FAQ infrastructure and security
FAQ infrastructure and security
Below you will find some answers regarding infrastructure, availability, DNS, backups, services, and administration.
Infrastructure & Standards
Can you confirm that your hardware and network infrastructure meets current standards?
Yes. Our servers are assembled, operated, and monitored by our own team. We exclusively use modern server hardware, which is regularly checked and reviewed.
Which particular aspects of your infrastructure would you like to highlight?
In-house assembly and maintenance of server hardware, use of NVMe SSD storage systems, modern network infrastructure, own Autonomous System (AS199646) for independent network management, 24/7 monitoring, Web Application Firewall, DDoS protection, daily backups, and operation using 100% renewable energy.
Do you operate your own servers and data centers?
Our servers are assembled by us and brought to the data center and installed by our employees.
If not, at which provider or in which data center are your servers operated?
The servers are operated in a professional data center in Switzerland. The racks are exclusively rented by us (colocation).
Where are your server locations within Switzerland?
Switzerland, in Zug and Zurich (the exact location is not publicly disclosed for security reasons).
How long has the company been in business?
Since 2002, we have been experts in hosting, domains, and servers.
Do you operate your own Autonomous System (AS)?
Yes. We operate our own Autonomous System with the number AS199646. This allows us to independently manage our IP address ranges and network routes, ensuring the highest network stability and flexibility.
Availability & Resilience
What uptime guarantee (SLA) do you offer?
We generally guarantee an availability of 99.9%. In practice, however, there are hardly any unplanned outages. Should a downtime occur, we will refund the costs on a pro rata temporis basis.
How can you be reached?
Depending on the package, we offer different support hours and costs. In any case, our paid emergency service is available around the clock outside of support hours for all customers.
Are there guaranteed disaster recovery times?
No. Recovery times depend on the specific situation and therefore cannot be guaranteed.
Which redundancy mechanisms are in place?
RAID systems, redundant network connections, UPS, and emergency power supply within the data center, as well as hot spare systems for rapid recovery.
DNS Infrastructure
How many name servers do you operate for DNS management?
4 name servers (dns11.firestorm.ch, dns12.firestorm-isp.com, dns13.firestorm-isp.com, dns14.firestorm.ch), distributed across multiple servers in different countries.
Are the name servers geographically separated?
Yes, in Switzerland, Germany, and France for the best possible resilience and DDoS protection.
Do you operate the name servers yourself or use external providers?
The name servers are operated in-house.
Do you support DNSSEC?
Yes, fully automatically via CDS as well as manually.
Backup & Data Management
How are backups performed?
This depends on the product. Hosting and servers are typically backed up daily with a retention period of up to 60 days. Restoration is available via the administration interface or through support.
Are backups stored in geographically separate locations?
Yes, if it is part of the contract.
Are customized backup strategies available?
Yes, customized backup strategies are possible by arrangement and can also be configured via the hosting administration interface (Plesk), depending on requirements.
Swiss Hosting u2013 Label & Contractual Compliance
Are you an official holder of the “Swiss Hosting” label by swiss made software?
Yes.
Are you willing to join the “Swiss Hosting” label?
Already a label holder.
Are you willing to sign the official “Swiss Hosting Contract for Hosting Partners”?
Already a label holder.
Can you confirm that all data is stored and processed exclusively in Switzerland?
Yes.
Can you confirm that Swiss law applies exclusively to all hosting services?
Yes.
Can you confirm that your company headquarters are located in Switzerland?
Yes.
Are all service activities (support, operations, maintenance) carried out entirely in Switzerland?
Yes.
Do you use subcontractors? If so, are they also fully based in Switzerland?
No.
Services & Administration
DNS management (A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, SRV, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Yes.
Domain and subdomain management
Yes.
Web hosting: HTTP and HTTPS (SSL/TLS certificates)
Yes.
FTP and FTPS
Yes.
Email: IMAP, POP3, and SMTP (authentication, TLS, spam filtering)
Yes.
WebDAV (CardDAV and CalDAV)
Yes.
IIS / ASP.NET
Available with Windows packages. Further details are available upon request, as many individual configuration options are possible.
MS SQL Server
Yes, available with Windows hosting packages and can be installed on Windows root servers. Administration is typically handled by the customer via Remote Desktop; Firestorm provides installation on the root server only.