Quick overview

Hoststar, a Swiss web hosting provider based in the canton of Bern, is currently struggling with an extended server outage. According to media reports (e.g. watson.ch), several services have been disrupted for days:

Websites do not load at all or are extremely slow

Emails cannot be sent or received

In some cases, control panels like My Panel are affected too

Official and transparent information is scarce. Many customers have no clear idea of what is going on or how long the outage will last.

This article explains in simple terms:

how to check whether Hoststar in general or only your site is having issues

what you can do immediately to limit damage

how to make your online presence more resilient in the future

---

1. What happened in the Hoststar outage?

According to a report on watson.ch, Hoststar – like its sister company Webland before – is suffering from a prolonged server outage. Both belong to the same holding company (Miss Group). Key points:

The outage does not affect all, but many customers.

Web hosting and email services are primarily impacted.

There are indications of internal technical problems rather than a major known hacker attack.

Communication is considered poor: there is no public status page with ongoing updates.

On its own website, Hoststar highlights its monitoring: the infrastructure is said to be checked around the clock and problems should be detected early. The current case shows that monitoring alone does not prevent major outages – what matters is how quickly and transparently the provider reacts.

---

2. How to check if you are affected

If you are a Hoststar customer, you can find out in a few simple steps whether you are affected.

2.1 Check your website

1.Open your browser in a normal mode (no special company VPN).

2.Visit your domain, for example `my-domain.ch`.

3.Watch what happens:

- Page loads normally → most likely no direct problem on your side.

- Page is extremely slow or fails with an error (Server not found, Connection timed out) → possible Hoststar issue.

Additional checks:

Open the site from a different network (e.g. mobile data instead of Wi‑Fi).

Ask someone else in a different location to test the site.

2.2 Use independent status services

Because Hoststar has no public status page, you can use external tools such as:

`downforeveryoneorjustme.com/hoststar.ch`

`issitedownrightnow.com/status/hoststar.ch`

If those services report that hoststar.ch or your server is frequently unreachable, this points to a general issue rather than a local problem on your device.

2.3 Test email functionality

1.Send yourself an email from your Hoststar address to an external address (e.g. Gmail).

2.Send a reply from the external address back to your Hoststar address.

3.Wait a few minutes:

- If nothing arrives or you receive error messages (Mail delivery failed, Server not reachable), the email service is at least partially down.

---

3. Immediate actions you can take

Even if you are not technical, there are a few simple steps to reduce the impact.

3.1 Stay calm and start documenting

Write down date, time and type of disruption (e.g. Website down, Mail not sending).

Take screenshots of error messages.

This documentation helps later when dealing with the provider or for your internal review.

3.2 Inform your own customers

If your business depends on your website or email, communicate proactively:

If still possible, place a short note on your homepage (e.g. We are currently experiencing technical problems, please contact us by phone.).

Use social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) to share alternative contact options.

Inform key partners directly by phone or SMS.

Be honest about what you know, but do not promise anything you cannot control (e.g. Everything will work again tomorrow).

3.3 Contact Hoststar support

According to its own website, Hoststar offers support via:

Support form and email

Telephone (during office hours)

Keep your request simple and structured:

Which services are affected? (Domain, web hosting, email, database)

Since when has the outage been occurring? (date/time)

What exactly happens? (error message, behaviour)

Ask for a ticket number and, if possible, a rough time estimate.

---

4. How long do outages like this usually last?

There is no universal answer. Rough guidelines:

Minor technical glitches: minutes to a few hours.

Serious server or database problems: hours to days.

Complex infrastructure issues (e.g. after a company takeover or migration): in the worst case, several days.

In the current Hoststar case, media report a multi-day outage. For a professional hosting provider this is very long and suggests deeper technical or organisational issues.

---

5. What about my data?

The key concern is: Are my data safe?

Serious hosting providers – and Hoststar generally belongs in that category – perform regular backups. Still, there are risks:

Data can be lost if backups are outdated or faulty.

Restoration can take a long time depending on the volume.

To assess your situation:

1.Check in My Panel (if reachable) whether you still have access to your databases and file directories.

2.Look for your own additional backups (local copies of the website, email archives in your mail client).

3.Duplicate all existing backups to another medium (external drive or another cloud service) so you have at least two independent copies.

---

6. Lessons from the Hoststar outage: becoming more resilient

This incident highlights how dependent many companies, associations and private individuals are on a single hosting provider. Some practical lessons:

6.1 Make your own backups

Never rely solely on your provider’s backups.

Regularly download complete copies of your website (files plus database).

Export important emails on a regular basis.

Keep at least one copy offline (USB drive, external disk at the office).

6.2 Separate domain and hosting

Whenever possible:

Host website and email with one or more independent providers.

This makes it easier to point your domain to a new server if your current hosting provider fails badly.

6.3 Evaluate alternatives

Hoststar is not the only Swiss hoster. Other providers have different strengths (performance, support quality, data protection). After the immediate crisis, take the time to compare options:

How transparent is communication during incidents?

Is there a public status page with live information?

What is the outage history according to reviews and forums?

---

7. When does it make sense to switch providers?

A one-off short outage is annoying but not dramatic. Warning signs are:

Several large incidents within a short period of time

Poor or non-existent communication during outages

No clear incident management (no status page, no timelines)

If you feel you can no longer trust your provider to be reliable, plan a migration. Do it systematically:

1.Create a full backup of your website and databases.

2.Export all important email.

3.Set everything up at the new host first.

4.Then change the DNS records of your domain to point to the new provider.

This approach keeps downtime during the changeover to a minimum.

---

8. Conclusion

The ongoing Hoststar outage shows that even in a country with a robust infrastructure, web hosting incidents are not rare. The crucial point is not whether a provider ever has problems, but how they deal with them.

For you as a customer, the key steps are:

Check calmly how strongly you are affected.

Document the incident and communicate transparently with your own customers.

Use the crisis as a trigger to rethink your backup strategy and your choice of provider.

This will make your online presence more resilient – regardless of which hosting company ultimately stores your data.

Hoststar Outage: What Customers Need to Know Now