Webhosting chat support

yello · #1 (**permalink**) 30-04-09, 05:36 PM

Hi all. I am pretty satisfied from your support. Well done. I am customer for 2 years owning 7-8 dedicated servers.

I have one problem and i hope you could find a solution: when i am out of office and an emergency arises such as network/server problem, someone has to use your live chat. Then he has to send you the root password.

It is ok for me to send you the root password, but when i am out of office someone from my staff has to chat with you but i do not want him to know the root password! Root password is very sensitive and i cannot give it to all my employees like a brochure.

Can you create another password to be used only in live chat sessions so that you can identify that you talk with a registered person? In this way, i could protect my root password more effectively. Otherwise, chat support is not very effective when i am out of office.

Thanks in advance

jon123 · #2 (**permalink**) 30-04-09, 08:00 PM

You know I am suprised that question has never come up until now.
Makes sense to have some kind of global passkey that can be used by emplyees but doesn't give them access into the system, especially where multiple dedi-servers are involved.#

Hope you get a satisfactory outcome yello. Would be interested in hearing the outcome

yello · #3 (**permalink**) 30-04-09, 08:05 PM

Yes, i hope Webhosting UK will give a solution.

**Dan** · #4 (**permalink**) 30-04-09, 08:27 PM

An idea would be a custom field so when a user signs up he / she specifies in the custom field a support key, this allows certain changes to be done to your server(s) but not anything drastic such as removing of files etc. I think this would be the way to manage things effectively.

yello · #5 (**permalink**) 30-04-09, 08:37 PM

Yes this would be nice.

**Administrator** · #6 (**permalink**) 06-05-09, 12:54 PM

Hi,

You can simply ask our support staff to upload our SSH key pasphrase on the server which will allow us to use our SSH Key to login on your server.

SSH Key authentication method is the most secure way to protect root password of your server. You can also request our support staff to allow only our office, Datacenter and your office IP on the server for SSH access.

If you want, I can get this arranged for you once I get your confirmation.

yello · #7 (**permalink**) 06-05-09, 12:58 PM

So in this way, my employee should only give you the ssh key each time goes on live chat?

(the second one -about locking the ssh access to specific ips- it is not a good idea because i would like to be able to login even from my laptop anywhere possible, so i need to login from dynamic ip addresses)

**James** · #8 (**permalink**) 07-05-09, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yello

So in this way, my employee should only give you the ssh key each time goes on live chat?

If the SSH key is configured on the server then your employee will not have to provide us the ssh key on live chat.

**James** · #9 (**permalink**) 07-05-09, 01:36 PM

I've just got an update from Jason that you have opted for "user authentication code" solution.

yello · #10 (**permalink**) 08-05-09, 12:52 AM

Yes thank you. I hope tech support won't ask me "what is this code" when we will send it on live chat

**James** · #11 (**permalink**) 08-05-09, 09:50 AM

We have already put a note in the admin section of your billing account so there won't be any confusion. Your staff members will have to provide the right authentication code to our admins on live chat in order to proceed with the troubleshooting on server.

black-dog · #12 (**permalink**) 09-05-09, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon123

You know I am suprised that question has never come up until now.
Makes sense to have some kind of global passkey that can be used by emplyees but doesn't give them access into the system, especially where multiple dedi-servers are involved.#

I must admit, I was very surprised the first time I used chat when they asked for the root password. I suppose it's because one is so wary about giving out passwords these days.

But does that mean that the only people entitled to support are root password holders? What about our clients?

**Administrator** · #13 (**permalink**) 09-05-09, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by black-dog

I must admit, I was very surprised the first time I used chat when they asked for the root password. I suppose it's because one is so wary about giving out passwords these days.

But does that mean that the only people entitled to support are root password holders? What about our clients?

Our Livechat software works on encrypted channel, so there's absolutely no problem in giving your root credentials on Livechat.

We had similar root password authentication 4 - 5 years back, but now everything has changed on our shared and reseller hosting servers.

You opt for complicated security measures as your business grows, we have highly complicated security settings on our shared and reseller hosting servers which makes hacking or cracking next to impossible.

black-dog · #14 (**permalink**) 09-05-09, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Administrator

Our Livechat support works on encrypted channel, so there's absolutely no problem in giving your root credentials on Livechat.

We had similar root password authentication 4 - 5 years back, but now everything has changed on our shared and reseller hosting servers.

You opt for complicated security measures as your business grows, we have highly complicated security settings on our shared and reseller hosting servers which makes hacking or cracking next to impossible.

I know that live chat is encrypted, you are missing the point. Point one - it should be made obvious on the support pages that a root password may be asked for. It is surprising in this day and age to be asked for a password. Point two - you haven't answered the question about clients. Do they have access to support without the root password?