AbeloHost

Offshore virtual servers from a Dutch provider

AbeloHost trades as AbeloHost B.V. and sells hosting built around offshore virtual private servers. The range includes SSD VPS Pro, storage-focused VPS plans and Windows VPS, and the company adds services around them: protection against distributed denial-of-service attacks, website migration onto its servers and colocation for customers who bring their own hardware. A separate dedicated server network exists for customers who need dedicated bandwidth.

What it will not host

A large part of the company's public material is its acceptable use policy, last updated in 2021, which explains what its network may carry. The company bars anything that could get an address listed by spam-blocking organisations such as Spamhaus. Its list of banned activity also covers scam and phishing sites, spam and mass mailing, illegal pharmaceutical shops, botnet controllers, attack scripts and flood tools, password-guessing and brute-force tools, vulnerability scanners and reverse proxies. It also excludes forex-related services, unlicensed IPTV, generators for in-game currency, replica goods, hacking or cheating sites, terrorist content and illegal adult material. The list is described as examples, not a complete catalogue, and the company keeps the right to decide what is acceptable. Anyone unsure is asked to check before signing up.

Rules for particular services

Some services are handled case by case. Tor relay and exit nodes may run only on the dedicated server network with dedicated bandwidth. Lawful use of IRC is permitted, but not when it connects to banned content. Customers remain responsible for licensing any software they install, and the company may ask for removal or proof of a licence if a software owner complains.

Dutch law as the yardstick

AbeloHost says it respects the Dutch Constitution and does not censor customers on content except where Dutch law requires it. It limits use of its services to legitimate business and commercial purposes, and reserves the right to suspend or end an account without prior notice if data breaches the policy. It also excludes liability for delays caused by events outside its control, such as power or communications failures.