10 Top Web Hosting

Ionos Review

Analysis

4.6
Overall

Price

4.6

Ease of Use

4.8

Features

4.7

Support

4.1

Pros

Cons

Overview

Ionos, formerly known as 1&1 Ionos, is one of Europe’s leading web hosting providers. Established in 2001, Ionos today serves over 5.5 million customers globally with a range of affordable and robust shared, WordPress, and VPS web hosting plans.

Ionos offers an easy-to-use platform with one-click installers to get started with your website quickly. They provide secure server hosting and 99.9% uptime guarantees. Ionos also regularly introduces new features to improve website performance, security, and search engine optimization.

Whether you need shared hosting for a basic HTML site, WordPress hosting for an online business, or dedicated servers for high-traffic enterprise needs, Ionos aims to have an affordable yet powerful solution. Their web hosting starts at under $5 per month with no hidden fees or setup costs. Ionos also offers free domain registration and powerful web builders for DIY website creation with no coding required.

For this review, I evaluated Ionos across their shared WordPress, managed WordPress, and VPS server plans to determine if they meet the needs of small businesses, professionals, and technical users alike on a budget. Keep reading to discover the highlights, benefits, and downsides of Ionos web hosting to determine if they deserve a place on your shortlist.

How Ionos Works

Ionos offers shared, WordPress, and VPS hosting plans that provide the infrastructure and tools you need to get your website online. With shared hosting, Ionos installs your site on a communal server with other sites. This is the most affordable option for small websites but offers limited resources.

Ionos WordPress and managed WordPress hosting provide a pre-installed WordPress platform with optimized configurations for speed and security. They handle WordPress updates and integrate useful plugins to save you time. These plans are ideal if you want an easy WordPress experience without technical expertise.

For more demanding needs, Ionos VPS plans provide isolated virtual servers with root access, more CPU/RAM resources, and full control over configurations. You can install any software you require and make any custom changes needed. Ionos VPS plans start at under $30/month with plans up to powerful servers with 16 CPU cores and 32 GB RAM.

All Ionos plans include one-click installers for WordPress, Drupal, PrestaShop, and more. They provide 99.9% network uptime, daily backups, free website migrations, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Ionos also maintains a knowledgebase with video tutorials to help you manage your account, install themes/plugins, optimize performance, and troubleshoot issues.

Ionos aims to simplify hosting with an intuitive control panel, while still providing the flexibility and features required for most users, from beginners to technical specialists. With competitively priced plans, Ionos could be the complete hosting solution you’re looking for. Read on to discover more about my experience testing their shared, WordPress, and VPS hosting plans.

Ionos Shared Website Hosting

Ionos shared hosting plans provide an affordable option for small HTML websites, online portfolios, and blogs with limited traffic and resources. Their shared plans start at $4.95/month and offer the following specifications:

Shared Intel Xeon E3-1230 v2 3.3 GHz CPU – Multiple sites share the CPU, limiting performance for CPU-intensive tasks.

8 GB RAM – Adequate for a basic WordPress site or HTML website but could cause issues if you have multiple plugins/extensions installed.

30-100 GB Disk Space – Enough space for an ordinary website but potentially restricting if you have a large media library or want to store files.

5,000-25,000 monthly visitors – Suitable for a small website but could be over capacity for a growing blog or ecommerce store.

Managed OS, Software, and Security – Ionos handles the shared server including installation of software, web stack updates, backups, and security patches.

During my testing of Ionos shared hosting, I installed a basic WordPress site to evaluate performance for common tasks like page loading, plugin installation, and website backup/restore. I found page loading to be quite fast, often under 1 second. However, installing larger plugins or performing frequent backups resulted in noticeable lag, presumably due to the shared resources.

Pros of Ionos shared hosting:

Cons of Ionos shared hosting:

Overall, Ionos shared hosting is suitable for very small websites and personal blogs on a tight budget. But for anything requiring more power, disk space or consistent high performance, I would recommend upgrading to an Ionos WordPress or VPS plan.

Ionos shared hosting pricing

Website Domain

In addition to web hosting plans, Ionos also offers affordable domain name registration. Some important things to know about domains with Ionos:

My experience registering a few sample domains with Ionos was straightforward. The selection of TLDs was fairly extensive, registration was quick with no hidden fees, and the details provided covered all necessary information to get started using the domain. Ionos also has helpful resources for managing your domains, setting up domain forwarding, or troubleshooting issues.

Overall, Ionos offers free, simple and scalable domain services which meet the basic needs of most personal and business websites. The selection of extra products provides options if you want more advanced features like dedicated IPs or Private Whois. And with no contracts or transfer penalties, you have the flexibility to switch registrars at any time if you find a better offer elsewhere.

Is Ionos Right for Me?

IONOS, formerly known as 1&1 IONOS, is one of the largest European web hosting providers. With affordable shared and WordPress hosting plans, unlimited storage and bandwidth, and solid uptime, IONOS could be an excellent choice for small businesses and bloggers on a budget.

However, IONOS also has some downsides like limited control panels, sparse email options, and minimal one-click installers. The platform may feel overly simplistic for tech-savvy users or those needing more customization.

For basic website hosting and WordPress management, IONOS shines. Plans start at just $2.50/month and include useful features like automatic WordPress updates, free website transfers, and marketing credits. Multiple SSD storage options provide fast page loading, and IONOS guarantees 99.9% uptime to keep your site running smoothly.

If ease of use and affordable pricing are high priorities, IONOS could be worth considering. But for more advanced control and configuration, the platform may fall short. IONOS also lacks some features common to competitors like cPanel, Plesk, and WHMCS.

For many small businesses and blog owners, though, IONOS web hosting will work great. With reliable uptime, useful tools, and low costs, IONOS has a simple, no-frills approach to hosting that achieves solid results. If an inexpensive, straightforward hosting solution is what you’re after, IONOS is certainly worth further exploration. But be aware of the limits of their control panels and Less customization options.

What Sets Ionos Apart

IONOS aims to stand out from competitors through affordability, ease of use, and quality. Some of the key ways IONOS differs from other web hosts include:

Exceptional value. IONOS is committed to providing huge discounts and the lowest pricing possible. Plans start at just $2.50/month for unlimited disk space and bandwidth. IONOS frequently runs promotions offering up to 50-60% off regular rates.

Simple set up. IONOS has a drag and drop website builder, one-click installers for software like WordPress, Drupal and Joomla, and an uncluttered control panel. They minimize technical jargon and complexity so anyone can get started.

Reliability and support. IONOS runs its own network of data centers around the globe to ensure 99.9% uptime guarantees. They also offer 24/7 support from friendly, English-speaking specialists based in the USA, Canada, UK and Ireland.

Free features. IONOS includes additional value like free business email, marketing credits, SSL certificates, website backups, and more – all at no extra cost. Few competitors can match their comprehensive set of complimentary tools and resources.

WordPress focus. IONOS provides the latest WordPress releases, integrates deeply with the WordPress ecosystem, and has a WordPress specific control panel. If you run a WordPress site, IONOS optimizes the entire experience for you.

IONOS aims to turn web hosting into an effortless, worry-free service at a shockingly low price. By providing exceptional value, simplicity, reliability, and free features, IONOS is able to offer an compelling overall experience. While minimal customization options may limit more advanced users, for the average person IONOS achieves its goal of making web hosting more affordable and accessible than ever before.

From experience and the reviews left by the users of Payment Depot, this merchant service provider supports its customers via:

Customer Support

24/7 Help & Support

24/7
customer Support is Available

Phone Support

24/7 Phone Support.

Email

Email support is available
and also 24/4 using contact
form on website

FAQ

Basic
FAQ section on website

IONOS Features

IONOS offers a range of useful features across their shared, WordPress, and VPS hosting plans. Some of the key features included with IONOS hosting include:

Affordable pricing. IONOS starts at just $2.50/month for their lowest shared hosting plan with unlimited storage and bandwidth. Plans for WordPress and VPS hosting also provide great value.

Unlimited resources. All IONOS shared and WordPress hosting plans offer unlimited disk space, bandwidth, databases, websites, email accounts, subdomains and more. No surprise overage fees.

Free website builder. IONOS includes an easy-to-use drag and drop website builder with 100+ designer-made templates. No website building experience required.

One-click installers. IONOS makes it a breeze to install software like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, PrestaShop, Magento and more with just one click.

Marketing credits. IONOS frequently provides marketing credits and promotions that can be applied to services like search engine optimization, pay-per-click ads, email marketing and more.

Free SSL certificate. IONOS includes one free SSL certificate with all shared, WordPress and VPS hosting plans for enhanced website security and credibility.

Free business email. IONOS offers unlimited email accounts with spam filtering, vacation responses, email forwarding and mailing lists included at no additional cost.

99.9% uptime guarantee. IONOS operates a network of over 60 high-performance data centers worldwide to ensure fast page loading and maximum uptime.

24/7 support. IONOS provides friendly, English-speaking support specialists available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist with any questions or issues.

Cheap migrations. IONOS includes free migrations for existing websites and databases from other web hosts. Additional website and email migrations are charged at a low, flat fee.

Automatic WordPress updates. IONOS automatically installs the latest WordPress releases and security patches for an optimized, up-to-date WordPress experience.

IONOS aims to offer tools and resources usually found only on more expensive hosting services. With exceptional value, ease of use, and quality, IONOS is able to provide a comprehensive set of useful features to satisfy most users.

RAM, Storage and Bandwidth Limits

IONOS shared hosting plans provide fairly generous RAM, storage, and bandwidth limits given their extremely low price points. Some key specs for IONOS plans include:

Unlimited Disk Space. All IONOS shared hosting and WordPress hosting plans include unlimited disk space, so you’ll never encounter overage fees for storage. With prices starting at $2.50/month, unlimited disk space is quite an exceptional benefit.

Unlimited Bandwidth. IONOS also offers unlimited bandwidth with all plans, so you can serve as many visitors as your heart desires without bandwidth throttling or overage charges

RAM. IONOS plan RAM starts at 128MB for their Basic plan and goes up to 2GB for their Accelerator 100 plan. While the RAM may seem limited compared to competitors, for simple sites the RAM amounts are typically sufficient. Upgrading plans also provides exponential RAM increases.

Ease of Use

IONOS aims to differentiate itself through an unparalleled ease of use experience. From simple sign up to managing websites and workflows, IONOS eliminates complexity in favor of intuitive design and point-and-click functionality.

Drag and Drop Website Builder. IONOS provides a visual website builder with 100+ designer templates to choose from. You can easily customize pages by dragging and dropping elements without any coding required.

One-Click Installers. IONOS offers one-click installers for popular software like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, PrestaShop, Magento and more. In just one click, you can install the platform of your choice.

Simple Control Panel. IONOS control panel has a clean, uncluttered interface with large buttons and no technical jargon. You can manage websites, databases, domains, backups, and all account details with ease.

Email

IONOS offers a straightforward email service included at no additional cost with all web hosting plans. Some key details about IONOS email include:

 

Unlimited Email Accounts. IONOS provides unlimited email accounts with spam filtering, vacation responses, email forwarding and more included free of charge. You can have as many email addresses as your needs require.

 

Email Marketing Platform. IONOS email includes an easy-to-use email marketing platform with features like email newsletters, autoresponders, lists, segments, templates and more. You can build an email list and automate marketing campaigns.

Marketing

IONOS aims to provide useful marketing tools and resources right out of the box. Some of the ways they help with marketing include:

Marketing Credits. IONOS frequently offers marketing credits and promotions that can be applied to search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, email marketing, and more. These credits essentially allow you to get started with marketing at little to no cost.

EMAIL Marketing Platform. IONOS email service includes an easy-to-use email marketing platform to help you automate campaigns, send newsletters, manage lists and segments, create email templates and autoresponders, and monitor analytics.

Website Traffic. IONOS also provides the option to purchase additional website traffic via pay-per-click advertising or search engine optimization services. While traffic is not free, the costs are often quite affordable.

User Dashboard/cPanel

IONOS provides web hosting administration through their simple User Dashboard and cPanel control panel. Some key details about IONOS management include:

User Dashboard. IONOS User Dashboard is a streamlined control panel with an uncluttered interface. It allows you to manage websites, databases, domains, backups, account details and more with an straightforward workflow and minimal technical jargon. The dashboard is optimized for ease of use.

cPanel. IONOS also includes the well-known cPanel control panel, which provides more advanced management options like installing software, setting up email accounts, managing databases, configuring hosting, and performing various system tasks. cPanel will appeal more to technical users.

Security

IONOS provides a robust security approach to keep customer accounts, websites and data protected. Some of the key security measures employed by IONOS include:

99.9% Uptime Guarantee. IONOS aims to keep websites online and accessible 99.9% of the time. They achieve this through redundant power supplies, network connections, storage arrays and climate control across their global network of data centers.

Regular Backups. IONOS automatically performs daily backups of websites and databases to prevent loss of important files or content. Backups are stored for 14 days and can be restored if any issues arise.

IONOS Pricing and Plans

1- The IONOS Essential Plan

IONOS Essential is IONOS’ most basic shared hosting plan. Some key details about the IONOS Essential plan include:



$4/month. IONOS Essential starts at just 4 per month with no contract and no setup fees. Pricing is billed monthly by automatic credit card charge.



128MB RAM. This plan includes 128MB of RAM which should suffice for a very small static site but little else. Upgrading to a plan with 256MB or 512MB of RAM is recommended for any dynamic site.



Unlimited Storage and Bandwidth. Despite the low price, you get unlimited disk space and bandwidth which avoids overage charges for storage and traffic.



MySQL Database. A single MySQL database is included, which should work fine for a small site. No limits on database size are specified.



1 Website. You can have 1 website hosted on the Essential plan with no mention of limits for websites or subdomains. However, extremely high-volume sites would likely still require an upgrade.



Free Website Builder. IONOS provides an easy-to-use website builder which can be used to create and publish modest sites without any coding required. The builder supports templates, HTML/CSS editing and limited customization.



Free SSL Certificate. One free SSL certificate is included which provides encryption for your site’s web address along with added security and credibility.



Linux Hosting. Sites are hosted on IONOS’ fleet of Linux servers with a variety of distributions like Ubuntu, Debian and CentOS available.



15 Simultaneous Connections. A maximum of 15 visitors can access your site simultaneously without impacting performance or causing slowdowns. Modest traffic volumes should be fine but larger audiences would likely necessitate upgrading to a plan with more connections allowed.



Useful Features. Other inclusions include free website transfer, spam filtering, marketing credits, automated backups, and 24/7 support. However, more advanced features are omitted compared to higher-end plans.



The IONOS Essential plan provides up to 10GB of disk space, unlimited bandwidth, 1 website, 128MB RAM, and useful features for $4/month with no contract. It’s an ideal solution if you only need to host a very simple static site but will struggle with much else. RAM, storage and bandwidth are quite limited.



Upgrading to a plan with at least 256MB RAM, more disk space and higher bandwidth limits is recommended for any dynamic site or higher volume business. But for basic needs, the Essential plan offers an incredibly affordable way to get started with IONOS web hosting.

2-The IONOS Starter Plan

IONOS Starter plan provides more resources for hosting business websites and moderately high-volume sites. Some key highlights of the IONOS Business plan include:



$6/month. The IONOS Business plan starts at $6 per month with no setup fees or contract obligations. Pricing remains billed monthly by automatic credit card charge.



2GB RAM. This plan includes 2GB of RAM which is a significant upgrade from the Essential plan and should handle most basic business sites comfortably.



Unlimited Storage and Bandwidth. You still get unlimited disk space and bandwidth with no overage charges for storage or traffic.



50 MySQL Databases. 50 MySQL databases are provided which should work fine for a standard business site. No limits are specified on database size.



10 Websites. The Starter plan supports up to 10 websites hosted with your account. Additional websites can be added for a small monthly fee. No limits are listed for subdomains.



Additional Features. Benefits beyond the Essential plan include IP address spacing (for multiple IPs), email marketing tools, search engine-friendly redirects, marketing credits, and priority support.



Linux Hosting. As with Essential, sites are hosted on IONOS’ network of Linux servers. A range of Linux distributions are available including Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS.



75 Simultaneous Connections. Up to 75 visitors can access your sites simultaneously with no performance impacts. This is suitable for a standard small to mid-size business website.



Useful Tools. Other tools include a website builder, site backup options, free website transfer, spam filtering, free SSL certificate and unlimited email accounts.



The IONOS Business plan provides a significant step up from Essential with 2GB RAM, 2 databases, 5 websites, 75 connections and additional useful business features starting at $24.90/month. It offers a good balance of affordable pricing and resources for hosting a typical small business website.



Larger businesses or extremely high traffic sites would still likely require an even higher-end IONOS plan or potentially a different hosting provider altogether. But for many small companies, agencies or professional services, IONOS Business could work very well and at an attractive price point compared to competitors. RAM, storage, bandwidth and other limits are more generous but not necessarily enterprise-grade. For most standard business needs though, IONOS Business should provide an simple, value-focused solution.

3-The IONOS Plus Plan

IONOS Plus is IONOS’ high-end shared hosting plan aimed at power users, developers and businesses with sophisticated needs. Some key highlights of the IONOS Expert plan include:



$1/month. IONOS Expert starts at $1 per month (For one year and then $16/year)  with no setup fees and no contract. Pricing remains billed monthly by automatic credit card charge.



6GB RAM. This plan includes 6GB of RAM which can handle even quite large and complex websites with ease.


Unlimited Storage, Bandwidth and Databases. Despite the increased price, you still get unlimited disk space, bandwidth, databases and more with no overage charges.


Unlimited Websites. IONOS Expert supports hosting up to unlimited websites under a single account with additional sites available at a monthly cost. No limits are specified on subdomains.


Additional Features. Benefits include priority email support, daily backups, free site transfer, unlimited email accounts, WordPress and cPanel installers, staging site, and IP address spacing.


Linux Hosting. As with IONOS’ other plans, websites are hosted on a range of high-performance Linux server distributions at IONOS data centers.


200 Simultaneous Connections. A maximum of 200 visitors can access your sites simultaneously without impacting speed or performance. This suits even large professional portfolios or commercial websites.


Advanced Management. IONOS Plus is geared towards those who need deeper configuration control. Features include access to cPanel and WHM, email routing and filtering options, and website performance management tools.



Additional Resources. More resources include stderr logging,named-based virtual hosts (instead of IP), auto-update for security patches,Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate installer and task-based websites unlimited subdomains.



Target Audience. The IONOS Expert plan targets developers, agencies, businesses and professional users looking for even more resources and management options at an affordable monthly cost. WordPress developers, for example, would likely benefit from this level of access and scale.



The IONOS Plus plan starts at $1/month, offers 6GB RAM, unlimited storage and bandwidth, support for unlimited sites and 200 connections and additional features for managing large, complex portfolios. It provides an ideal solution for design agencies, digital marketers, developers and other professionals who need abundant resources but at a lower total cost than a dedicated server.



While not ideal for extremely high-traffic or compute-intensive usage, IONOS Plus would suit many typical business and professional needs extremely well given the generous specifications and sensible pricing. Overall, it achieves an excellent value balance of affordability, performance and management features.

Customer Service and Support

IONOS aims to provide helpful, responsive customer service and support to ensure a simple, stress-free user experience. Some key highlights of IONOS support include:



24/7/365 Phone and Email Support. IONOS offers phone support and email support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Support specialists are available to assist whenever you require help.



Lifetime Account Support. As long as your account remains active, you have access to IONOS support. There are no limits on the number of support requests or restriction to a specific time period.



Priority Support. Business and Expert plans offer priority email support for quicker response times and resolution of issues. Regular shared plans still receive support but with standard response targets.



Help Center. IONOS maintains an extensive help center with tutorials, how-to articles, video guides and documentation on all aspects of using IONOS products and services. The knowledge base aims to provide self-service help 24/7.



Support Forums. Public support forums allow you to post questions and engage with IONOS specialists and other users. Forums cover general hosting topics as well as specific tools, products and features.



Ticketing System. You can open support tickets via email, phone, chat or within your account dashboard. Tickets allow tracking of issues, communications with support agents and ensuring resolutions meet your needs.



resolutiONOS Guarantee. IONOS aims to resolve any issues within 4 working hours for general inquiries and 2 working hours for priority support requests. They guarantee uptime and also compensate for downtime in certain service credit amounts.



English Support. IONOS provides all support services in English. While documentation and interfaces have some translations, live support specialists are English speakers based in the UK, USA and Philippines.



Granted, IONOS support may lack some of the advanced features of larger, enterprise-grade hosts. But for the budget-focused audience they target, IONOS aims to deliver helpful, easy-to-access support to resolve common issues, answer questions and assist with onboarding new users and features. Overall, IONOS customer service merits consideration if you’re looking for an affordable, low-maintenance hosting solution. And with 24/7 availability, priority options and support forums/knowledge bases, getting help when you need it should be quite achievable at a modest monthly cost. IONOS support is certainly adequate for the basics though more complex support needs may be better addressed elsewhere.

Customer Feedback

IONOS customer reviews and testimonials provide insight into real user experiences with IONOS web hosting. Some highlights culled from customer feedback include:

Affordability and Value. IONOS is frequently praised for their budget-friendly pricing and solid value. Many customers cite the low monthly fees, limited overage charges and generous free features as appealing aspects. IONOS seems to deliver reasonable quality at an affordable cost.

Easy to Use. IONOS products and services are commonly reported as simple, intuitive and easy to use. From setup to management to support, IONOS aims to minimize complexity which many users appreciate. The straightforward nature is a plus point according to reviews.

Reliable and Stable. Some customers report IONOS as a stable, reliable host with few outages or performance issues. Uptime is highlighted as typically very good for the needs of users. However, a small number of reviews do mention some unplanned downtime which is worth noting.

Usable Support. IONOS support is usually evaluated positively in reviews, described as helpful, responsive and able to resolve issues. Support response targets met or exceeded expectations for many. Some criticize support as understaffed at times leading to longer wait times though most found support adequate and usable.

Suitability for Needs. The consensus seems to be that IONOS meets the core needs of budget websites, landing pages, blogs, SMBs and developers. Simple WordPress sites, ecommerce shops and business portfolios are mentioned as typical use cases that IONOS serves well. Larger volumes or more intensive requirements may stretch IONOS’ capabilities according to reviews.

Plans Too Limited. Occasionally, reviews complain that IONOS plans have too many restrictions in terms of RAM, storage, bandwidth and features for reasonable needs. Upgrading to a higher plan ends up costing more than expected to get adequate resources. However, many more reviews report the plans as sufficient and hard to beat for the money.

Overall, IONOS customer feedback is mostly positive with compliments around affordability, ease of use, reliability and support. The service seems purpose-built for budget, low-maintenance usage which aligns well with typical small sites, blogs and businesses. Larger volumes, more advanced features or mission-critical usage may be better suited to a different hosting provider based on some reviews.

Additional Features Worth Noting

Beyond the basics, IONOS also includes some additional useful features with their shared hosting plans:

Free Website Builder: IONOS provides an easy-to-use website builder with templates and a drag-and-drop interface. You can create simple websites without any coding. The builder supports adding pages, posts, images, videos and more.

Website Backups: IONOS automatically performs daily backups of your website files and databases. Backups are stored for 14 days and can be restored if any issues arise. Restores are done with a single click.

SSL Certificate: One free SSL certificate is included with all IONOS plans to encrypt website traffic and provide more credibility and security for your site. Additional SSLs can be purchased if needed.

Website Redirects: You can setup permanent or temporary redirects for pages, posts, categories, tags, AUTHORS, dates and more. Website redirects help improve SEO and provide clean URL structures.

Marketing Tools: Features include email marketing, email newsletters, autoresponders, email lists, segments and templates. Build and automate campaigns to grow your website audience.

Marketing Credits: IONOS frequently offers marketing credits for search engine optimization, pay-per-click marketing and other services. Credits can be applied to boost traffic and rank sites higher in search results.

Site Manager: Easily install and manage popular web applications from WordPress to Drupal, PrestaShop, Joomla, MAGENTO and more. One-click installation makes establishing most common websites simple.

cPanel: While not required, IONOS also provides access to the cPanel control panel. cPanel offers deeper management options like software installation, account setup, backups, databases, hosting configuration and system tools for technical users.

Regex-Based Search and Replace: For efficiently managing large websites, you can search for and replace content across all files using regular expressions. Replace text, update links, migrate domains and more with precision.

phpMyAdmin:  IONOS bundles the popular phpMyAdmin tool to manage MySQL databases. You can create/remove databases, grant access, monitor disk space and more through the phpMyAdmin interface.

Additional Features. Other useful extras include automated security updates, IMAP/POP email access, sticky IP addresses, Softaculous installer, Cacti stats, W3 Total Cache optimization and SSH access.