain 20 gameservers and come with 20 free psychostats3-installations.

What is required
As with all our public sponsorings, there are no forced ads or other return services!
All you need for inscription is
a) a few personal details (name, country, email-adress)
b) FTP details to your gameserver (See below for info)

Security
Giving your personal details and ftp details to strangers usually is a bad idea, and we encourage you to be paranoid.
But we guarantee you that
a) your details will only be used for hosting the offers described above
b) we will neither give your details to a 3. party nor send you spam emails.
c) Hosting with us can be considered on usual hosting safety standarts.

How long will this offer last
Indefinitely.
While we cannot foresee any catastrophes (such as alien invasion or the company being closed) we try to keep our Sponsoring projects up as long as possible. For instance our Psychostats-hosting has been up now for 3years with only a very few longer downtimes.

How to get them
Register and Login Panel
The password will be sent via welcome-email

Please feel free to ask any questions or post any comment about our hosting offer

[helio]

y do you need the ftp details for the gameserver?

[d4f]

The server downloads the map straight from your GameServer's ftp, so that you don't need to re-upload it.
As result, the fastdownload-archieve always has an identical copy of your gameserver's files & folders.

[nextgi]

That sounds good but, that is a HUGE security risk.

Thats like me giving you the keys to a Rolls Royce Phantom and walking away expecting you to just take a picture of it while i go to the restroom.

[d4f]

Quote:Thats like me giving you the keys to a Rolls Royce Phantom and walking away expecting you to just take a picture of it while i go to the restroom.

I don't like Rolls Royce. If it was a Porsche / Lamborghini that would be a different story

Quote:that is a HUGE security risk.

As already describes above, I am well aware of that risk.
But again I can only refer to our current 153 sponsored Psychostats (each requiring FTP details as they fetch the Logs from the ftp) - and not a single one got hacked into.

By the way - I don't even play neither GoldSrc nor Source-based games

[Svuppe]

nextgi Wrote:That sounds good but, that is a HUGE security risk.

I don't see the really big danger here. It shouldn't be too much trouble setting up a dedicated ftp account with only the permissions needed for this.

[d4f]

Actually setting up such an account is quite a problem.
It needs access to the maps/ sounds/ etc folderd, but you want to forbid access to cfg/ right?
That kind of thing only works with softlinking, and is a pain to setup.

[nextgi]

Right, which would cause a problem for the GSP as they are providing the appropriate amenities for the user. So the user has no control over the ftp accounts and access levels. FTP that is.

[Svuppe]

Well, I must admit I've never tried anything like this myself, but I would think that it's just a question of the right user and file permissions. At least in Linux. I have no idea how Windows servers handles something like this, but I'd believe something similar would be possible.

Edit: And of course I didn't think of rented servers either. Hosting my own server has made me a little blind. Now I do see the problem more clearly.

[d4f]

It defintively is possible, but no sane gameserver provider is going to provide such an acocunt for his customers, as it is much too difficult to setup and maintain.

Maybe I could offer an alternative:
a php script which you put on your webserver, that downloads the map fom your ftp and handles it to our caching servers. As that script would be opensource, everyone can check and make sure I havent build in any backdoors

If you believe that would be a good idea, let me know. I'll then write it tomorrow (or should I rather say today as it is 00.47 )

[toxicdav3]

There goes that idea. Wasted my time to code it, someones already done it and free.

[007boy258]

is this safe ???? because i dont wanna lose my server xD

[toxicdav3]

How are you going to lose your server? Its just ftp.

[d4f]

I could run a delete-command on all his files *lol*

Depends on what you call safe, as nothing in the internet can ever be 100% secure.
But if you want an additional layer of security I could give you a proxy-script, so that you dont have to give out your ftp details. (Uses a few Gigs of Traffic on your Webspace)

Quote:Maybe I could offer an alternative:
a php script which you put on your webserver, that downloads the map fom your ftp and handles it to our caching servers. As that script would be opensource, everyone can check and make sure I havent build in any backdoor

@toxicdav3

Quote:Wasted my time to code it, someones already done it and free.

I guess it was only a matter of time until someone figured out that the traditional way of fastdownload had three big disadvantages
a) all files have to uploaded manually, so there can be an inconsistency
b) duplicate files (eg 20 users with de_wanda) use 20x de map space
c) One single server (usually) handles the whole traffic, instead of a CDN.

But that we developed it at the same time is... *rofl*
Sorry for taking away your additional income . Anyway we are not planning to extend our network to Australia (yet), so you should be safe - intercontinental traffic to Europe is awfully from down there

[Doggie52]

I like the idea, but as I already have a server set up for that kind of map and sound transfer I'll most likely not use it.

I must agree though that handing out FTP details is a bit... unsecure. Not unsecure because you (Speed-Stats) will "steal" our servers (ha ha) but because if you get compromised and you're storing the passwords we all might "lose" the servers to someone.