# netcup.cheap — Complete Knowledge Base Corpus (llms-full.txt) > Independent netcup guide & verified voucher hub: G12.5 Root Server & VPS benchmarks, 0% VAT ordering guide for non-EU & EU Reverse Charge, SCP control panel manual, and live promo codes. ======================================================================== # About netcup.cheap, Editorial Methodology & Affiliate Disclosure - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/about/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/about/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/about/ - **Category**: About - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Learn what netcup.cheap is: our mission, hardware & voucher verification workflow, partner affiliate disclosure, contact information, and legal disclaimer. > **TL;DR**: netcup.cheap is an independently operated knowledge base and voucher verification portal dedicated to German hosting provider netcup GmbH. All guides and hardware specs are verified against official sources and real benchmark instances, while voucher codes are validated continuously by automated scripts. We are an independent site (not operated by netcup GmbH); some outbound links contain partner referral parameters that support this site at zero additional cost to you. ## Key Facts - Site Mission: Independent multilingual knowledge base, benchmark review portal, and live voucher tracker for German hosting provider netcup (unofficial portal) - Verification Workflow: Pricing and specs are aligned with netcup's 2026 G12.5 lineup, and voucher codes are checked continuously by automated verification nodes - Affiliate Disclosure: Some outbound links include official partner referral parameters (ref=258418); your checkout price never increases and all voucher codes work identically # About netcup.cheap & Affiliate Disclosure ## Who We Are netcup.cheap is an **independent documentation hub and live voucher tracker for netcup**, built for developers, sysadmins, and webmasters worldwide who want enterprise-grade European and international servers without getting lost in German contract rules, VAT regulations, or dual-panel workflows. Over 70% of our site is dedicated to technical guides, benchmarks, and operational documentation—voucher codes are simply the final step once you know which server fits your workload. ## Our Editorial Principles 1. **Clarity Before Coupons**: Every product guide explains CPU architecture (shared vCore vs. dedicated Zen 5 core), storage tiers, and contract rules before presenting voucher codes; 2. **Verifiable Data**: All pricing and specifications are cross-checked against official netcup documentation with clear verification timestamps, and our voucher database is driven by automated live validation scripts; 3. **Honest Trade-Offs**: We openly document limitations—including the 31-day cancellation notice period, ticket-based support hours, fair-use bandwidth thresholds, and international routing characteristics; 4. **Right-Sized Recommendations**: netcup is exceptional for specific workloads and less suited for others; our selection guides clearly state who should buy and who should look elsewhere. ## Affiliate Disclosure (Important) Some outbound links on this website are partner referral links (affiliate links), and our voucher codes are sourced through official partner promotions. Here is what that means for you: - Ordering through our links or voucher codes **never increases the price you pay** (and reduces it when redeeming a voucher); - We may earn a small referral commission from netcup, which directly funds our test instances, domain renewals, and automated voucher verification infrastructure; - You are always welcome to visit [netcup.com](https://www.netcup.com/) directly—all of our knowledge base articles, calculators, and sysadmin tutorials remain 100% free and open to everyone. We do not accept paid placements that alter our benchmark conclusions or hardware recommendations. ## Contact Us - Corrections, feedback & inquiries: `contact@netcup.cheap` or leave a post on our [Community Board](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/); - Community Q&A & technical discussion: Post directly in the [Discussion Hub](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/). ## Legal Disclaimer - netcup.cheap is an independent, unofficial information portal and is not affiliated with or operated by netcup GmbH. "netcup" and related trademarks are the property of their respective owners; - Product specifications, pricing, VAT rules, and promotional offers may change at any time—always verify the final terms and prices shown in the official netcup shopping cart before placing an order; - Any server administration commands or scripts (such as OS reinstallation or firewall tuning) are executed at your own risk; always maintain off-site backups before modifying production systems; - When operating a server, please comply with applicable laws in your jurisdiction and netcup's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). ## Changelog - **2026-10-13**: Site launch featuring complete G12.5 product documentation (VPS, Root Server, Webhosting), step-by-step checkout & 0% VAT guides, SCP manual, 11-part technical knowledge base, 26-question FAQ, interactive calculators, and real-time voucher verification API. ======================================================================== # netcup Annual Promotion Calendar & Deal Hub (Easter, Summer, Black Friday & Christmas) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/black-friday/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/black-friday/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/black-friday/ - **Category**: Blog - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Complete calendar of netcup's four major annual sales (Easter Egg Hunt, Summer Hardware Clearance, November Black Friday & Advent/Christmas Encore), discount mechanics, and year-round voucher strategies. > **TL;DR**: netcup runs four major promotional windows each year: (1) Late November Black Friday / Black Week (the biggest event of the year, featuring Root Server and VPS Pro/Ultra editions with double RAM or double NVMe storage at standard prices plus waived setup fees); (2) December Advent & Christmas Encore (restocking popular Black Friday plans and holiday bundles); (3) March–April Easter Egg Hunt (hidden promotional links across the official website unlocking special servers and free-month vouchers); and (4) July–August Summer Sale. Outside major sales, combining a 1–2 months free voucher or €5 new-customer credit with a 24-month contract (~26% off) plus 0% VAT for non-EU buyers already delivers exceptional value. ## Key Facts - Four Major Windows: Easter Egg Hunt (Mar–Apr), Summer Sale (Jul–Aug), Black Week / Black Friday (late Nov), and Advent / Christmas (Dec) - Flagship Event: Late November Black Friday offers the deepest discounts, headlined by Root Server & VPS Pro/Ultra double-RAM and double-NVMe editions - Interactive Mechanics: During Easter, hidden Easter Egg URLs across netcup's website unlock exclusive discounted plans and voucher codes - Year-Round Strategy: Outside flash sales, standard 1–2 free month vouchers combined with 24-month billing (~26% discount) and 0% non-EU VAT closely match promotional pricing - Secondary Market Perk: Rare Black Friday contracts can be transferred between existing customers via CCP Transfer Codes (PUSH) at zero fee # netcup Annual Promotion Calendar & Deal Hub (Easter, Summer, Black Friday & Christmas) A common question among developers and sysadmins evaluating netcup is: *"Should I deploy now using a standard voucher, or wait for the next major promotion?"* This guide maps out netcup's **four annual promotional windows, discount structures, timezone schedules (CET/UTC/EST), and year-round buying tactics**. If you are specifically looking for flash-sale tactics on November Pro/Ultra double-spec machines, read our companion deep dive: [netcup Black Friday Buying Guide (Pro/Ultra Editions & Restock Tactics)](https://netcup.cheap/blog/black-friday/). > Looking for an immediate discount today? Grab a verified code on our [Active Coupons Hub](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/). ## netcup's Annual Promotional Schedule | Promotional Window | Discount Depth | Typical Deal Mechanics | | --- | --- | --- | | **Black Week / Black Friday** (Late Nov) | **Highest of the Year** | Double NVMe/RAM (`Pro`/`Ultra` editions), free months, limited flash drops | | **Advent / Christmas Encore** (December) | High | Restocks of select Black Friday servers, holiday bundles, domain specials | | **Easter Egg Hunt** (March–April) | Medium–High | Hidden Easter eggs on product pages, free billing months, 30%+ webhosting discounts | | **Summer Sale** (July–August) | Medium–High | Hardware generation clearance, storage upgrades, seasonal VPS deals | | **Year-Round Standard** | Baseline | Permanent vouchers (1–2 months free on specific plans or €5 new-customer credit) | ## What Headlines Black Friday? **1. Double-Spec `Pro` & `Ultra` Editions (Primarily Root Servers)** netcup's signature Black Friday offering: for the exact same monthly price (or a fraction more), you receive **double the NVMe storage, extra DDR5 ECC RAM, or additional dedicated AMD EPYC cores** with €0 setup fee. These plans are strictly **quantity-limited** per datacenter and remain locked at the promotional rate for as long as you keep the contract active. **2. Free Billing Months & Low-Cost Entry VPS** Entry and mid-tier VPS plans frequently include 1 to 3 free billing months on annual or biennial commitments, driving first-year effective monthly costs down to rock-bottom levels. **3. Lifetime Recurring Webhosting Discounts** Webhosting packages regularly feature **30% to 50% recurring lifetime discounts** alongside free inclusive `.de` or `.com` domains, making them ideal for agencies and WordPress sites. ## Pre-Sale Preparation Checklist 1. **Create Your CCP Account in Advance**: netcup does not have a standalone registration form—accounts are created during your first order. New customer orders placed during Black Friday flash sales often face manual verification delays while stock sells out. Order an entry-level plan (such as a VPS pico or Webhosting 1000 ) 7–10 days early so you have an active Customer ID (CCP login) with instant checkout privileges. 2. **Verify EUR Payment Methods & Tax Status**: Ensure your PayPal account or 3D-Secure Visa/Mastercard is ready for EUR transactions without currency conversion blocks. If you reside outside the European Union (e.g., US, UK, Canada, Switzerland, APAC), verify that your billing country is set properly so netcup automatically applies 0% VAT (saving 19% compared to German gross prices). 3. **Shortlist Target Specs & Backup Datacenters**: Prepare 2–3 acceptable configurations and alternative datacenters (e.g., Vienna, Amsterdam, or Manassas US in addition to Nuremberg). Flash deals sell out in minutes—hesitating at checkout guarantees a sold-out banner. 4. **Bookmark Direct Links & Fallback Vouchers**: While flash-sale Pro / Ultra servers cannot be stacked with product vouchers, standard catalog servers can be paired with a €5 new-customer voucher or free-month code . 5. **Set Alerts for Central European Time (CET) Drops**: Promotions launch on German business mornings at 08:00 CET (07:00 UTC / 02:00 EST / 23:00 PST) , with secondary restock waves often occurring around 12:00 CET (11:00 UTC / 06:00 EST) and 16:00 CET (15:00 UTC / 10:00 EST) . ## Practical Buying & Contract Tips - **Pick alternative datacenters first**: Nuremberg fills up fastest; identical promotional specs in Vienna (`AT`) or Amsterdam (`NL`) often stay in stock longer; - **Lock the contract first, configure later**: You can reinstall OS images or restore snapshots via SCP at your leisure once the server is provisioned; - **Avoid over-buying unused capacity**: A 16-core Root Server on sale is only a bargain if your workload actually needs 16 cores; otherwise a smaller plan costs less over 24 months; - **Respect the 31-day cancellation notice**: Promotional servers typically carry a 12-month or 24-month minimum term (`Mindestvertragslaufzeit`) and require a 31-day advance notice before renewal ([Cancellation & Refund Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/)); - **Use official CCP Transfer Codes (PUSH) for secondary trades**: Never buy someone else's full account credentials. Existing netcup customers can generate a **free Transfer Code inside CCP** to legally transfer a rare Black Friday contract into your own CCP account, where a fresh contract starts under your name. ## What If You Miss Out? 1. **Watch for hourly restocks & Cyber Monday**: Unpaid or duplicate flash orders are canceled by the billing system and re-released on Cyber Monday; 2. **Wait for the December Advent / Christmas Sale**: Many Black Friday configurations return during December; 3. **Use year-round vouchers + 24-month billing**: Combining a free-month voucher with the ~26% long-term discount gets surprisingly close to Black Friday pricing—verify the exact math with our [Total Cost Calculator](https://netcup.cheap/tools/cost-calculator/); 4. **Compare alternative providers**: Need hourly billing? Check Hetzner. Need massive DDoS mitigation? Look at OVHcloud ([4-Way European Host Comparison](https://netcup.cheap/blog/compare/)). ## What to Watch for Black Friday 2026 - Following the September 2026 **G12.5 hardware refresh**, baseline Root Server prices moved higher due to enterprise DDR5 ECC costs, but dedicated **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5)** performance jumped significantly; - Expect `Pro` and `Ultra` editions to focus heavily on **double NVMe storage (512 GB – 2 TB)** and bonus DDR5 ECC RAM; - Non-EU buyers combining **0% VAT + G12.5 Pro/Ultra double specs + €0 setup fee** will secure the highest price-to-performance ratio in the global dedicated vCPU market. > We update this hub with live stock trackers, direct cart links, and verified pricing as soon as each seasonal sale goes live. For active year-round codes, check our Coupons Page . ## Related Reading - [netcup Black Friday Buying Guide (Detailed Playbook)](https://netcup.cheap/blog/black-friday/) - [Historical Pricing & G12.5 Changelog](https://netcup.cheap/kb/price-history/) - [Root Server Lineup & Specifications](https://netcup.cheap/products/root-server/) ======================================================================== # netcup Black Friday Buying Guide (Pro/Ultra Double-Spec Deals & Restock Tactics) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/blog/black-friday/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/blog/black-friday/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/blog/black-friday/ - **Category**: Blog - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Complete guide to netcup Black Friday & Black Week deals: how Pro/Ultra double-RAM and double-NVMe editions work, pre-registering your CCP account, CET/UTC/EST drop times, Cyber Monday restocks, and CCP Transfer Code PUSH rules. > **TL;DR**: netcup's Black Friday (Black Week) is its largest annual sale, headlined by limited-edition Root Server and VPS 'Pro' and 'Ultra' configurations that double NVMe storage or boost DDR5 ECC RAM and dedicated AMD EPYC cores at standard pricing with €0 setup fee. The most important preparation step is creating your Customer Control Panel (CCP) account 7–10 days early by purchasing an entry-level plan, allowing instant existing-customer checkout when flash deals drop at 08:00 CET (07:00 UTC / 02:00 EST). Missed Friday drops often restock on Cyber Monday, and existing customers can legally trade grandfathered Black Friday contracts at zero fee via CCP Transfer Codes (PUSH). ## Key Facts - Signature Deals: Root Server & VPS Pro/Ultra editions with 2x–4x NVMe storage or +50% RAM/cores, €0 setup fee, and lifetime grandfathered renewal rates - Pre-Register CCP: Never register as a brand-new customer during a flash drop; establish an active CCP Customer ID 7–10 days prior to bypass manual onboarding queues - Global Drop Times: Main waves launch at 08:00 CET (07:00 UTC / 02:00 EST / 23:00 PST), with secondary restocks at 12:00 CET and 16:00 CET - Event Schedule: Black Week (Mon–Thu category warm-ups) → Black Friday (all-day flagship flash drops) → Cyber Monday (unpaid order restocks) - Tax & Transfer Perks: Non-EU buyers automatically save 19% (0% VAT), and rare contracts can be transferred for free via CCP Transfer Codes # netcup Black Friday Buying Guide (Pro/Ultra Double-Spec Deals, Drop Times & Restock Tactics) Ask veteran self-hosters and European infrastructure engineers where they got their best-value servers, and most will point to **netcup's late-November Black Friday (Black Week)** promotions. Unlike routine year-round vouchers that only waive 1 or 2 months of billing, netcup uses Black Friday to release custom-engineered hardware tiers: * Root Servers that normally ship with standard storage are upgraded to **double or quadruple pure NVMe capacity (512 GB to 2 TB)**; * Selected `Pro` and `Ultra` editions add extra dedicated AMD EPYC cores or +50% DDR5 ECC RAM, waive the initial setup fee, and **lock in the promotional rate permanently** for all future renewals; * Because quotas per datacenter are strictly capped, the most popular configurations frequently sell out within 5 to 15 minutes of each drop. This playbook distills years of historical flash-sale patterns into a concrete preparation checklist for international buyers. (For Easter, Summer, and Christmas promotions, see our [Annual Promotion Calendar](https://netcup.cheap/black-friday/).) --- ## 1. What Are Black Friday `Pro` & `Ultra` Double-Spec Editions? During Black Week, netcup releases special promotional SKU variants suffixed with **`Pro`** or **`Ultra`** (for example, `RS 1000 G12 Pro` or `RS 2000 G12 Ultra`). ### Historical Benchmark: Standard vs. Black Friday Editions Consider two representative flash deals from recent Black Friday events: * **Standard Catalog RS 1000**: 4 Dedicated Cores / 8 GB DDR5 ECC / standard NVMe, regular net price ~€15.54–€18.26/mo; * **Black Friday Limited `RS 1000 Pro`**: * **4 Dedicated Cores / 8 GB DDR5 ECC / 512 GB Pure NVMe (up to 4x baseline storage)**; * Combined with promotional pricing and a free initial period, effective net cost dropped to roughly **€8.24/mo (0% VAT for non-EU)**. * **Black Friday Limited `RS 2000 Ultra`**: * **10 Dedicated Cores (+2 extra cores) / 24 GB DDR5 ECC (+50% RAM) / 1 TB Pure NVMe**; * Promotional net price around **€21.79/mo (0% VAT)**. Because netcup contracts are grandfathered under German contract law, **your promotional specs and discounted rate remain valid for life** as long as you do not cancel the contract. Moreover, if you ever outgrow a rare Black Friday machine, netcup allows you to transfer the contract to another customer for free using a **CCP Transfer Code (PUSH)**. --- ## 2. Pre-Sale Preparation: Why You Should Never Register on Black Friday Morning The #1 reason first-time buyers miss out on `Pro` and `Ultra` flash deals isn't slow typing—it's getting stuck in the **New Customer (`Neukunde`) onboarding queue**. ### What Happens If You Register During a Flash Drop: 1. At 08:00 CET (07:00 UTC / 02:00 EST), a flash deal goes live and the live stock counter begins ticking down; 2. A first-time buyer adds the server to the cart, selects *"I am a new customer"*, and fills out their billing address; 3. Two bottlenecks immediately hit: * Massive order volume during Black Friday creates a 15-to-30-minute backlog in netcup's automated email and account-provisioning queue; * If your IP address doesn't match your billing country (e.g., ordering over a VPN), the order is routed to manual compliance review; * By the time your new account credentials arrive, the limited flash quota is already marked **Sold Out (`Ausverkauft`)**. ### How to Pre-Verify Your Account (7–10 Days Before Black Week): 1. **Place a Small Initial Order Early**: In early-to-mid November, follow our [Step-by-Step Ordering Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/) using your residential internet connection (no VPN) and order a low-cost entry product such as **Webhosting 1000** or **VPS pico**; 2. **Pay Your First Invoice in CCP to Lock In Your Customer ID**: Once you receive your Customer Control Panel (CCP) credentials via email, log in and pay the initial invoice via PayPal or credit card. Your account is now classified as a verified **Existing Customer (`Bestandskunde`)**; 3. **Enjoy Instant 1-Click Checkout on Black Friday**: Keep your CCP session logged in before the drop. When a `Pro` or `Ultra` deal appears, choose *"Existing Customer"* at checkout—your order bypasses new-account verification and locks in inventory within seconds. --- ## 3. Black Week Schedule & Global Timezone Conversion (CET / UTC / EST / PST) netcup's Black Friday event spans an entire week—officially branded **Black Week**: | Phase | Timing | Typical Product Categories & Drop Pattern | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Day 1 (Monday)** | Late November | **VPS & Root Server Warm-Up**: First wave of discounted cloud instances. | | **Day 2 (Tuesday)** | Late November | **Webhosting & Managed Groupware**: High-storage plans with 30%–50% lifetime discounts. | | **Day 3 (Wednesday)** | Late November | **Domain Specials**: Deep discounts on `.de`, `.com`, `.eu`, and `.net` registrations. | | **Day 4 (Thursday)** | Late November | **Local Block Storage & Storage VPS**: High-capacity archive and backup tiers. | | **Black Friday (Friday)** | **Main Event** | **Flagship `Pro` & `Ultra` Double-Spec Servers**: Multi-wave timed flash drops all day. | | **Cyber Monday (Monday)** | **Encore Restock** | **Unpaid Order Releases & Final Quotas**: Second chance for buyers who missed Friday. | ### Exact Drop Times Across International Timezones: In November, Germany observes **Central European Time (CET, UTC+1)**: * **Primary Daily Launch**: **08:00 CET** = **07:00 UTC (London)** = **02:00 EST (New York)** = **23:00 PST (Los Angeles, previous night)** = **15:00 SGT/CST (Singapore/Beijing)**. * **Midday & Afternoon Restock Waves**: On Black Friday itself, sold-out flagship models are frequently restocked in batches around **12:00 CET (11:00 UTC / 06:00 EST)** and **16:00 CET (15:00 UTC / 10:00 EST)**. --- ## 4. Five Tactical Rules for Flash Drops & Secondary Transfers 1. **Define Your Target Tier Before the Clock Strikes**: Decide in advance whether you need 4 cores (`RS 1000`), 8–10 cores (`RS 2000`), or an entry `VPS 500/1000`, and know your monthly budget ceiling (€10 vs. €20). When the deal page updates, verify the core count, NVMe size, and contract length (`12` or `24` months) and check out immediately. 2. **Optimize Non-EU 0% VAT & EUR Payments**: * Buyers outside the EU automatically pay **net prices (0% VAT)** once logged into a non-EU CCP account—saving 19% off the headline German price; * Set PayPal or your multi-currency card (Wise, Revolut, or a no-FX-fee Visa/Mastercard) to bill directly in **EUR** to avoid 3%–4% bank conversion markups. 3. **Leverage the 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee (`Widerrufsrecht`)**: netcup's **30-day satisfaction guarantee** applies to newly ordered servers. Secure the limited quota first, then run Geekbench 6, `fio` disk benchmarks, and `mtr` routing tests toward your target audience. If it doesn't fit your workload, you can request a revocation refund within the window. 4. **Check Cyber Monday for Released Inventory**: Every year, a noticeable percentage of Friday flash orders are canceled due to duplicate carts or unpaid invoices. netcup recycles this inventory back onto the promo page on **Cyber Monday**—making Monday morning (CET) the best time to snipe a sold-out `Pro` or `Ultra` plan. 5. **Trading Grandfathered Plans via CCP Transfer Code (PUSH)**: If you miss a promotion entirely or later wish to pass your grandfathered Black Friday server to another developer, netcup's CCP includes an official **Transfer Code** feature. The current owner generates a transfer token in CCP, and the recipient redeems it inside their own CCP account—transferring the server hardware, IPs, and promotional pricing legally with **zero transfer fee**. ======================================================================== # netcup vs Hetzner vs OVHcloud vs Contabo: European Cloud Benchmark - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/blog/compare/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/blog/compare/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/blog/compare/ - **Category**: Blog - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Unfiltered technical comparison of Europe's big four cloud providers: dedicated AMD EPYC Zen 5 cores vs shared vCPU steal time, NVMe IOPS throttling, 2.5 Gbps unmetered traffic vs 20 TB caps, KYC verification friction, and German contract notice rules. > **TL;DR**: Europe's four largest hosting providers serve distinct engineering priorities: netcup delivers the highest raw hardware per euro (100% dedicated AMD EPYC 9645 Zen 5 cores on Root Servers, DDR5 ECC RAM, and 2.5 Gbps unmetered traffic under a 2 TB/day fair-use rule) in exchange for German fixed-term contracts (31-day cancellation notice); Hetzner leads in cloud-native agility (hourly billing, Terraform/API ecosystem) but enforces strict automated KYC and a 20 TB egress cap; OVHcloud offers industry-leading VAC hardware DDoS mitigation at the cost of slower ticket support; and Contabo advertises massive paper RAM figures while suffering from severe vCPU overselling (high CPU steal time) and throttled disk IOPS. ## Key Facts - netcup: Price-to-performance leader; Root Servers provide dedicated AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) cores, 2.5 Gbps port, and unmetered traffic (2 TB/day fair-use threshold) with smooth invoice-based onboarding - Hetzner: Cloud-native developer favorite with instant hourly billing and top-tier APIs, but strict automated KYC rejections and €1.00/TB overage charges above 20 TB egress - Contabo: High paper specs at low headline prices, but heavy host oversubscription causes 20%–50% CPU Steal Time and severely throttled random 4K IOPS - OVHcloud: Best-in-class VAC hardware DDoS mitigation capable of absorbing multi-hundred-Gbps floods, paired with complex control panels and slow standard support tickets # netcup vs Hetzner vs OVHcloud vs Contabo: In-Depth European Cloud Comparison When architects, DevOps engineers, and self-hosters evaluate European cloud and VPS infrastructure, the shortlist almost always narrows down to four major providers: * **netcup** (Karlsruhe/Nuremberg, Germany — raw hardware density and dedicated-core value leader) * **Hetzner** (Gunzenhausen/Falkenstein, Germany — hourly cloud agility and developer API leader) * **OVHcloud** (Roubaix, France — global bare-metal scale and VAC hardware DDoS mitigation leader) * **Contabo** (Munich, Germany — budget high-RAM marketing leader) Comparing these four purely by their homepage banners (*"4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM for €X"*) is a classic trap. Under real production load, one provider delivers dedicated Zen 5 silicon while another stalls at 40% CPU steal time; one lets you destroy instances by the hour while another binds you to a 12-month German contract with a 31-day cancellation notice. This technical comparison strips away marketing claims and evaluates **CPU isolation, storage IOPS, bandwidth policies, KYC onboarding friction, DDoS mitigation, and contract mechanics**. --- ## 1. Head-to-Head Technical & Operational Matrix | Evaluation Metric | netcup | Hetzner (Cloud) | OVHcloud | Contabo | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **CPU Architecture & Isolation** | **Exceptional** / Root Servers: 100% dedicated **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5)** (GB6 Single ~2100+) / VPS: fast shared EPYC vCores | **Exceptional** / Consistent shared (CX/CPX) & dedicated (CCX) vCPUs / Very low noisy-neighbor impact | **Moderate to High** / Entry VPS uses shared vCores; / Dedicated bare-metal is rock solid | **Low to Moderate** / Heavily oversubscribed hosts; / Frequent 20%–50% `%st` CPU steal spikes | | **Storage IOPS & Throughput** | **High** / Root Servers: pure PCIe NVMe (100k+ 4K IOPS) / G12.5 VPS: enterprise SSD RAID10 | **Very High** / Fast local NVMe or Ceph network storage / Highly predictable latency | **Moderate** / Tiered by product line; / Entry VPS IOPS are capped | **Heavily Throttled** / Advertised NVMe is often rate-limited to a few thousand IOPS under load | | **Bandwidth & Traffic Policy** | **2.5 Gbps Port / Unmetered** / (Throttled to 200 Mbps only if 24h average exceeds **2 TB/day**) | **20 TB Included Egress** / (EU/US; billed at **€1.00 / TB** above 20 TB) | **Unmetered Traffic** / (Port speed capped between 100 Mbps and 2 Gbps by tier) | **Unmetered Traffic** / (Subject to aggressive port shaping on sustained transfers) | | **Billing & Contract Model** | **German Fixed-Term Contract** / 1 / 12 / 24-month cycles ( plus hourly on select tiers) / **Requires 31-day cancellation notice** | **Pure Hourly Cloud** / Per-second/hourly billing up to monthly cap / Destroy anytime to stop billing | **Hybrid Model** / Monthly rolling or 12/24-month commitments / Standard auto-renewal toggles | **Monthly / Annual Prepay** / Often charges initial Setup Fees on short terms; / Monthly cancellation ticket | | **Account Onboarding & KYC** | **Smooth & Predictable** / No automated selfie/passport wall; / Post-audit invoice generation via CCP | **Extremely Strict** / Automated fraud scoring rejects VPNs/mismatched data instantly; mandatory ID/selfie | **Moderate** / Depends on region and payment method; / Occasional manual address verification | **Low to Moderate** / Standard checkout flow with occasional email verification | | **DDoS Protection** | **Solid Baseline Protection** / Free automated L3/L4 scrubbing (~2 Tbps backbone capacity) | **Standard Cloud Filtering** / Blocks common floods; extreme targeted attacks may trigger temporary null-routing | **Industry-Leading (OVH VAC)** / Always-on global hardware scrubbing; / Handles massive L3/L4/L7 game & UDP floods | **Basic** / Limited mitigation visibility; / Prone to null-routing during sustained attacks | | **Support Response Time** | **Fast on German Business Days** / Competent engineering tickets within hours | **Very Fast** / Responsive ticket & phone support during business hours | **Slow on Standard Tiers** / Community/standard tickets often take 48–96 hours | **Moderate** / First-line responses are frequently scripted templates | --- ## 2. Architectural Trade-Offs: Where Each Provider Wins (and Loses) ### 1. netcup: Unbeatable Dedicated EPYC Hardware vs. German Contract Law * **Why engineers choose netcup**: On a **Root Server (RS G12.5)**, netcup allocates dedicated physical threads on flagship **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5)** processors paired with DDR5 ECC RAM, pure NVMe storage, and a **2.5 Gbps network port**. Unlike Hetzner's 20 TB cap, netcup includes unmetered traffic—you can push up to **2 TB per day (~60 TB/month)** before temporary 200 Mbps fair-use shaping applies. * **The trade-off you must respect**: netcup operates under traditional German telecommunications contract rules. Discounted 12-month and 24-month plans carry a minimum contract term (`Mindestvertragslaufzeit`) and **must be canceled in the CCP at least 31 days before the contract expires (`Kündigungsfrist`)**, or they automatically renew for another full term. * **Best for**: Long-term production workloads—Kubernetes nodes, PostgreSQL/MySQL databases, Docker stacks, mail servers, and high-bandwidth media/backup nodes where hardware density per euro matters most. --- ### 2. Hetzner Cloud: Frictionless Hourly API vs. Strict KYC & 20 TB Traffic Caps * **Why engineers choose Hetzner**: Hetzner Cloud feels like a streamlined, affordable European AWS. Its web console, CLI (`hcloud`), Terraform provider, cloud-init speed, private networking, and floating IPs are best-in-class, and you can spin up 50 nodes for two hours and delete them for pennies. * **The trade-offs**: * **Automated KYC rejections**: Hetzner's fraud-prevention filter is notoriously aggressive. Signing up with a VPN active, using a virtual card, or having a slight mismatch between your IP geolocation and billing address often triggers an immediate, non-appealable account rejection. * **Hard 20 TB egress limit**: While 20 TB is plenty for web apps, high-throughput workloads (CDN edge nodes, object-storage mirrors, video streaming, or offsite backups) will incur **€1.00 per additional TB**, whereas netcup allows ~60 TB/month at full 2.5 Gbps speed for €0 overage. * **Best for**: Autoscaling CI/CD runners, ephemeral staging environments, Terraform-managed cloud fleets, and short-lived projects. --- ### 3. Contabo: Massive Paper Specs vs. Noisy Neighbors & Throttled IOPS * **Why buyers are tempted**: Contabo's pricing table looks irresistible on paper—offering 16 GB to 32 GB of RAM at price points where competitors offer 8 GB. * **The production reality**: * **High CPU Steal (`%st`)**: Host nodes are heavily oversubscribed. During European peak hours, running `top` or `htop` frequently reveals **20% to 50% CPU Steal Time**—meaning your VM is waiting in a hypervisor queue while neighboring VMs consume physical CPU cycles. * **Disk I/O bottlenecks**: Running `fio` random 4K read/write benchmarks often shows IOPS throttled down to **2,000–5,000 IOPS**, causing database transactions and container builds to stall. * **Best for**: Latency-insensitive hobby workloads that need large amounts of idle RAM in memory without sustained CPU or disk I/O pressure. --- ### 4. OVHcloud: Unrivaled VAC DDoS Mitigation vs. Bureaucratic Support * **Why engineers choose OVHcloud**: OVHcloud operates its proprietary **VAC (Vacuum Anti-DDoS)** hardware scrubbing infrastructure across a massive global backbone. If you host public game servers (Minecraft, Rust, FiveM), VoIP gateways, or high-risk web properties that attract multi-hundred-Gbps UDP/SYN floods, OVHcloud keeps packets flowing where other hosts null-route your IP. * **The trade-off**: The OVH control panel is sprawling and slow, and standard (non-Enterprise) support tickets can take several business days to receive an initial reply. * **Best for**: DDoS-magnet workloads, public multiplayer game servers, and multi-region bare-metal deployments. --- ## 3. Final Decision Matrix: Which One Should You Deploy? 1. **Choose netcup if you want maximum dedicated compute, NVMe speed, and bandwidth per euro**: * Opt for the **Root Server G12.5 series** to get dedicated AMD EPYC Zen 5 cores, DDR5 ECC memory, and up to 60 TB/month of full-speed 2.5 Gbps traffic. * Grab a [free-month or €5 voucher](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/), order from your residential connection without a VPN ([Ordering Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/)), and set a calendar reminder for the 31-day contract notice window. 2. **Choose Hetzner Cloud if you need hourly elasticity and infrastructure-as-code**: * Ideal when you spin servers up and down daily via API/Terraform and stay well within the 20 TB monthly traffic allowance. 3. **Choose OVHcloud if DDoS survival is your #1 operational requirement**: * Trade away support speed and single-core price-performance in exchange for enterprise-grade VAC packet scrubbing. 4. **Be cautious with Contabo for production databases or latency-sensitive apps**: * Unless your workload only needs cheap idle RAM and can tolerate high CPU steal and throttled disk IOPS, netcup's VPS or Root Server lineup will deliver far more consistent latency. ======================================================================== # 2026 netcup G12.5 Hardware & Pricing Review: DDR5 ECC 'Rampocalypse' & AMD EPYC Zen 5 - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/blog/price-change/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/blog/price-change/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/blog/price-change/ - **Category**: Blog - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: In-depth analysis of netcup's September 2026 G12.5 generation update: why the global AI DDR5 ECC shortage ('Rampocalypse') shifted pricing, VPS SSD RAID10 vs Root Server AMD EPYC 9645 Zen 5 upgrades, grandfathered contract protection, and 2026 buying strategies. > **TL;DR**: On September 22–23, 2026, netcup transitioned its server lineup from Generation 12 (G12) to Generation 12.5 (G12.5). In a candid announcement titled 'Rampocalypse: We need to talk about pricing', management detailed how surging enterprise DDR5 ECC DRAM and NAND flash costs driven by global AI data centers forced a structural realignment: x86 VPS storage shifted from NVMe to high-redundancy Enterprise SSD RAID10 with modest price adjustments (VPS 500 starts at €5.90/mo net on a 24-month term), while flagship Root Servers upgraded to TSMC-fabricated AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) CPUs and 2.5 Gbps NICs. Crucially, existing customers with G11/G12 or Black Friday contracts enjoy strict German grandfathered price protection—as long as you do not cancel, your legacy price and hardware remain locked for life. ## Key Facts - Generation Shift: Rolled out on September 22–23, 2026, transitioning the catalog from G12 to G12.5 - Root Cause ('Rampocalypse'): Hyperscale AI clusters absorbed global enterprise DRAM/NAND wafer capacity, multiplying server-grade DDR5 ECC and NVMe procurement costs - x86 VPS Adjustments: Storage moved to Enterprise SSD RAID10 to keep entry pricing accessible (VPS 500 G12.5 at €5.90/mo net for 24-month terms) - Root Server Leap: Upgraded to flagship AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) processors (Geekbench 6 single-core 2100+) with pure NVMe and 2.5 Gbps ports - Grandfathered Protection: Existing G11/G12 and promotional Pro/Ultra contracts keep their original pricing and specs indefinitely upon renewal # September 2026 netcup G12.5 Review: Inside the DDR5 ECC "Rampocalypse" & Zen 5 Hardware Upgrade On September 22–23, 2026, the European hosting community woke up to a landmark announcement in the official netcup customer forum. Written with characteristic German directness and dry humor, management published an executive briefing titled: > **"Rampocalypse: We need to talk about pricing"** Within 24 hours, netcup transitioned its core server catalog from Generation 12 (`G12`) to **Generation 12.5 (`G12.5`)**—introducing updated price floors, storage tier adjustments on entry x86 VPS plans, and a major silicon leap to **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5)** across the flagship Root Server line. What actually changed under the hood? Why did veteran sysadmins praise netcup's transparency instead of revolting? And how should existing contract holders and new buyers optimize their infrastructure in the G12.5 era? Here is our complete technical breakdown. --- ## 1. The Macro Driver: Why "Rampocalypse" Hit European Infrastructure To understand the G12.5 transition, you have to look at the 2025–2026 enterprise semiconductor supply chain: 1. **AI Hyperscalers Draining Enterprise DRAM Wafer Capacity**: Massive AI training clusters built around HBM3e/HBM4 accelerators prompted the big three memory fabricators (Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron) to reallocate silicon wafer capacity away from standard server DRAM. As a result, contract spot prices for **64 GB and 128 GB server-grade DDR5 ECC RDIMM modules** and enterprise U.3 NVMe drives more than doubled within 12 months. 2. **Pressure on High-RAM, Low-Margin Hosting Models**: For over a decade, netcup's competitive moat has been offering generous RAM allocations at razor-thin margins. When DDR5 ECC memory became the single largest bill-of-materials cost in a dual-socket EPYC chassis, keeping 2024 price points on newly purchased hardware became mathematically impossible without cutting corners. 3. **Two Diverging Industry Responses**: * **Silent Oversubscription (The Budget Host Route)**: Keep headline prices frozen on the homepage while quietly cramming 2x–3x more virtual machines onto each hypervisor—leading to chronic CPU steal time and throttled disk I/O; * **Transparent Re-engineering (The netcup Route)**: Publish the exact cost breakdown openly, protect all existing customer contracts at their legacy prices, and re-architect new G12.5 SKUs so hardware isolation remains 100% intact. --- ## 2. Three Technical Shifts in the G12.5 Lineup ### Shift 1: x86 VPS Storage Re-Tiered (NVMe → Enterprise SSD RAID10) * **What changed**: Whereas G12 x86 VPS instances utilized NVMe arrays, **G12.5 x86 VPS plans (`VPS 250` through `VPS 8000`) now run on enterprise-grade SSD RAID10 storage**, with the popular `VPS 500 G12.5` priced at **€5.90/mo net** on a 24-month commitment. * **Real-world workload impact**: * **Web apps, containers & general services (Negligible difference)**: Enterprise SSD RAID10 still delivers 400–800 MB/s sequential throughput. For Nginx, WordPress, Docker microservices, reverse proxies, and Git repositories, latency feels virtually identical to G12; * **Write-heavy transactional databases (Noticeable ceiling)**: Sustained random 4K write IOPS settle in the 15,000–30,000 IOPS range rather than 80,000+ IOPS. If you run high-concurrency PostgreSQL, MySQL, or ClickHouse nodes, netcup explicitly positions the **Root Server (RS)** or **VPS ARM64 (NVMe)** lines for those workloads. ### Shift 2: Root Servers Leap to Flagship AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) * While entry pricing on the Root Server line stepped up (`RS 1000 G12.5` starts at **€18.26/mo net** on a 24-month term), the underlying silicon received **its biggest generational jump in three years**: * Powered by TSMC-fabricated **AMD EPYC 9645 (Turin / Zen 5 architecture)** processors; * Single-core Geekbench 6 scores climb to **1,950 – 2,150+**, with linear multi-core scaling across dedicated physical threads; * Retains **100% dedicated cores**, high-speed **pure PCIe NVMe storage**, DDR5 ECC memory, and a **2.5 Gbps network interface**; * **Bottom line**: Even after the price adjustment, a G12.5 Root Server delivers roughly 30%–40% better compute-per-euro than comparable dedicated-vCPU cloud instances at Hetzner (CCX) or AWS/DigitalOcean. ### Shift 3: The €1 Entry VPS (`VPS pico`) Survives via the IPv6-Only Discount * The entry-level **VPS pico G11.5s** adjusted slightly to **€1.85/mo net** with dual-stack IPv4 + IPv6; * However, netcup preserved its clever **IPv6-Only (`Nur IPv6`) toggle**, which deducts **€0.50/mo** every single month—bringing the effective net price down to **€1.35/mo** (€1.61 gross incl. 19% DE VAT) and keeping Europe's most reliable micro-VPS alive for lightweight bastions and monitoring nodes. --- ## 3. Action Plan for Existing Contract Holders vs. New Buyers ### 1. Existing Customers (Holding G11/G12 or Black Friday `Pro`/`Ultra` Servers): * **Golden Rule: Hold onto your existing contracts—do not cancel them!** * Under German contract law and netcup's terms of service, existing subscriptions are **100% grandfathered (`Bestandsschutz`)**: As long as you pay your invoices on time and do not submit a cancellation in CCP, **your legacy monthly price and original NVMe specifications remain locked indefinitely**. * If you no longer need a legacy G12 or Black Friday `Pro` server yourself, remember that you can transfer the contract to another user via a **free CCP Transfer Code (PUSH)** rather than letting a below-market contract expire. ### 2. New Buyers Deploying in 2026: * **Strategy A: Lock in 24-Month Billing + Free-Month Vouchers for Production** On G12.5 VPS and Root Servers, selecting the 24-month billing cycle saves **~26% every month** compared to monthly billing. Stacking a verified [free-month or €5 voucher](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) brings your effective cost down significantly, and non-EU residents automatically save an additional **19% via 0% VAT**. * **Strategy B: Consider ARM64 VPS or Webhosting for High Value** netcup's **VPS ARM64 G11s** lineup continues to include **pure NVMe storage** at very low per-core prices, while **Webhosting** plans were largely untouched by the DDR5 price hike and still support **30% lifetime recurring discount vouchers**. * **Strategy C: Target Seasonal Flash Sales for Double Storage** If your deployment timeline is flexible, prepare your CCP account ahead of [Black Friday (late November) or Easter](https://netcup.cheap/black-friday/), when limited `Pro` and `Ultra` editions neutralize the G12.5 price increase with double NVMe capacity and bonus RAM. ======================================================================== # netcup Blog: In-Depth Benchmarks, Comparisons & Deal Strategies - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/blog/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/blog/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/blog/ - **Category**: Blog - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: The netcup.cheap editorial blog: Black Friday flash sale tactics, European cloud provider benchmarks (netcup vs Hetzner vs OVHcloud vs Contabo), and G12.5 hardware pricing analysis. > **TL;DR**: Our editorial blog covers deep-dive topics that require real-world testing and architectural context: how to secure Black Friday Pro/Ultra double-spec deals across timezones, how netcup compares against Hetzner, OVHcloud, and Contabo in CPU isolation and disk IOPS, and what changed in the September 2026 G12.5 hardware refresh. Every article concludes with actionable recommendations rather than marketing boilerplate. ## Key Facts - Provider Benchmarks: Real-world comparison of netcup, Hetzner, OVHcloud, and Contabo across CPU steal time, NVMe IOPS, traffic caps, and KYC friction - G12.5 Hardware & Pricing Analysis: Breakdown of the September 2026 DDR5 ECC "Rampocalypse" shift, AMD EPYC 9645 Zen 5 upgrades, and grandfathered contract protection - Flash Deal Playbooks: Step-by-step strategies for November Black Friday Pro/Ultra double-spec drops and netcup's four annual promotional windows # netcup Editorial Blog Here we publish in-depth analyses on promotional cycles, European cloud provider benchmarks, and hardware generation shifts. For quick specification lookups, visit the [Products Directory](https://netcup.cheap/products/); for step-by-step server administration tutorials, browse the [Knowledge Base](https://netcup.cheap/kb/). ## Why Read Our Guides - **Actionable conclusions**: Every article finishes with clear decision criteria ("what you should buy and why") rather than copying spec sheets; - **Verified timestamps**: Pricing and promotional analyses include explicit verification dates and are updated whenever netcup adjusts its lineup; - **Unbiased trade-offs**: We highlight not only where netcup excels (dedicated Zen 5 cores, generous traffic), but also where competitors like Hetzner or OVHcloud are a better fit. ## All Articles ## Related Resources - [Active Voucher Codes](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) (verified daily) - [Historical Pricing & Generation Changelog](https://netcup.cheap/kb/price-history/) - [Annual Promotion Calendar & Black Friday Hub](https://netcup.cheap/black-friday/) ======================================================================== # netcup Voucher Codes (2026 Live Verified · Free Months & €5 Off) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/coupons/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/coupons/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/coupons/ - **Category**: Vouchers - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Live-verified netcup voucher codes (Gutschein / Promo Codes): 1–2 months free on G12.5 VPS & Root Servers, 30% lifetime recurring Webhosting discount, and €5 new-customer voucher. Includes one-click cart auto-fill and duplicate-item troubleshooting. > **TL;DR**: netcup voucher codes (German Gutschein / English Voucher) fall into four categories: universal cash discounts (€5 off for new customers), 1 month free on VPS G12.5 plans, 1–2 months free on Root Server G12.5 plans, and 30% lifetime recurring discounts on Webhosting. Every code on this page is verified automatically by our live polling script, and redeemed codes are rotated out. Click "Redeem at netcup" to auto-fill the voucher into the official cart—note that model-specific vouchers automatically add a discounted server to your cart, so remove any full-price duplicate before submitting your order. ## Key Facts - Voucher Source: Automated real-time verification against the official promo pool (synced every minute) - Discount Types: €5 universal new-customer discount / 1 free month on VPS / 1–2 free months on Root Server / 30% lifetime recurring discount on Webhosting - How to Redeem: Click "Redeem at netcup" on this page to auto-fill the cart, or paste the code into the "Voucher / Gutscheincode" box at checkout - Key Pitfall to Avoid: Redeeming a model-specific voucher automatically adds a discounted server to your cart; if you already added the regular-priced server manually, delete the full-price item - Last Verified: 2026-10-14 (continuously updated via live API) # netcup Voucher & Promo Codes Every voucher code listed on this page is **verified in real time** by our automated inspection script—synced both at build time and live in your browser so that every code you copy works. Click any code to copy it to your clipboard, or click the direct redeem button to apply it automatically in the official netcup shopping cart. | Offer / Plan | Discount | Eligibility | Verified Voucher Codes (Pick One) | Working Rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | €5 New Customer Voucher | €5 Instant Discount (1st Order) | All Products · New Customers Only | `36nc17833646274`, `36nc17833646273`, `36nc17833646272` | 100% | | RS 1000 G12.5 | 2 Months Free (First 2 Months €0) | Root Server 1000 · New & Existing Customers | `6874nc17918855580`, `6874nc17918071360`, `6874nc17917267000` | 100% | | RS 2000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | Root Server 2000 · New & Existing Customers | `6875nc17919590640`, `6875nc17916951950`, `6875nc17916306570` | 100% | | RS 4000 G12.5 | €5 Instant Cash Discount | Root Server 4000 · New & Existing Customers | `36nc17833646274`, `36nc17833646273`, `36nc17833646272` | 100% | | RS 8000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | Root Server 8000 · New & Existing Customers | `6876nc17917708640`, `6876nc17917705800`, `6876nc17917349040` | 100% | | VPS 1000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | VPS 1000 · New & Existing Customers | `6877nc17919058940`, `6877nc17918391481`, `6877nc17918391480` | 100% | | VPS 2000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | VPS 2000 · New & Existing Customers | `6878nc17919059020`, `6878nc17918334110`, `6878nc17914792580` | 100% | | VPS 4000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | VPS 4000 · New & Existing Customers | `6879nc17915798770`, `6879nc17911475220`, `6879nc17911059690` | 100% | | VPS 8000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | VPS 8000 · New & Existing Customers | `6880nc17919031360`, `6880nc17915962430`, `6880nc17912205930` | 100% | | Webhosting 2000 | 30% Recurring Lifetime Discount | Webhosting 2000 · New & Existing Customers | `5207nc17919097380`, `5207nc17918822740`, `5207nc17916784140` | 100% | | Webhosting 4000 | 30% Recurring Lifetime Discount | Webhosting 4000 · New & Existing Customers | `5208nc17918065780`, `5208nc17907131900`, `5208nc17907129070` | 100% | | Webhosting 8000 | 30% Recurring Lifetime Discount | Webhosting 8000 · New & Existing Customers | `5209nc17918276770`, `5209nc17903530393`, `5209nc17903530392` | 100% | ## How to Redeem a netcup Voucher Code (Two Easy Methods) 1. **Method 1: One-Click Auto-Fill to Official Cart (Recommended)**: Click the Redeem at netcup (Auto-Fill) button at the bottom of any card (or next to an individual code). Our script automatically copies the code, redirects you to the official netcup shopping cart, and applies the voucher automatically —no manual copy-pasting required. 2. **Method 2: Compare Specs First, Then Paste Manually at Checkout**: If you want to review full hardware specs first, click View Specs → on a product card, pick your contract length and datacenter location, and add the plan to your cart. Or simply copy a voucher code from this page, open the netcup checkout page, paste it into the Voucher / Gutscheincode field, and click Redeem / Einlösen . 3. **Verify Your Discount & 0% VAT Tax-Free Pricing**: Your cart summary will immediately reflect the discount—either €5 off the total or 1–2 free monthly billing cycles. Non-EU residents (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, etc.) automatically receive 0% VAT net pricing (saving 19% vs German gross prices) when selecting their country at checkout, while EU businesses with a valid VAT ID receive 0% VAT via EU Reverse Charge. 4. **Submit Your Order & Pay the Invoice in CCP**: netcup uses a post-order invoicing workflow: after submitting your order, check your email for your Customer Control Panel (CCP) login credentials, sign in to CCP, and pay the open invoice via PayPal (tip: pay in native EUR or use Wise/Revolut to avoid PayPal's 3.5–4.5% currency conversion spread), Visa/Mastercard, or SEPA transfer. Your server will provision automatically once payment clears. See our Step-by-Step Buying Guide for details. **New to netcup?** Follow our 5-minute registration & checkout walkthrough covering 0% VAT eligibility, datacenter selection, and PayPal/card payment tips. [Read Beginner Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/guide/) ## The Four Types of netcup Voucher Codes Explained | Voucher Type | Typical Discount | Eligible Products | Best Practice | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Universal Cash Voucher | €5 one-time discount | Any order above minimum value (new customers) | Best for entry-level plans (VPS pico, VPS 500, RS 500) | | VPS Model Voucher | 1 month free | Specific VPS G12.5 plans (VPS 1000 / 2000+) | Always prefer over €5 code when monthly price exceeds €5 | | Root Server Voucher | 1–2 months free / €5 off | Specific Root Server G12.5 plans | RS 1000 G12.5 frequently offers 2 full months free | | Webhosting Voucher | 30% recurring discount (lifetime) | Webhosting 2000 / 4000 / 8000 | Discount stays active permanently across all future renewals | ## Redemption Rules & Common Pitfalls to Avoid - **Single-Use Model Codes**: Most model-specific voucher codes can only be redeemed once by a single buyer (whereas `36nc...` €5 new-customer vouchers are multi-use). That is why each card lists multiple live codes—start with the primary code, and if someone else just claimed it, expand the backup codes and pick the next one. - **Watch Out for the "Duplicate Cart Item" Trap**: In netcup's cart system, redeeming a model-specific voucher (such as RS 1000 2-months-free, VPS 1000 1-month-free, or Webhosting 30%-off) **automatically adds a new discounted instance of that server directly into your shopping cart**! If you had already added the regular-priced server manually before pasting the voucher, your cart will now contain **2 servers** (1 full-price + 1 discounted). Always delete the full-price item before submitting your order! - **New vs. Existing Customers**: The €5 universal voucher (`36nc...`) is restricted to brand-new customers on their first order. Model-specific vouchers labeled "New & Existing Customers" can also be redeemed directly by existing account holders. - **One Voucher Per Order**: You can only apply one voucher code per checkout cart. You cannot stack a free-month code with the €5 universal voucher in the same order (for any server costing over €5/mo, the free-month voucher saves significantly more). - **How Free Months Are Credited**: Free months are deducted directly from your initial invoice cycle (for example, a 12-month contract with a 2-months-free voucher bills only 10 months for the first year). They are not paid out as cash credit. - **Stacking Contract Term + Voucher + 0% VAT**: Choosing a 12-month term saves ~13% and a 24-month term saves ~26% compared to monthly billing. Combining a 24-month term, a 1–2 months free voucher, and 0% VAT net pricing gives you the lowest possible cost per core. Want to see exact numbers? Use our [netcup Cost & Currency Calculator](https://netcup.cheap/tools/cost-calculator/). ## Voucher Redemption Troubleshooting (FAQ) ### 1. Why did my shopping cart end up with two servers after redeeming a voucher code? This is a quirk of netcup's cart system—always verify your item quantity before checkout! Except for the universal 36nc... €5 voucher (which subtracts €5 from an existing cart), every model-specific voucher code (such as RS 1000, VPS 1000, or Webhosting 2000 codes) acts as a "promotional product launcher" . As soon as you redeem it, netcup automatically inserts a discounted server of that exact model into your cart. If you had already clicked "Order" on the regular product page first, your cart will hold both "1 regular-price server + 1 discounted server". Simply click the trash/delete icon next to the regular-price item and keep only the discounted one! ### 2. What do "A voucher can only be redeemed every 15 seconds" or "already a voucher in the shopping cart" mean? Both messages come from netcup's rate-limiting and single-voucher cart rules: A voucher can only be redeemed every 15 seconds : netcup enforces a 15-second cooldown between voucher redemption attempts. If a code was already taken, wait 15 seconds before pasting the next backup code and clicking Redeem. There is already a voucher in the shopping cart / Unfortunately, the voucher may not be redeemed one more time : Your cart already has an active voucher attached, and netcup allows only one voucher per order. Click the remove/trash icon next to the existing voucher in your cart summary before redeeming a different code. ### 3. What does "Gutschein wurde bereits eingelöst" or "Voucher has already been redeemed" mean? The German message Gutschein wurde bereits eingelöst (English: Voucher has already been redeemed ) means another customer just used that single-use code moments ago. Return to the matching product card on this page, click "Show Backup Codes" , and copy the 2nd or 3rd code in the list. Our backend scanner checks every minute and removes claimed codes automatically. ### 4. Are "netcup Gutschein", "Gutscheincode", and "NUE Webhosting codes" the same as these vouchers? Yes—whether a site calls them netcup Gutschein / Gutscheincode / Rabattcode in German or netcup Voucher / Promo Code in English, they all use the exact same official netcup voucher system. Note that the Webhosting codes listed here— 5207nc... (Webhosting 2000), 5208nc... (Webhosting 4000), and 5209nc... (Webhosting 8000)—are the latest Nuremberg (NUE) 30% lifetime recurring discount codes , valid for both new and existing customers across all future renewals. ## Best Times of Year to Catch Special netcup Promotions netcup runs major seasonal sales on a predictable annual calendar. Bookmark this page or check our [Community Board](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/) during these windows: - **Easter Sale (Spring)**: Hidden Easter-egg deals across the site featuring extra free months and special VPS/RS bundles; - **Anniversary & Summer Sales**: Rotating hardware promos and flash discounts; - **Black Week & Black Friday (Late November)**: The biggest promotion of the entire year, featuring limited-edition plans with **doubled NVMe storage or RAM** at standard pricing. Flagship drops often sell out within minutes—read our [Black Friday Buying Strategy Guide](https://netcup.cheap/blog/black-friday/) to prepare. > Pro Tip for Year-Round Buyers: Even outside seasonal sales, combining a 24-month contract term with a 1–2 months free voucher (or €5 new-customer code) cuts your effective monthly cost by over 30% compared to month-to-month billing. Always enter accurate residential billing details without a VPN to ensure instant account approval. Disclaimer: Voucher codes are verified continuously by automated scripts, but availability cannot be guaranteed at the exact second of checkout; final discount eligibility is determined by the official netcup shopping cart. ======================================================================== # netcup Community Q&A & Troubleshooting Board - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/discuss/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/discuss/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/discuss/ - **Category**: Community - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Solutions to the 7 most common netcup questions from global developers: frictionless no-KYC ordering, 0% VAT eligibility (non-EU & EU Reverse Charge), voucher error troubleshooting, clean OS DD reinstall, TCP BBR tuning, datacenter latency, and the 31-day cancellation rule. > **TL;DR**: This page compiles practical answers to the 7 questions international buyers ask most about netcup—covering frictionless residential-IP ordering without KYC delays, 0% VAT net billing (for non-EU and EU B2B Reverse Charge), voucher error codes, clean Debian/Ubuntu/Windows DD installation, Linux TCP BBR congestion control, global latency across 5 datacenters, and the mandatory 31-day contract cancellation notice—plus an interactive GitHub Discussions board below. ## Key Facts - Categorized Index: Filter practical guides across "Getting Started & Contracts", "Vouchers & VAT Billing", "Sysadmin & OS Reinstall", and "Network & Datacenters" - Frictionless Ordering: Ordering from a clean residential IP with a matching billing address bypasses manual ID verification, generating your CCP invoice within minutes - Tax & Cancellation Rules: Non-EU users and EU B2B Reverse Charge accounts receive 0% VAT net pricing (+19% VAT for German consumers); contracts require a 31-day cancellation notice in CCP # netcup Community Q&A & Reader Discussion Board Here we have compiled the **7 most frequent real-world questions** developers and sysadmins encounter when ordering and managing netcup servers. Use the category tabs below to jump straight to a solution, or scroll to the bottom to ask a question on our GitHub Discussions board. ## Top Troubleshooting Topics by Category Ordering & KYC ### [Does netcup require ID verification (KYC) for new international orders? How to pass automated checks & reply template](#topic-kyc) When ordering from your normal residential/ISP connection (without a VPN) and entering a complete billing address, most orders pass automated checks in minutes without uploading ID documents. Includes an email reply template if your order is flagged for manual review. Stage: First-Time Registration · Portal: CCP Customer Panel · Includes Reply Template 0% VAT & Billing ### [How 0% VAT Net Pricing Works: Non-EU Customers, EU B2B Reverse Charge & 19% German VAT](#topic-vat) Why does VPS 500 G12.5 show €5.90/mo for some users and €7.02/mo for others? Learn how netcup calculates VAT based on your IP location, billing country (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, CH), and EU VAT ID. Stage: Checkout & Invoicing · Tax Difference: 19% VAT · Verified Rules System Setup ### [Installing Clean Debian 12 / Ubuntu 24.04 / Windows / Proxmox VE on netcup Root Server & VPS](#topic-dd) Prefer a minimal network install or custom OS over stock templates? Record your static IPv4/gateway parameters before running an automated reinstall script, or mount any official ISO via the SCP panel with HTML5 VNC recovery. Stage: Initial Server Provisioning · Portal: SCP Control Panel · Includes VNC Recovery Voucher Fixes ### [5 Reasons Why a Voucher Says "Gutscheincode ist ungültig" (Invalid Code) at Checkout](#topic-coupon-use) Voucher errors usually happen when an existing customer tries to use a new-customer-only €5 code, the server tier doesn't match the voucher, a 1-month term is selected instead of 12/24 months, or a single-use code was just redeemed by someone else. Stage: Shopping Cart Checkout · Fix: Try Backup Code · Checklist Network Tuning ### [Enabling Linux TCP BBR Congestion Control & FQ Queue Discipline for Cross-Continental Links](#topic-bbr) When serving transatlantic (EU-to-US ~85 ms) or Europe-to-APAC (~165 ms) traffic, switching from CUBIC to TCP BBR with Fair Queuing (`fq`) dramatically improves single-stream throughput and resilience against minor packet loss. OS: Debian 12 / Ubuntu 24.04 · Time: ~1 Minute · Copy-Paste Commands Datacenters ### [Nuremberg, Vienna, Amsterdam, Manassas (US) & Singapore: Which Datacenter Should You Pick?](#topic-speed) Nuremberg (Germany) offers the largest G12.5 inventory and fastest DE-CIX peering; Vienna excels for Central/Eastern Europe; Amsterdam serves Western Europe/UK; Manassas (Virginia) covers North America; Singapore serves regional APAC workloads. Stage: Datacenter Selection · Tool: Looking Glass & Ping · Location Guide Contract Rules ### [Critical Reminder: German Contracts Auto-Renew — Submit Cancellations in CCP at Least 31 Days Early](#topic-cancel) German hosting contracts do not auto-terminate if you simply stop paying. To avoid unwanted renewal invoices, log in to CCP and schedule your cancellation ("At the end of contract period") at least 31 days before expiration. Stage: Contract Renewal / Exit · Deadline: 31+ Days Before End · Must-Read Policy --- ## Quick Navigation by Topic New to netcup? Jump directly to our dedicated step-by-step manuals: | Topic Area | What You Will Learn | Recommended Guides | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Ordering & Onboarding** | Registration walkthrough, avoiding fraud checks, CCP vs. SCP panels, 31-day cancellation rule | [New Customer Buying Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/) · [Frequently Asked Questions](https://netcup.cheap/faq/) | | **Vouchers & Tax Rules** | How to redeem vouchers, 0% VAT eligibility & EU Reverse Charge, payment methods | [Active Voucher Codes](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) · [VAT Exemption & Payment Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/vat-payment/) | | **Sysadmin & OS Reinstall** | Clean OS DD installation, SCP rescue mode, SSH hardening, TCP BBR tuning | [Clean OS Reinstall Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/system/) · [Network & BBR Optimization](https://netcup.cheap/kb/network/) | | **Latency & Benchmarks** | Global latency matrix across 5 datacenters, Geekbench 6 scores, official Looking Glass | [Datacenter Speedtest & Looking Glass](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) · [Hardware Benchmarks](https://netcup.cheap/kb/benchmark/) | --- ## Detailed Answers to Top Questions ### 1. Does netcup require ID verification (KYC) for new orders? How do I reply to a verification email? > **Current Policy**: When you order using your **normal residential or office internet connection (with VPNs/proxies turned off)** and enter an accurate street address that matches your payment method's country, most orders **pass automated fraud screening without uploading ID or passport scans**, generating your CCP login and invoice within a few minutes. > > **When Manual Verification Happens**: If you accidentally leave a VPN active during checkout, or enter an incomplete address, netcup's compliance team may pause the order and send an email titled `Validierung Ihrer Kundendaten` or `Verification of customer details`. > > **How to Resolve It Quickly**: > 1. Do not submit duplicate orders. Simply reply directly to the verification email from your registered email address confirming your intended use case (and attach proof of address if explicitly requested). > 2. Sample reply template: > ```text > Dear netcup Support Team, > > Thank you for your email regarding my customer account (Customer/Order No: [Your Order or Customer Number]). > I am a software developer based in [Your Country, e.g., the United States / UK / Singapore] and ordered this server for web application hosting and Linux development. > My billing address is accurate and matches my payment method. > > Please let me know if any additional verification is required. > Looking forward to your approval. > > Best regards, > [Your Full Name] > ``` > 3. During German business hours (Monday–Friday, 08:00–17:00 CET), the verification team typically approves the account within 1–2 hours. ### 2. How do non-EU customers and EU businesses get 0% VAT net pricing? > **Tax Law Basis**: As a German company, netcup charges **0% VAT (Netto)** on digital services supplied to customers residing **outside the European Union** (such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, etc.), as well as to **EU businesses outside Germany** providing a valid EU VAT ID under the **Reverse Charge** mechanism. Private consumers in Germany pay +19% VAT (private consumers in other EU member states pay their local EU VAT rate). > > **Checklist at Checkout**: > - Select your correct residence country in the registration form (or enter your valid `USt-IdNr. / EU VAT ID` for B2B Reverse Charge); > - Browse without an EU VPN node so the storefront displays net prices (`exkl. MwSt.`) from the start; > - Your official CCP invoice will always reflect the tax rate of your verified billing country (for example, VPS 1000 G12.5 on a 24-month term is billed at **`€10.35/mo` net** rather than `€12.32/mo` gross). > - Full details: [netcup 0% VAT, EU Reverse Charge & Payment Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/vat-payment/). ### 3. Tips for Installing Clean Debian / Ubuntu / Windows / Proxmox VE > **When to Use It**: While netcup provides official one-click images in the SCP panel, many sysadmins prefer installing a minimal upstream OS via an automated network reinstall (`dd`/netboot) script or mounting an official ISO (such as Proxmox VE or Windows Server). > > **3 Best Practices Before You Start**: > 1. **Save Your Network Config**: Run `ip addr` and `ip route` before reinstalling to note your instance's IPv4 address, subnet mask, IPv6 `/64` prefix, and default gateway. > 2. **Use a Maintained Reinstall Script or SCP ISO Mount**: Open-source netboot installers like `bin456789/reinstall` support virtio drivers out of the box, or you can mount any custom ISO directly in the [SCP Control Panel](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/) under the `Media` tab. > 3. **Out-of-Band Recovery via HTML5 VNC**: If SSH doesn't come back up after a custom install, open the **`Screen` (VNC)** tab in SCP to inspect the live boot console and fix bootloader or network interface settings. ### 4. Why Does My Voucher Say "Gutscheincode ist ungültig" (Invalid Code)? > **The Symptom**: You paste a voucher code in the shopping cart and receive a red error banner stating the code is invalid or cannot be redeemed. > > **5 Common Causes**: > 1. **New Customers Only (`Neukunden`)**: The universal `€5` discount code only works on a brand-new customer account that has never generated a paid invoice before. > 2. **Product Model Mismatch**: Model-specific free-month vouchers (e.g., for `VPS 1000 G12.5`) only apply to that exact server tier and generation. > 3. **1-Month Contract Selected**: Most free-month vouchers require selecting a **12-month or 24-month contract period**; they will reject a 1-month (`1 Monat`) selection. > 4. **Leading/Trailing Spaces**: Accidental whitespace when copying manually can cause validation errors—use the one-click **Copy** button on our [Active Vouchers Page](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/). > 5. **Single-Use Code Already Redeemed**: Many model-specific vouchers are single-use tokens. If the primary code was just used by another buyer, click **"Backup Codes"** on our voucher card to grab a fresh one. ### 5. Enabling Linux Kernel TCP BBR & Fair Queuing (`fq`) > **Why It Matters**: When serving users across continents (e.g., Nuremberg to North America at ~85–110 ms, or Europe to Asia-Pacific at ~160–220 ms), the default Linux `cubic` congestion control algorithm aggressively halves its TCP window upon minor packet loss. Enabling Google's **TCP BBR** with the **`fq` packet scheduler** significantly boosts throughput over high-BDP links. > > **Enable in 30 Seconds** (Debian 12 / Ubuntu 24.04 / Kernel 5.x & 6.x): > ```bash > # Append FQ qdisc and BBR congestion control to sysctl > echo "net.core.default_qdisc=fq" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf > echo "net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control=bbr" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf > > # Apply immediately > sudo sysctl -p > > # Verify that bbr is active > sysctl net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control > ``` > See our complete [Network & TCP BBR Optimization Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/network/) for socket buffer tuning. ### 6. Comparing netcup's 5 Global Datacenters (Nuremberg, Vienna, Amsterdam, US, Singapore) > **Choosing the Right Location**: > - **Nuremberg (Germany, DE)**: netcup's flagship datacenter with the deepest G12.5 inventory, fastest provisioning, and direct DE-CIX Frankfurt peering. Best default choice for Europe and global origin servers. > - **Vienna (Austria, AT)**: Operated by parent company Anexia; ideal for Central, Eastern, and Southern European low-latency workloads. > - **Amsterdam (Netherlands, NL)**: Available on mid-to-high tiers (VPS 2000 / RS 2000+); ultra-low latency to the UK, Western Europe, and transatlantic cables. > - **Manassas (Virginia, US East)**: Ideal for North American users, offering - **Singapore (SG)**: Best suited for Southeast Asia, Australia, and APAC regional traffic (pair with Cloudflare CDN for optimal multi-carrier routing). > > **Test Before You Buy**: Run live ping and traceroute tests from your browser on our [Datacenter Speedtest & Looking Glass](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) page. ### 7. Understanding German Contract Auto-Renewal & the 31-Day Cancellation Rule > **Crucial Rule**: Under German commercial law, term contracts at hosts like netcup and Hetzner **automatically renew for another term unless formally cancelled at least 31 days before the current period ends**. Simply leaving an invoice unpaid will trigger automated payment reminders (`Mahnung`). > > **How to Cancel Cleanly in CCP**: > 1. Log in to the CCP Customer Control Panel (`https://www.customercontrolpanel.de`); > 2. Open **`Products`** in the left navigation bar and select the server you wish to cancel; > 3. Click the **`Cancellation`** tab; > 4. Choose **`At the end of contract period`** so your server stays online until your paid term finishes; > 5. Select any reason and confirm. You will receive an immediate cancellation confirmation email. > For full screenshots and 30-day money-back guarantee rules, read our [Refund, Cancellation & Renewal Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/). --- ## Community Discussion & Q&A Board Have a question not covered above, or want to share your benchmark results? Leave a comment below using your GitHub account (supports full Markdown and code blocks). ### Tips for Asking Technical Questions When troubleshooting server or network issues, please mention your **server model** (e.g., VPS 1000 G12.5 or RS 2000 G12.5), **datacenter location**, **OS version**, and any **error output** so the community can help quickly. [View Active Vouchers →](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) ### Reader Comments & Q&A Board Comments are powered by GitHub Discussions. If the widget takes a moment to load, you can also browse official announcements and peer discussions on the [official netcup Customer Forum](https://forum.netcup.de/). Markdown Supported · Code Blocks Supported · Sign in with GitHub --- ## Useful Resources & External Links - **Official netcup Customer Forum**: [forum.netcup.de](https://forum.netcup.de/) — Active community of sysadmins and netcup staff discussing maintenance notices and promotions (English & German). - **Quick Links to Popular Guides**: - [Not sure whether to pick a VPS or Root Server? Read the Architecture Comparison](https://netcup.cheap/kb/choose/) - [Need help mounting an ISO or opening VNC? Read the SCP Control Panel Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/) - [Ordering today? Grab a Free-Month or 30% Off Code on our Vouchers Page](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) ======================================================================== # netcup FAQ & Complete Troubleshooting Guide (26 Essential Q&As) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/faq/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/faq/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/faq/ - **Category**: FAQ - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Direct answers to the 26 most common netcup questions: 0% VAT for non-EU & EU Reverse Charge, invoice payment without webcam KYC, PayPal EUR conversion tips, the 31-day cancellation rule, free Transfer Code PUSH (€0 fee), duplicate cart items, global datacenters, and VPS vs Root Server. > **TL;DR**: The most common questions from international netcup users fall into six core areas: 1. 0% VAT & Payments (Non-EU residents in the US, UK, CA, AU, SG, etc. automatically get 0% VAT net pricing, and EU businesses with a valid VAT ID qualify via EU Reverse Charge; always pay in native EUR or use Wise/Revolut to avoid PayPal's 3.5–4.5% conversion fee); 2. Streamlined Onboarding (no webcam KYC or prepayment hurdles when ordering directly without a VPN—receive your CCP credentials and invoice via email and pay to auto-provision); 3. German Contract Law & Free PUSH Transfer (submit cancellations in CCP at least 31 days before renewal, or transfer unused servers between accounts via CCP Transfer Code for 100% free / €0 fee); 4. Hardware Sizing (shared vCore VPS for variable web workloads vs dedicated Zen 5 Root Servers for databases and game servers); 5. Global Datacenters (NUE/VIE/AMS for Europe/UK, Manassas for the Americas, Singapore for APAC/Australia); 6. Voucher Redemption & Snapshots (avoid duplicate cart items when redeeming model codes, and remember snapshots are not off-site backups). ## Key Facts - 0% VAT Net Pricing: Automatically applied for non-EU residents (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, etc.) based on billing country, and for EU businesses via Reverse Charge with a valid VAT ID - No Webcam KYC on Clean Orders: Direct orders without a VPN skip webcam ID checks; receive your CCP login by email and pay the open invoice to provision - PayPal Currency Tip: Always bill in native EUR (or use Wise/Revolut) so your card issuer handles conversion, saving PayPal's 3.5%–4.5% FX markup - 31-Day Notice & Free PUSH: Cancel in CCP at least 31 days before contract end; transferring servers between accounts via CCP Transfer Code is 100% FREE (€0 fee) - Global Datacenter Choice: Nuremberg/Vienna/Amsterdam for Europe & UK, Manassas (Virginia) for North & South America, and Singapore for APAC & Australia # netcup FAQ & Complete Troubleshooting Guide (26 Essential Q&As) Here are direct, no-fluff answers to the 26 most frequently asked questions from international developers, sysadmins, and webmasters—covering **billing, 0% VAT rules, German contract law, hardware architecture, network routing, and voucher redemption**. --- ## 1. Ordering, Accounts & 0% VAT Tax-Free Billing ### 1. Can international buyers outside Germany (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Asia) order directly? Is webcam KYC required? Yes—international customers worldwide can order directly, and there is no webcam or passport KYC hurdle on standard orders! Outdated guides often mention "Stripe webcam facial verification" or mandatory prepayment checks, which have been retired for standard residential orders. Simply order from your normal home or office internet connection (turn off VPNs/proxies) , enter your real street address , and select your actual country of residence. Once submitted, netcup automatically creates your account and emails your Customer Control Panel (CCP) Customer ID, temporary password, and initial invoice. As soon as you log in to CCP and pay the invoice, your server provisions automatically within minutes—zero document uploads or webcam scans required. ### 2. What is the 19% VAT shown on the website, and how does 0% VAT tax-free billing work? Your VAT rate is determined automatically by the billing country and tax status you select at checkout: Non-EU Residents (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, China, etc.) : You automatically qualify for 0% VAT net pricing —saving 19% compared to German gross prices with no tax paperwork required. EU Businesses & Freelancers (Outside Germany) : Enter your valid EU VAT ID (USt-IdNr. / UID) during registration to receive 0% VAT via the EU Reverse Charge mechanism . EU Consumers & German Businesses : Billed at your local statutory VAT rate (e.g., 19% in Germany, 20% in Austria; German businesses reclaim VAT via standard input tax deduction). If prices appear higher while browsing netcup.com, the storefront is simply displaying 19% German VAT by default. As soon as you select your non-EU country on the checkout address screen, all prices recalculate to pure 0% VAT net rates before you submit the order. ### 3. Which payment methods are supported, and how do I avoid PayPal's hidden currency conversion fee? netcup supports PayPal, Visa/Mastercard credit & debit cards, and European SEPA bank transfers . Crucial Currency Conversion Tip : When paying a EUR invoice from a USD, GBP, CAD, or AUD account, PayPal enables Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) by default—charging a hefty 3.5%–4.5% exchange rate markup ! Inside the PayPal checkout popup, always click "View currency conversion options" and choose to pay in the merchant's currency (EUR) so your bank or multi-currency card (such as Wise or Revolut) handles the conversion at the real mid-market rate. ### 4. Why wasn't I charged during checkout, and why hasn't my server provisioned yet? netcup uses a traditional German post-order invoicing workflow: Place Order → Account & First Invoice Generated → Log in to CCP & Pay Invoice . After submitting your order, check your email inbox (and spam folder) for your Customer ID and temporary password. Log in to the Customer Control Panel (CCP at customercontrolpanel.de) , open Invoices / Rechnungen , and click Pay Now / Jetzt bezahlen . Once your PayPal or card payment clears, the provisioning system deploys your server automatically. ### 5. Is netcup a reputable provider, or is it a fly-by-night budget host? netcup is one of Germany's most established infrastructure providers. Founded in Karlsruhe in 2003 (operating for over 20 years), netcup GmbH became part of the Austrian global cloud and telecom provider Anexia Group (AS197540) in 2016. They operate their own ISO-certified datacenters in Nuremberg alongside international PoPs in Vienna, Amsterdam, Manassas (US), and Singapore, serving hundreds of thousands of business and developer customers under strict EU GDPR compliance. --- ## 2. Contracts, the 31-Day Cancellation Rule & Refunds ### 6. If I stop using a server or power it off, will billing stop automatically? (Critical Rule) No—powering off or wiping a server NEVER stops billing! Like all German commercial hosting providers, netcup bills by active contract, not by power state (except on explicit hourly-billed Root Server plans). Shutting down a VM in SCP only turns off the virtual power switch. To stop recurring invoices, you must submit a formal contract cancellation (Cancellation / Kündigung) inside the CCP portal . ### 7. What is the mandatory "31-Day Cancellation Notice Period" (Kündigungsfrist)? Under netcup's contract terms, you must submit your cancellation in CCP at least 31 full days before the end of your current contract period . For example, if your 12-month contract expires on October 15, you must submit your cancellation in CCP no later than September 14. If you wait until September 20, the current cancellation window has already closed and your contract will automatically renew for another full billing cycle (e.g., 12 or 24 months) . Pro tip: If you know a project is temporary, you can schedule a cancellation for the end of the contract term ( at the end of the contract period / zum Ende der Vertragslaufzeit ) inside CCP during your very first week—your server stays active until the final paid day and will never auto-renew by accident. ### 8. What happens if I ignore an unpaid renewal invoice? Does netcup use collection agencies? Never abandon an active German hosting contract by simply ignoring invoices or blocking your payment method. Under German commercial contract law, an uncancelled contract remains legally binding. If an invoice goes unpaid for more than 30 days after reminder notices (Mahnungen), netcup forwards the debt to professional European collection agencies (such as Creditreform ), which add substantial late fees and collection surcharges. Always cancel properly in CCP at least 31 days in advance—it takes less than 60 seconds. ### 9. How does the 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee (Satisfaction Guarantee) work? New server orders come with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and statutory withdrawal period (Widerrufsrecht). If you test your server within the first 30 days and aren't satisfied with the performance or network routing, open the CCP portal (or submit a support ticket to support@netcup.de ) referencing your order number to exercise your 30-day money-back guarantee / contract withdrawal . Once processed, the contract is voided and your payment is refunded to your original payment method. --- ## 3. Product Lines & Hardware Architecture Selection ### 10. What is the difference between a netcup VPS and a Root Server (RS)? In short: VPS plans use shared vCores (built for variable/bursty workloads), while Root Servers provide dedicated physical CPU cores (built for sustained 24/7 heavy load) . VPS G12.5 : Shared vCores with strong single-thread burst speed, paired with enterprise SSD storage (or NVMe on ARM tiers) and a 1 Gbps port. Sustained 100% CPU saturation over long periods is subject to fair-use CPU scheduling. Root Server (RS) G12.5 : KVM virtualized servers with 100% dedicated AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) physical cores , dedicated DDR5 ECC RAM, pure PCIe NVMe RAID arrays (100k+ IOPS), and a 2.5 Gbps port. You can run all cores at 100% load 24/7 with zero CPU steal. ### 11. Why should multiplayer game servers and production databases always use a Root Server? Real-time game servers (Minecraft, Palworld, CS2, Rust) rely on a strict main tick loop that is highly sensitive to CPU scheduling jitter; noisy neighbors on a shared VPS can cause tick lag spikes. Similarly, high-concurrency PostgreSQL/MySQL databases require consistent low-latency 4K random write IOPS. A Root Server's dedicated Zen 5 cores and pure NVMe storage eliminate noisy-neighbor jitter completely. ### 12. Can the 1 GB RAM entry-level plan (VPS pico) run MySQL 8.0 or heavy control panels? No—running default MySQL 8.0 on a 1 GB RAM instance will quickly trigger the Linux OOM Killer and crash your database. MySQL 8.0 allocates 400–600 MB of RAM right at startup. For standard MySQL/PostgreSQL stacks, Docker Compose suites, or full web panels, start with at least 4 GB RAM (VPS 500 G12.5) . The 1 GB VPS pico is ideal for lightweight workloads like Caddy/Nginx, SQLite, Uptime Kuma, authoritative DNS, WireGuard, or compact Go/Rust binaries. ### 13. What if I need more disk space without upgrading to a pricier CPU/RAM tier? Simply attach Local Block Storage to your existing server! Priced at just €0.012 per GB per month (only €1.20/mo for 100 GB), Local Block Storage can be hot-mounted via the SCP panel up to 8 TB—saving you 50%–60% compared to upgrading your entire server plan just for storage. ### 14. Does netcup offer Windows Server templates? Official one-click templates cover major Linux distributions (Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, Rocky, Arch, etc.) and FreeBSD, without pre-licensed Windows images. However, you can mount any custom Windows Server / Windows 11 ISO via the virtual DVD drive in SCP (using VirtIO drivers) or deploy Windows via automated network installer scripts. --- ## 4. Global Datacenters, Routing & Bandwidth Rules ### 15. Which of the 5 netcup datacenters should I choose for my region? Match your datacenter to your primary user base: Europe & UK : Choose Nuremberg (NUE, Germany) , Vienna (VIE, Austria) , or Amsterdam (AMS, Netherlands) . All three offer 3–25 ms latency across Europe and the UK via direct peering at DE-CIX Frankfurt, VIX Vienna, and AMS-IX. Note that Nuremberg is netcup's flagship home location and is the only location available for promotional Root Servers. North & South America : Choose Manassas (MNZ, Virginia, US East) for ultra-low latency across the US East Coast (~5–25 ms), US West (~65 ms), Canada, and Latin America. Asia-Pacific & Australia : Choose Singapore (SIN) for Southeast Asia, India, Japan, and Australia. Note for mainland China traffic: netcup's Singapore PoP uses standard international peering without premium CN2/CUII China-direct routes, so traffic to mainland China often routes via the US West Coast (~280–350 ms); for direct Eurasian routing to China, Nuremberg (NUE, ~180–220 ms) is faster. ### 16. Is traffic truly unmetered? When does the fair-use bandwidth throttle kick in? All VPS and Root Server plans include unmetered traffic with €0 overage fees, governed by a transparent Fair-Use Policy : If your server's outbound traffic exceeds 2 TB within a rolling 24-hour window (equivalent to sustaining >185 Mbps continuously for 24 hours straight), your port speed is temporarily throttled to 200 Mbps. As soon as your 24-hour rolling usage drops below the threshold, full 1 Gbps / 2.5 Gbps port speed is restored automatically. ### 17. Why doesn't a single-thread speedtest saturate my full 1 Gbps / 2.5 Gbps port over long distances? Over transcontinental links with 80–180 ms RTT, default Linux TCP window scaling limits single-stream throughput. When testing with iperf3 across continents, add -P 8 (8 parallel streams) to verify physical port capacity. To maximize single-connection web and transfer speeds, enable Linux TCP BBR congestion control and tune socket buffer sizes using our Network & BBR Tuning Guide . --- ## 5. Daily Operations, Security & Control Panels ### 18. Why does netcup have two separate panels (CCP and SCP) with different passwords? netcup separates administrative billing from technical server operations so companies can grant sysadmins server access without exposing financial records: CCP (Customer Control Panel) : Handles billing, invoices, account profile, GDPR Data Processing Agreements (AVV), server transfers (PUSH), and contract cancellations. SCP (Server Control Panel) : Handles VM power controls, OS reinstallations, snapshots, firewall policies, rDNS, and the HTML5 KVM/VNC console. Each panel issues its own separate login credentials. ### 19. What should I do if a firewall rule or SSH misconfiguration locks me out of my server? Log in to the SCP panel , select your server, and open the Screen (HTML5 KVM/VNC) tab. This provides direct out-of-band console access—just like plugging a physical monitor and keyboard into the server—allowing you to log in locally as root and fix your firewall or sshd_config even when network SSH is unreachable. ### 20. Can I rely on SCP Snapshots as my sole production backup? No—local VM snapshots are not a replacement for off-site backups! SCP snapshots reside on the same storage pool as your virtual machine. While they are fantastic for quick rollbacks before an OS upgrade, true disaster recovery follows the 3-2-1 rule: either export your offline snapshots from SCP to external storage or run automated encrypted backups with restic or borg to an external S3 bucket or remote storage server. ### 21. How fast is netcup customer support, and what languages do they speak? Support operates in English and German via ticket system (and emergency phone hotline for critical faults). During German business hours (Monday–Friday CET/CEST), technical and billing tickets are handled efficiently by knowledgeable staff, typically within a few hours. Routine billing or general inquiries submitted over weekends or German public holidays are processed on the next business day, while 24/7 datacenter monitoring handles hardware or network incidents around the clock. --- ## 6. Voucher Codes, Seasonal Sales & Free Server Transfers (PUSH) ### 22. Why does a voucher code say "already redeemed" or "invalid"? Most model-specific netcup vouchers are single-use codes. If another buyer redeemed that exact code just before you, simply return to our Live Voucher Codes Page , expand the backup codes on that product card, and copy the next verified code in the list. ### 23. Why is the 30% Webhosting voucher considered one of netcup's best deals? While VPS and Root Server vouchers typically grant 1–2 free initial months, the Webhosting 2000/4000/8000 voucher provides a 30% lifetime recurring discount (Lebenslanger Rabatt) ! Every future renewal year continues at 30% off—and the plans include 3 to 10 free domains alongside NVMe/SSD storage and Plesk. ### 24. When is the best time of year to buy a netcup server? Black Week & Black Friday (late November) is netcup's largest annual event, featuring special-edition plans with doubled NVMe storage or RAM. For year-round production deployments, ordering a G12.5 plan on a 24-month term paired with a 1–2 months free voucher from our Vouchers Page delivers exceptional value right away. ### 25. Why did redeeming a voucher add a second server to my cart, or trigger a 15-second cooldown? Watch out for the "Duplicate Cart Item" quirk! Except for the universal 36nc... €5 discount voucher, all model-specific netcup vouchers (such as RS 1000 2-months-free or VPS 1000 1-month-free) automatically add a new discounted server of that model into your shopping cart . If you had already added the regular-priced server to your cart manually, you will see 2 servers in your cart (1 full-price + 1 discounted). Always delete the full-price item before submitting your order! If you see A voucher can only be redeemed every 15 seconds , simply wait 15 seconds before trying another code. If you see There is already a voucher in the shopping cart , click the trash icon next to the active voucher in your cart before applying a new one. ### 26. Can I transfer (PUSH) a netcup server to another user's account? Is there any transfer fee? Yes—netcup supports official account-to-account server transfers via Transfer Code (PUSH), and it is 100% FREE (€0 fee)! Ignore outdated forum rumors claiming a "€15 transfer fee"—generating a Transfer Code in CCP and receiving a server via PUSH costs nothing at all: Current Owner (Sender) : Log in to the CCP portal → open Products / Produkte → select the server → generate a Transfer Code and share it with the recipient. New Owner (Recipient) : Log in to their own netcup CCP account, enter the Transfer Code, and accept the server for free (€0 fee) , taking over the remaining contract term and future billing. This makes long-term contracts and rare Black Friday special plans highly flexible: if your project requirements change mid-contract, you can easily transfer the server to a colleague, client, or another community member at zero cost. ======================================================================== # netcup & European VPS Glossary: 30+ German & English Hosting Terms Explained - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/glossary/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/glossary/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/glossary/ - **Category**: Glossary - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Clear definitions of 30+ essential netcup, German contract, and Linux VPS terms: Gutschein, Kündigungsfrist, Widerrufsrecht, CCP, SCP, Root Server, vCore, CPU Steal Time, rDNS, fair-use, and 0% VAT. > **TL;DR**: This glossary explains over 30 technical and German legal/billing terms you will encounter when ordering and managing netcup servers. Each entry provides a concise definition alongside its real-world operational impact—covering hardware architecture (Root Server dedicated Zen 5 cores vs shared VPS vCores), control panels (CCP vs SCP), German contract law (Mindestvertragslaufzeit, 31-day Kündigungsfrist, Widerrufsrecht), and network engineering (DE-CIX peering, 2 TB/24h fair-use, rDNS/PTR). ## Key Facts - Hardware & Architecture: Distinguishes shared VPS vCores from 100% dedicated Root Server cores (AMD EPYC Zen 5) and explains CPU Steal Time (%st) - Control Panels & Ops: Covers CCP (billing & contracts), SCP (server management, VNC, snapshots, rDNS), and free CCP Transfer Codes (PUSH) - German Contract & Tax Terms: Translates Gutschein (voucher), Mindestvertragslaufzeit (minimum term), Kündigungsfrist (31-day notice), Widerrufsrecht (revocation), and 0% non-EU VAT - Networking & Diagnostics: Explains Looking Glass, DE-CIX / AMS-IX peering, MTR traceroutes, BBR, and the 2 TB / 24h bandwidth fair-use policy # netcup & European VPS Glossary (English–German Reference) Because netcup is a German infrastructure provider, you will frequently encounter German legal, billing, and technical terms inside the control panels, invoices, and community forums. Every entry below translates the term and explains **what it actually means for your server and wallet**. > Looking for step-by-step administration guides? Browse our [Knowledge Base](https://netcup.cheap/kb/) or check the [24 Common Questions FAQ](https://netcup.cheap/faq/). ## Products & Hardware Architecture ### VPS (Virtual Private Server) A virtualized server instance carved out of a physical hypervisor using KVM, with its own isolated OS kernel, IP address, and disk volume. netcup's x86 and ARM64 VPS lines use **shared vCores**, making them ideal for web servers, reverse proxies, and bursty workloads at a fraction of dedicated-core pricing. ### Root Server (Dedicated-Core KVM Server) netcup's flagship virtualized server tier where **100% of the assigned AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) CPU cores are dedicated to your instance** and never shared with neighbors, paired with DDR5 ECC RAM and pure NVMe storage. Ideal for production databases, CI/CD build nodes, game servers, and high-concurrency containers. ([Root Server Guide](https://netcup.cheap/products/root-server/)) ### vCore (Virtual CPU Core) A virtual CPU thread assigned to a VPS. On netcup VPS plans, vCores are **shared resources**: short bursts to 100% CPU are completely fine, but pinning all vCores at 100% 24/7 will trigger automated fair-use throttling. If your baseline CPU load exceeds 60% continuously, choose a Root Server instead. ### CPU Steal Time (`%st`) The percentage of time a virtual CPU waits for the physical hypervisor because another neighboring VM is using the physical core (visible in `top` or `htop`). On netcup Root Servers, `%st` is near 0%; on heavily oversold budget hosts like Contabo, high steal time causes severe application lag. ### ARM64 (VPS ARM Series) Cloud instances powered by 64-bit ARM processors (Ampere Altra platform) backed by pure NVMe storage. They offer outstanding price-per-core and energy efficiency, though all software and Docker containers must support the `linux/arm64` architecture (Windows is not supported). ### Local Block Storage Additional high-capacity disk volumes in the Nuremberg datacenter that can be attached directly to your server instance as a block device (`/dev/vdX`). Billed separately by capacity, ideal for media libraries and backup archives. ### Webhosting (Shared Managed Hosting) Managed web hosting packages that include free inclusive domains, Let's Encrypt SSL, SSH access, Ruby/Node.js/Python support, and 1-click WordPress installers—allowing you to host sites and business email without managing a Linux kernel. ## German Billing, Tax & Contract Law ### Gutschein (Voucher / Coupon Code) The German word for a promotional voucher code. Inside the netcup shopping cart, you redeem a `Gutschein` in the **Gutschein einlösen** field to claim free billing months, 30% lifetime webhosting discounts, or a €5 new-customer credit. ([Active Gutschein List](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/)) ### VAT / MwSt. (Value Added Tax / Mehrwertsteuer) Germany's standard Value Added Tax rate is **19% (`19% MwSt.`)**. netcup dynamically adjusts pricing based on your verified billing country: **customers outside the European Union (e.g., US, UK, Canada, Switzerland, APAC) pay 0% VAT (net price)**, saving ~19% compared to German gross prices. ([VAT & Payment Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/vat-payment/)) ### Net Price vs. Gross Price (Netto vs. Brutto) **Netto (Net)** is the price excluding VAT (paid by non-EU customers and EU businesses with a valid VAT ID via Reverse Charge). **Brutto (Gross)** includes the local EU VAT rate. Always check whether a price table quotes Netto or Brutto before comparing providers. ### Mindestvertragslaufzeit (Minimum Contract Term) The binding contract duration (`1`, `12`, or `24` months). Longer commitments unlock deep monthly discounts (~13% off on 12-month terms, ~26% off on 24-month terms). Under German law, fixed-term contracts cannot be terminated early simply because you stopped using the server. ### Kündigungsfrist (Cancellation Notice Period — 31 Days) The mandatory advance notice required to stop a contract from auto-renewing. At netcup, you must submit your cancellation in the CCP **at least 31 full calendar days before the current contract period ends**. Missing this deadline by even one day automatically extends the contract for another full term. ([Cancellation & Refund Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/)) ### Widerrufsrecht & 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee Your statutory consumer right of withdrawal (`Widerrufsrecht`, 14 days in the EU) plus netcup's voluntary **30-day satisfaction guarantee (`30-Tage-Geld-zurück-Garantie`)** on new hosting and server orders. Within 30 days of ordering, you can revoke the contract via CCP to receive a full refund to your original payment method (domains and select flash deals excluded). ### Grandfathered Pricing (Bestandsschutz) Under German contract law, existing active contracts keep their agreed monthly price and hardware specs upon renewal, even if netcup raises prices for new orders (such as the G12.5 update). Never cancel a rare Black Friday `Pro` or `Ultra` contract unless you are sure you no longer want that price lock. ### Transfer Code / Contract PUSH An official feature inside the CCP that lets an existing customer transfer an active server contract (including its IP addresses and grandfathered Black Friday pricing) to another netcup customer's CCP account at **€0 transfer fee**. ### Hourly Billing (Stundenabrechnung) Available on flexible G12/G12.5 configurations: billed at `monthly rate ÷ 720 hours`, allowing you to cancel at any time and receive a pro-rata refund for unused prepaid balance. ### Fair-Use Policy Contractual boundaries governing shared resources. netcup permits short 100% CPU bursts on VPS plans, but continuous 24/7 saturation (crypto mining, permanent video transcoding) leads to temporary CPU throttling. On network ports, exceeding an average of **2 TB of outbound traffic over a rolling 24-hour window** temporarily shapes port speed from 2.5 Gbps down to 200 Mbps without charging overage fees. ### SEPA Bank Transfer (Überweisung) Single Euro Payments Area bank transfer. Supported by netcup alongside PayPal and Visa/Mastercard; clears in 1–2 business days with zero transaction fees across Europe (and via Wise/Revolut EUR accounts). ## Control Panels & Server Administration ### CCP (Customer Control Panel) netcup's billing and account portal (`customercontrolpanel.de`). Used to manage personal details, view and pay invoices, order upgrades, generate Transfer Codes, and submit contract cancellations (`Kündigung`). ### SCP (Server Control Panel) netcup's technical infrastructure portal (`servercontrolpanel.de`). Used to start/stop/reboot instances, mount ISOs, reinstall Linux/BSD templates, manage snapshots, open the HTML5 VNC console, boot into the Rescue System, and configure rDNS. ([SCP Complete Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/)) ### Snapshot (Offline vs. Online) A point-in-time copy of your virtual disk managed inside SCP. **Offline snapshots** (taken while the server is powered off) guarantee 100% filesystem consistency, whereas **Online snapshots** run without downtime but may have uncommitted database buffers under heavy write load. Note: snapshots reside on the same storage cluster and do not replace offsite 3-2-1 backups. ### HTML5 VNC Console (KVM-over-IP) A browser-based virtual monitor and keyboard inside SCP that connects directly to your server's video output. Essential for emergency recovery when a broken firewall rule (`ufw`/`iptables`) or SSH misconfiguration locks you out of port 22. ### Rescue System (Rettungssystem) A live Debian-based recovery environment booted over the network via SCP. Allows you to mount your server's primary disk to repair GRUB bootloaders, reset forgotten `root` passwords, or copy critical data off a corrupted OS. ### rDNS / PTR Record (Reverse DNS) A DNS record mapping your server's IPv4 or IPv6 address back to your hostname (configured in SCP under *Network*). Matching forward (`A`/`AAAA`) and reverse (`PTR`) DNS is mandatory if you run a self-hosted mail server (`Postfix`/`Mailcow`) so Gmail and Outlook do not reject your emails. ### Custom ISO & DD Image Installation Mounting an official `.iso` image via SCP or writing a raw disk image directly onto the block device (`dd`) to run custom operating systems such as Windows Server, Proxmox VE, Alpine, or NixOS. **Warning: `dd` overwrites the entire disk.** ([Custom OS & DD Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/system/)) ### Partition Resize (`growpart` / `resize2fs`) When upgrading a server tier or deploying certain minimal templates, the root partition may not automatically fill the entire virtual disk. Running `growpart` and `resize2fs` (or `xfs_growfs`) expands the filesystem to use 100% of your allocated storage. ### fail2ban & SSH Hardening An intrusion-prevention daemon that scans `/var/log/auth.log` and automatically bans IP addresses attempting brute-force SSH logins. Together with SSH key authentication, it forms the baseline security checklist for any public server. ([Server Security Checklist](https://netcup.cheap/kb/security/)) ## Networking, Peering & Diagnostics ### Looking Glass & Test IPs Public diagnostic endpoints operated by a hosting provider across its datacenters (Nuremberg, Vienna, Amsterdam, Manassas US) so prospective buyers can test ping latency, routing hops, and test-file download speeds before ordering. ([Datacenter Speedtest & Looking Glass](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/)) ### DE-CIX & AMS-IX Peering Europe's premier Internet Exchange Points in Frankfurt (`DE-CIX`) and Amsterdam (`AMS-IX`). netcup peers directly at major European IXPs with over 2 Tbps of external capacity, ensuring ultra-low 1–10 ms latency across Central and Western Europe. ### TCP BBR Congestion Control A modern TCP congestion control algorithm developed by Google (`net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control = bbr`). Compared to the legacy `cubic` default, BBR significantly improves throughput and reduces latency spikes over transatlantic (EU-to-US) and intercontinental links. ### MTR (My Traceroute) A network diagnostic tool combining `ping` and `traceroute` to continuously measure packet loss and latency jitter at every router hop between your client and the server. Essential for distinguishing local ISP congestion from backbone routing issues. ### IOPS & `fio` **Input/Output Operations Per Second**, typically measured with the Linux `fio` benchmark tool using 4K random read/write workloads. Unlike sequential MB/s numbers, 4K random IOPS determine how fast databases (`PostgreSQL`, `Redis`) and Docker builds perform in real life. ### `iperf3` The industry-standard command-line tool for measuring maximum achievable TCP and UDP bandwidth between two servers, used to verify your 2.5 Gbps port throughput. ### 2 TB / 24h Bandwidth Rule netcup's transparent traffic policy: all VPS and Root Servers include **unmetered monthly traffic**, and your 2.5 Gbps port is only throttled to 200 Mbps if your rolling 24-hour outbound average exceeds 2 TB (you are never billed surprise overage fees). ### DDoS Protection (Always-On Mitigation) Automated network-edge traffic scrubbing included free of charge across all netcup datacenters to filter volumetric L3/L4 flood attacks before they reach your virtual NIC. ## Related Reading - [Knowledge Base Directory](https://netcup.cheap/kb/) - [Server Lineup & Pricing Tables](https://netcup.cheap/products/) - [24 Frequently Asked Questions](https://netcup.cheap/faq/) ======================================================================== # netcup SCP Control Panel Guide (VNC Console, Custom ISO, Snapshot Export & rDNS) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/guide/scp/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/guide/scp/ - **Category**: Guides - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Complete hands-on guide to the netcup Server Control Panel (SCP): mounting custom ISOs and changing Boot Order, offline vs. online snapshots, free .raw.zst snapshot exports with zstd, VNC emergency GRUB rescue, and FCrDNS/PTR setup. > **TL;DR**: The netcup Server Control Panel (SCP) manages virtual hardware, power states, storage, and networking for VPS and Root Servers, using separate login credentials from the billing-focused CCP. Key workflows include: mounting custom ISOs (go to Media -> DVD Drive and move DVD Drive to the top in General -> Boot Order), taking crash-consistent offline snapshots and exporting them for free as .raw.zst disk images, using the HTML5 VNC console for emergency GRUB root password recovery, and configuring forward-confirmed rDNS (PTR records) for reliable email delivery. ## Key Facts - Dual-Panel Separation: SCP controls virtual hardware and OS operations (power, ISOs, snapshots, VNC), while CCP manages billing and contracts with separate passwords - Custom ISO Boot Rule: After mounting an ISO under Media -> DVD Drive, you must move DVD Drive above Hard Disk in General -> Boot Order - Database Snapshot Best Practice: Always use Offline Snapshots for production databases so filesystem buffers are cleanly flushed to disk - Free Snapshot Export: Download exported .raw.zst images and decompress them with zstd -d into standard RAW disk images for off-site backups or migration - Email rDNS (PTR): Set your IPv4 and IPv6 PTR records under Network -> IPs so they match your domain's A/AAAA records (FCrDNS) # Complete Guide to the netcup Server Control Panel (SCP) netcup separates customer administration into two dedicated portals following classic German engineering principles: * **CCP (Customer Control Panel, [customercontrolpanel.de](https://www.customercontrolpanel.de/))**: Handles billing, invoices, contract upgrades, and cancellations. * **SCP (Server Control Panel, [servercontrolpanel.de](https://www.servercontrolpanel.de/))**: Controls the underlying KVM hypervisor interface, virtual power state, storage media, snapshots, networking, and HTML5 VNC console. Each panel uses its own password (though you can jump from CCP to SCP with one click via **Auto-Login SCP**). If you are used to all-in-one cloud dashboards, SCP's utilitarian interface hides several powerful low-level tools. This guide covers every essential SCP feature so you can manage, rescue, back up, and migrate your servers with confidence. --- ## 1. SCP Dashboard Navigation & Tab Overview After logging into SCP, you will see a list of all active VPS and Root Server instances. Click any server to open its management view: | SCP Tab | German / English Label | Primary Functions & Use Cases | | --- | --- | --- | | **General** | Allgemein / General | View IP/MAC addresses, set server nickname, configure **Boot Order** (`Hard Disk` vs. `DVD Drive`) | | **Media** | Medien / Media | One-click official OS reinstallation, mount official or custom **ISO images**, create/restore/export **Snapshots** | | **Screen** | Bildschirm / Screen | **HTML5 VNC Console** with out-of-band video output and virtual keystroke injection | | **Access** | Zugriff / Access | Reset official image `root` password, manage pre-installed SSH public keys | | **Network** | Netzwerk / Network | **Configure rDNS (PTR records)**, inspect virtual NIC state, view monthly traffic graphs | | **Rescue** | Rettungssystem / Rescue | Boot into netcup's live Linux RAM rescue environment to repair broken filesystems | | **Extension** | Erweiterung / Extension | Attach and manage Local Block Storage volumes | --- ## 2. Mounting Custom ISOs (Proxmox VE, Alpine, Arch, FreeBSD, Windows) If you want to install an operating system not included in netcup's automated one-click image templates—such as Proxmox VE, Alpine Linux, NixOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, or a licensed Windows Server ISO—you can use SCP's virtual DVD drive. ### The 3-Step ISO Mount & Boot Workflow #### Step 1: Mount the ISO File 1. Open your server in SCP and navigate to **`Media` -> `DVD Drive`**. 2. Choose one of two sources: * **Official ISO Library**: Select from pre-cached ISOs including FreeBSD, Arch Linux, Gentoo, Alpine, Debian netinst, and GParted Live. * **Own Image (Custom ISO / FTP Upload)**: Provide a direct HTTP/HTTPS download URL to an ISO or upload your custom ISO image via the temporary FTP credentials shown on the page. 3. Click **`Insert DVD`** to attach the optical media to your KVM instance. #### Step 2: Change the Boot Order (Crucial Step!) Mounting the ISO alone will not boot from it if your virtual hard disk remains first in the boot sequence: 1. Switch to **`General` -> `Boot Order`**. 2. Move **`DVD Drive`** to the very top of the list, above `Hard Disk`. 3. Click **`Save Boot Order`**. #### Step 3: Reboot and Complete Installation via VNC 1. Trigger an **`ACPI Restart`** or **`Force Reset`** from the power menu. 2. Immediately open the **`Screen` (VNC Console)** tab. You will see your server boot straight into the ISO installer. 3. Walk through the OS installation as normal. > **Important Post-Installation Cleanup**: > Once your new OS is installed, return to **`Media` -> `DVD Drive`** and click **`Eject DVD`**, then set **`General` -> `Boot Order`** back to `Hard Disk` first. Otherwise, your server will boot back into the installer every time it restarts! --- ## 3. HTML5 VNC Console (`Screen`) & Emergency Rescue Tricks If an accidental firewall rule (`ufw` / `nftables` / `iptables`) or a typo in `/etc/ssh/sshd_config` locks you out of SSH, the **`Screen`** tab provides direct out-of-band console access to your KVM virtual machine. ### 1. Avoid Triggering Local Keyboard Shortcuts When trying to reboot a server inside the VNC browser window, pressing `Ctrl + Alt + Del` on your physical keyboard will lock your local Windows PC instead of rebooting the remote server. * **Best Practice**: Click the **`Send Ctrl+Alt+Del`** button in the top toolbar of the SCP VNC window to inject the key combination directly into the remote KVM guest. ### 2. Reset a Forgotten Root Password via GRUB Single-User Mode Because SCP gives you full BIOS/GRUB console visibility via VNC, you can recover a lost `root` password in under two minutes: 1. Issue a reboot and watch the **`Screen`** console closely. 2. As soon as the **GRUB boot menu** appears, press an arrow key to pause the countdown, then press **`e`** to edit the boot entry. 3. Find the kernel line starting with `linux` or `linux16`, move the cursor to the end of that line, add a space, and append: ```text init=/bin/bash ``` 4. Press **`Ctrl + X`** or **`F10`** to boot. The kernel will bypass standard authentication and drop you directly into a root bash shell. 5. Remount the root filesystem as read-write and set a new password: ```bash mount -o remount,rw / passwd root exec /sbin/init ``` Your new root password is saved and the server will resume normal multi-user boot. --- ## 4. Snapshots: Offline vs. Online & Free `.raw.zst` Export SCP includes built-in KVM snapshot management under **`Media` -> `Snapshots`**—your best safety net before major kernel upgrades or database migrations. ### 1. Offline Snapshots vs. Online Snapshots * **Online Snapshot**: Captures disk state while the VM continues running. * **Risk**: If PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, or Redis is actively writing transactions, uncommitted in-memory pages may not be flushed to disk, resulting in a crash-inconsistent snapshot. * **Offline Snapshot (Strongly Recommended)**: Gracefully powers down or pauses the VM for 1–3 minutes, takes a clean block-level snapshot, and boots the server back up. * **Benefit**: 100% filesystem and database transactional consistency. ### 2. Free Snapshot Export (Off-Site Backup & Cross-Provider Migration) One of netcup's most underrated features is **free snapshot exporting (`Export Snapshot`)**: 1. After creating a snapshot, click **`Export`** next to the snapshot entry. 2. SCP packages the entire virtual disk in the background and generates a temporary direct HTTP download link for a compressed `.raw.zst` archive (e.g., `snapshot.raw.zst`). 3. Download the archive to your local NAS, backup server, or another cloud host. 4. Decompress the archive into a standard raw disk image using `zstd`: ```bash # Install zstd decompression utility apt install -y zstd # Decompress the snapshot into a raw disk image zstd -d snapshot.raw.zst -o my_backup.raw ``` 5. You can mount `my_backup.raw` locally via loop device (`losetup -Pf my_backup.raw`) to extract individual files, or write it via `dd` onto any KVM server at another provider for a bit-identical migration. --- ## 5. Configuring rDNS (`PTR` Reverse DNS) for Email Deliverability If your server sends outbound email—whether running a full mail stack (Mailcow, Postfix, Stalwart) or sending transactional notifications—you **must** configure proper Reverse DNS (`rDNS` / `PTR`). Major providers like Gmail, Microsoft 365/Outlook, Yahoo, and Fastmail automatically reject or spam-folder messages sent from IPs with generic default PTR hostnames. ### Step-by-Step FCrDNS Setup 1. **Create your Forward DNS (`A` and `AAAA`) records first**: In your DNS provider (e.g., Cloudflare, Route53, Hetzner DNS), point your mail hostname (e.g., `mail.yourdomain.com`) to your netcup server's IPv4 address (`A` record) and IPv6 address (`AAAA` record, e.g., `2a03:4000:xx:xx::1`). 2. **Set matching PTR records in SCP**: * Open **`Network` -> `IPs`** in SCP. * Click the edit icon (`rDNS`) next to your IPv4 address and your IPv6 address. * Replace the default hostname (`v22026xxxx.yourvserver.net`) with **`mail.yourdomain.com`**. * Save your changes. 3. **Verify Forward-Confirmed Reverse DNS (FCrDNS)**: Test your IP from any terminal using `dig`: ```bash dig -x 203.0.113.10 +short ``` The output must match `mail.yourdomain.com.`, confirming bidirectional DNS alignment. ======================================================================== # netcup Beginner's Buying & 0% VAT Setup Guide (CCP & SCP Walkthrough) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/guide/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/guide/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/guide/ - **Category**: Guides - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Complete step-by-step netcup ordering and setup guide: redeeming vouchers without cart duplicates, automatic 0% VAT for non-EU buyers (US/UK/CA/AU/SG) & EU VAT Reverse Charge, instant no-KYC approval, paying invoices in CCP via PayPal/card, SCP server control, SSH login, and the 31-day cancellation rule. > **TL;DR**: How to order and set up a netcup server smoothly: (1) Disable all VPNs and proxies so your residential IP matches your billing country for instant automated approval without KYC; (2) Select your server plan, datacenter, and contract term, then redeem a voucher code in the shopping cart (removing any duplicate un-discounted item if a product voucher adds a second entry); (3) Enter your accurate residential address—non-EU countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, etc.) and non-German EU businesses with a valid VAT ID (Reverse Charge) automatically receive 0% VAT net pricing; (4) Submit the order and receive your CCP customer number, initial password, and invoice by email within minutes; (5) Log into the Customer Control Panel (CCP) and pay the invoice via PayPal (bill in EUR to avoid conversion markup) or credit card; (6) Receive your separate Server Control Panel (SCP) credentials and root password to connect via SSH. Note: netcup contracts auto-renew by default—cancel at least 31 days before expiration in CCP if you no longer need the server. ## Key Facts - Automatic 0% VAT: Non-EU buyers (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, CH) and EU businesses with a valid VAT ID (Reverse Charge) automatically pay 0% VAT net prices (saving ~19%) - Anti-Fraud Rule: Order directly from your real residential IP without a VPN or proxy so your IP country matches your billing address for instant no-KYC approval - Voucher Cart Tip: Product-specific free-month vouchers may add a discounted item to your cart—always check and remove any duplicate un-discounted item before checkout - Dual-Panel Architecture: CCP manages invoices, contracts, and cancellations; SCP ([SCP Manual](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/)) manages power, OS images, snapshots, and VNC with separate credentials - 31-Day Cancellation Window: All contracts auto-renew unless cancelled in CCP at least 31 days before the current billing period ends # netcup Beginner's Buying & Setup Guide: From 0% VAT Ordering to SSH Login Many developers and sysadmins ordering from **netcup** (one of Germany's most respected hosting providers) for the first time expect a typical hourly cloud console like AWS, DigitalOcean, or Hetzner Cloud. Because netcup operates on traditional German contract and invoice workflows, first-time buyers often run into avoidable issues: **paying 19% VAT unnecessarily, duplicating items in the cart when redeeming vouchers, wondering where to pay the invoice, mixing up CCP and SCP passwords, or missing the 31-day cancellation deadline**. This step-by-step guide walks you through the entire lifecycle: **pre-order network checks, choosing a server and datacenter, redeeming voucher codes cleanly, unlocking automatic 0% VAT, receiving your CCP credentials without KYC delays, paying invoices in EUR, managing your server in SCP ([SCP Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/)), connecting via SSH, and avoiding auto-renewal pitfalls** (see our [EN/DE Hosting Glossary](https://netcup.cheap/glossary/) for German billing terms and [Community Reviews](https://netcup.cheap/reviews/) for real-world feedback). Figure: Standard 5-step netcup workflow from plan selection and 0% VAT checkout to CCP invoice payment and SCP provisioning --- ## Essential Rules: 4 Things You Must Know Before Ordering Before placing your first order, take two minutes to understand how netcup's platform works: > 1. You cannot register an empty account: netcup does not have a standalone "Sign Up" page. New customer accounts are created during the checkout process when you order your first product. 2. Strict IP vs. billing address anti-fraud checks: Never use a VPN, proxy, or datacenter IP when placing your order! Your connection IP must match the country of your residential billing address. Ordering from a German VPN while entering a US or UK address will trigger manual fraud review or incorrect VAT calculation. 3. CCP and SCP are two separate control panels: The Customer Control Panel (CCP) handles invoices, payment methods, contracts, and cancellations. The Server Control Panel (SCP) handles server power, OS reinstallations, snapshots, VNC console, and rDNS. Each panel has its own independent password sent in separate emails. 4. Contracts auto-renew with a mandatory 31-day notice period: Every netcup server contract renews automatically at the end of its billing cycle. If you do not wish to renew, you must submit a cancellation in CCP at least 31 days before the current period ends . --- ## Step 1: Pre-Order Checklist & Network Preparation Before opening the netcup website, verify the following three items: 1. **Turn off all VPNs and proxies**: Make sure your browser connects directly through your home or office ISP so netcup detects your true country IP. 2. **Prepare your payment method**: - **Recommended**: **PayPal** or an international **Credit / Debit Card** (Visa or MasterCard with 3D Secure enabled). - **Pro Tip for non-EUR buyers**: Invoices are billed in Euros (`EUR`). When paying via PayPal or card, always choose to be charged in **EUR** and let your card issuer handle currency conversion (especially with zero-FX cards like Wise, Revolut, Capital One, or Monzo) rather than using PayPal's built-in currency conversion. 3. **Use an accurate street address**: Prepare your real residential or business street address including a specific building or house number and valid postal/ZIP code. --- ## Step 2: Choose Your Server Line, Datacenter & Contract Term Visit the [official netcup store](https://www.netcup.com/en?ref=258418) and select the server line that fits your workload (you can also compare specs in our [Product Overview](https://netcup.cheap/products/) or run the interactive [VPS Chooser](https://netcup.cheap/tools/vps-chooser/)): - **VPS Series (Shared vCore)**: Powered by AMD EPYC processors, DDR5 ECC RAM, and enterprise SSD RAID10 (or NVMe on ARM64 plans). Ideal for web hosting, Docker stacks, CI/CD runners, reverse proxies, and development environments. Best-value starters: **VPS 500 G12.5** or **VPS 1000 G12.5**. - **Root Server Series (Dedicated Physical Cores)**: Full KVM virtualization with 100% dedicated AMD EPYC Zen4/Zen5 CPU cores and high-IOPS NVMe storage. Built for production databases, high-traffic web apps, game servers, compilation, and sustained 24/7 CPU workloads. Best-value sweet spot: **RS 1000 G12.5**. - **Key Configuration Options**: - **Datacenter Location**: - **Nuremberg (Germany)** & **Vienna (Austria)** & **Amsterdam (Netherlands)**: Best for Europe and the UK (5–20 ms latency). Nuremberg is netcup's flagship primary facility. - **Manassas, Virginia (US-East)**: Best for North & South America (10–65 ms across the US and eastern Canada). - **Singapore**: Best for Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Australia/Oceania (see our [Datacenter Speedtest & Looking Glass Guide](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) to test routes from your ISP first). - **Contract Period**: Choose between **1 month** (maximum flexibility), **12 months** (~13% monthly discount), or **24 months** (~26% monthly discount). Click **Order now** to add your chosen configuration to the shopping cart. --- ## Step 3: Redeem Vouchers Cleanly & Unlock Automatic 0% VAT Inside the Shopping Cart (`Checkout`), review your items and apply a voucher code before proceeding: 1. Locate the **Voucher / Gutscheincode** input field in the cart; 2. Visit our [Live Verified Coupons Page](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) and copy a matching voucher code: - **€5.00 New Customer Discount Voucher**: Instant €5.00 credit off your first invoice on almost any product; - **Free Month Product Vouchers**: Waives 1 or 2 months of base fees on specific plans (e.g., 2 months free on RS 1000 G12.5); - **30% Lifetime Webhosting Vouchers**: Permanent 30% recurring discount on Webhosting 2000/4000/8000 plans; 3. Paste the code and click **Redeem**. > Crucial Cart Check: Avoid Duplicate Items When Redeeming Product Vouchers! If you first added a server (e.g., RS 1000 G12.5) to your cart and then redeemed a model-specific free-month voucher , netcup's cart system may automatically insert a second RS 1000 entry with the voucher discount attached. Always inspect the item quantity in your cart: if you see two servers listed, delete the un-discounted item and keep only the entry showing the voucher discount! > How Automatic 0% VAT Works for International & Business Buyers: netcup calculates Value Added Tax (VAT) strictly based on your Billing Address Country and tax status: Non-EU Countries (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, etc.) : The system automatically applies 0% VAT net pricing —saving you 19% compared to German gross prices, with zero paperwork required. EU Businesses Outside Germany (EU Reverse Charge) : Select Business / Company during registration and enter your valid EU VAT ID (VIES-validated). Your invoice will automatically switch to 0% VAT under the EU Reverse Charge mechanism . EU Private Individuals & German Customers : Billed at the statutory VAT rate of your EU country of residence (e.g., 19% in Germany, 20% in Austria, 21% in the Netherlands/Spain). Note: While browsing the store before logging in, netcup may display prices including 19% German VAT by default. As soon as you select a non-EU country in Step 4, the Final Order Summary will recalculate your total to 0.00% Tax (Net Price). Once your cart shows the right configuration and voucher discount, click **Continue to order**. --- ## Step 4: Fill Out Your Customer Profile for Instant Automated Approval Select **Register new account** and complete the registration form using standard Latin characters (`A–Z`, `0–9`): | Form Field | Best Practice & Formatting Rule | Example | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Customer Type** | Choose **Private individual** (or **Organisation / Company** only if entering a valid business registration / EU VAT ID) | `Private individual` | | **First Name** | Your legal first name matching your payment method | `Alex` | | **Last Name** | Your legal surname matching your payment method | `Miller` | | **Street and house number** | **Critical**: Include both your street name and specific building/house number | `742 Evergreen Terrace` | | **Postal Code** | Valid ZIP or postal code matching your city | `10001` | | **City** | Your city or town name | `New York` | | **Country** | **Critical**: Select your true country of residence (matching your current IP and payment method) | `United States` / `United Kingdom` | | **E-Mail Address** | Reliable primary email address (Gmail, Outlook, ProtonMail, or corporate domain) | `alex.miller@example.com` | | **Phone Number** | Valid mobile number in international format with country code | `+12125550199` | Click **Save address** to proceed to the final **Order Summary** page. On the Summary page, verify: - **Tax Rate**: Confirmed as **0.00%** (for non-EU countries or valid EU Reverse Charge VAT IDs) or your local EU VAT rate; - **Total Amount**: Reflects the net price minus your redeemed voucher. Check the Terms & Conditions boxes and click **Order at charge** to submit your order. --- ## Step 5: Receive Your CCP Credentials & Invoice (Instant Automated Setup) > Streamlined Onboarding: Instant Account Creation Without Webcam KYC! Older forum posts sometimes mention mandatory webcam identity verification or upfront prepayment delays. For orders placed cleanly from a residential IP that matches your billing address, netcup's automated system provisions your customer account immediately without manual ID uploads or webcam checks . You ordering on invoice (Post-Checkout Invoice): you submit the order first, receive your CCP login and invoice via email, and then pay inside the panel. Check your email inbox (and your **Spam / Junk folder** just in case). Within 2 to 5 minutes, you will receive three emails: 1. **Order Confirmation (`Order Confirmation / IHR AUFTRAG`)**: Confirms your order number and selected server specifications; 2. **CCP Login Credentials (`Your login credentials for the netcup CCP`)**: - Contains your numeric **Customer Number** (e.g., `123456`); - Contains your auto-generated **Initial Password** for the Customer Control Panel; 3. **Invoice Email (`Your Invoice from netcup`)**: Includes the PDF invoice for your first billing cycle. --- ## Step 6: Log Into CCP and Pay Your First Invoice Now that you have your CCP credentials, log in to pay your open invoice and trigger automatic server deployment: ### 1. Log Into the Customer Control Panel (CCP) 1. Open [https://www.customercontrolpanel.de](https://www.customercontrolpanel.de); 2. Enter your **Customer Number** and **Initial Password** from the email; 3. Enter the one-time **Email 2FA security code** sent to your inbox; 4. If prompted on first login, accept the standard Data Processing Agreement to access the main dashboard. ### 2. Pay the Open Invoice 1. In the left navigation menu of CCP, click **Invoices** (`Rechnungen`); 2. Locate your newly generated invoice under **Outstanding / Unpaid Invoices**; 3. Click the **Pay now** icon next to the invoice and choose your payment method: - **PayPal**: Instant confirmation, triggers server provisioning immediately; - **Credit / Debit Card**: Visa, MasterCard, or American Express via 3D Secure. > Save 3%–5% on Foreign Exchange Fees: If your bank account or card is in USD, GBP, CAD, AUD, or SGD, PayPal will offer to convert the EUR invoice using PayPal's own exchange rate. Always change the currency option in PayPal checkout to pay in the merchant's currency ( EUR ) and let your card issuer handle the conversion—PayPal's conversion spread typically adds a 3.5%–4.5% markup over the mid-market rate. Once payment completes, the invoice status in CCP immediately changes to **Paid**. --- ## Step 7: Receive Your SCP Credentials & Server IP (Automated Provisioning) As soon as your first invoice is marked **Paid**, netcup's provisioning system allocates your KVM instance, configures networking, and installs the default Linux image. Within **5 to 15 minutes**, you will receive two more emails: 1. **`Access data for SCP`**: Contains the login URL and **dedicated password for the Server Control Panel (SCP)**; 2. **Server Delivery Confirmation**: Contains your public **IPv4 address**, **IPv6 `/64` subnet**, hostname, and initial **root password**. ### Quick Reference: CCP vs. SCP Responsibilities | Control Panel | Official URL | Primary Responsibilities | Login Credentials | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **CCP (Customer Control Panel)** | `customercontrolpanel.de` | Billing, invoices, payment methods, support tickets, contract upgrades, **31-day cancellations** | Customer Number + **CCP Password** | | **SCP (Server Control Panel)** | `servercontrolpanel.de` | Power cycle/reboot, OS reinstall, custom ISO mount, snapshots, HTML5 VNC console, rDNS (PTR) | Customer Number + **Separate SCP Password** | *Shortcut: While logged into CCP, open **Products** -> select your server -> click **Auto-Login SCP** to jump directly into the SCP dashboard without typing a second password.* --- ## Step 8: First SSH Connection & Initial Server Hardening With your IPv4 address and initial `root` password in hand, connect to your new server from your local terminal. ### 1. Connect via SSH Open your built-in terminal (**Windows Terminal / PowerShell** on Windows 10/11, or **Terminal** on macOS and Linux) and run: ```bash ssh root@203.0.113.10 ``` *(Replace `203.0.113.10` with your actual server IPv4 address.)* - Type `yes` and press Enter when prompted to trust the server's ED25519/RSA host key fingerprint; - Paste the initial `root` password from your email (`Right-Click` or `Ctrl+Shift+V` in Windows Terminal) and press Enter; - **Note**: Linux terminals intentionally hide password characters (no asterisks or cursor movement) while typing or pasting. Just paste once and hit Enter. ### 2. Three Recommended First Actions After Login #### (1) Change the default root password immediately ```bash passwd ``` Enter a strong custom password twice (or better yet, set up SSH Ed25519 key authentication). #### (2) Update system repositories and installed packages ```bash apt update && apt upgrade -y ``` #### (3) Verify or enable Linux TCP BBR congestion control Modern Debian/Ubuntu kernels include Google's BBR congestion control, which significantly improves throughput across transatlantic and transcontinental links: ```bash # Append BBR configuration to sysctl echo "net.core.default_qdisc=fq" >> /etc/sysctl.conf echo "net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control=bbr" >> /etc/sysctl.conf # Apply changes immediately sysctl -p # Verify BBR is active (output should include 'bbr') sysctl net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control ``` *For full production hardening (SSH keys, UFW firewall, and Fail2ban), follow our [VPS Security Hardening Checklist](https://netcup.cheap/kb/security/). To install a clean OS image or custom ISO, read our [Clean OS Reinstall & Custom ISO Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/system/).* --- ## Step 9: Contract Cancellation (31-Day Notice) & 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee German hosting contracts treat server subscriptions as formal service agreements rather than disposable prepaid instances. Keep these two rules in mind to protect your wallet: ### 1. The 31-Day Cancellation Notice Rule (`Kündigung`) - All netcup contracts **auto-renew by default** for another billing term unless explicitly cancelled; - To stop renewal, you **must submit a cancellation in CCP at least 31 days before the current contract period expires**; - **How to cancel in CCP**: 1. Log into [CCP](https://www.customercontrolpanel.de); 2. Click **Contracts** (`Verträge`) in the left sidebar; 3. Select the server you want to cancel and click **Cancel** (`Kündigung`); 4. Choose **End of contract term** as the effective date and confirm; 5. Save your cancellation confirmation email. - Never simply abandon an unwanted server without cancelling in CCP—unpaid renewal invoices will accumulate late payment reminders (`Mahnung`). See our [Refund, Cancellation & Renewal Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/) for full details. ### 2. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee for New Customers - netcup offers a **30-day satisfaction money-back guarantee** on standard products for new customers; - If the server's hardware or network routing does not meet your needs within the first 30 days, open a support request under **Help / Support** in CCP citing the 30-day money-back guarantee to terminate the contract and receive a refund to your original payment method. --- ## Troubleshooting & Frequently Asked Questions ### Q1: Why does the website show 19% VAT while browsing, and how do I get 0% VAT? VAT is finalized based on the Country selected in your billing address during checkout. Before you log in or enter an address, the storefront shows default German gross prices (including 19% VAT). Once you select a non-EU country (such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or Singapore) in Step 4—or enter a valid non-German EU business VAT ID—the Order Summary page automatically removes the 19% tax and bills you at 0.00% VAT net pricing . ### Q2: Why did two servers appear in my shopping cart after I entered a voucher code? Model-specific free-month vouchers (such as RS 1000 or VPS 1000 free-month codes) work by automatically adding the discounted product directly into your shopping cart. If you had already clicked "Order now" on the product page beforehand, you will end up with two servers in your cart—one at full price and one with the voucher discount. Simply click the trash/delete icon next to the un-discounted item before checking out. ### Q3: Do I need to complete webcam KYC or upload a passport after ordering? No, not when ordering cleanly without a VPN. As long as you place your order from a standard residential ISP connection whose country matches your billing address and payment method, netcup's automated verification approves your account in minutes without webcam checks or document uploads. ### Q4: Why isn't my CCP password working on the SCP panel? CCP ( customercontrolpanel.de ) and SCP ( servercontrolpanel.de ) use completely separate credentials. Check your inbox for the email titled "Access data for SCP" for your SCP password, or click the Auto-Login SCP button inside CCP's product view. ### Q5: Nothing happens on screen when I type or paste my password in SSH. Is it frozen? No—this is standard Linux/OpenSSH security behavior. The terminal hides all characters (including asterisks) while entering a password. Paste your password once and press Enter to log in. --- ## Next Steps After Provisioning Now that your server is up and running, explore these practical guides: - [Complete SCP Control Panel Manual](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/): Mount custom ISOs, use the HTML5 VNC rescue console, export `.raw.zst` snapshots, and configure rDNS; - [VPS Security Hardening Checklist](https://netcup.cheap/kb/security/): Configure Ed25519 SSH keys, disable root password logins, and set up UFW + Fail2ban; - [VPS Benchmark & Hardware Verification Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/benchmark/): Test your CPU single-core/multi-core speeds and NVMe IOPS with YABS and Geekbench 6; - [12 Practical Self-Hosting Use Cases for a netcup VPS](https://netcup.cheap/kb/usecases/): Deploy Docker stacks, reverse proxies, private cloud storage, and monitoring tools. ======================================================================== # netcup.cheap | Independent netcup Knowledge Base, Vouchers & Buying Guide - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/ - **Category**: Home - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: netcup.cheap is the independent guide to German cloud & hosting provider netcup: live-verified voucher codes, G12.5 VPS & Root Server comparisons, 0% VAT tax-free billing guide, SCP manual, and global latency benchmarks. > **TL;DR**: netcup.cheap is an independent documentation and voucher portal dedicated to German hosting provider netcup GmbH (part of the Austrian Anexia Group). It provides live-verified voucher codes (€5 new-customer discount, 1–2 months free on G12.5 VPS & Root Servers, and 30% lifetime recurring discounts on Webhosting), alongside practical guides covering 0% VAT tax-free checkout for non-EU residents and EU Reverse Charge businesses, CCP/SCP dual-panel administration, G12.5 AMD EPYC Zen 5 benchmarks, and Germany's 31-day cancellation notice rules. ## Key Facts - Brand & Datacenters: Established German provider founded in Karlsruhe (2003, part of Anexia Group), operating 5 datacenters in Nuremberg (NUE), Vienna (VIE), Amsterdam (AMS), Manassas (MNZ, US East), and Singapore (SIN) - Flagship Plans & Net Pricing: Entry-level VPS pico from €1.85/mo, mainstream VPS 500 G12.5 from €5.90/mo, and dedicated-core Root Server 500 G12.5 (AMD EPYC Zen 5) from €9.24/mo - 0% VAT Tax-Free Policy: Non-EU residents (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, etc.) automatically receive 0% VAT net pricing (~19% cheaper than German gross prices), while EU businesses with a valid VAT ID qualify for 0% VAT via EU Reverse Charge - Streamlined Provisioning: Direct residential orders skip manual webcam KYC; once your order is processed, log in to the CCP portal and pay via PayPal (in native EUR), credit card, or SEPA transfer for automated provisioning - German Contract Rules: Contracts auto-renew by default; to stop renewal, submit a cancellation in CCP at least 31 days before the end of your billing term Independent netcup Guide · Live Vouchers & G12.5 Pricing # Master netcup Cloud Hosting: Verified Vouchers & Server Guide Built for international developers and sysadmins: **the practical netcup documentation hub & live voucher tracker**. We verify active promo codes 24/7 and cover G12.5 AMD EPYC Zen 5 benchmarks, 0% VAT billing (non-EU & EU Reverse Charge), SCP panel guides, and free CCP server transfers. [Get Active Vouchers](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) [Buying Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/) [Compare Plans](https://netcup.cheap/products/) **12+**Active Promo Deals **0% VAT**Non-EU & EU VAT ID **30-Day**Money-Back Policy **Zen 5**AMD EPYC 9645 CPU ## Popular Voucher Codes Live Verified [View All →](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) Click any voucher code on the right to copy it, or click "Redeem" to auto-fill it directly in the official netcup shopping cart: | Offer / Plan | Discount | Eligibility | Verified Voucher Codes (Pick One) | Working Rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | €5 New Customer Voucher | €5 Instant Discount (1st Order) | All Products · New Customers Only | `36nc17833646274`, `36nc17833646273`, `36nc17833646272` | 100% | | RS 1000 G12.5 | 2 Months Free (First 2 Months €0) | Root Server 1000 · New & Existing Customers | `6874nc17918855580`, `6874nc17918071360`, `6874nc17917267000` | 100% | | RS 2000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | Root Server 2000 · New & Existing Customers | `6875nc17919590640`, `6875nc17916951950`, `6875nc17916306570` | 100% | | RS 4000 G12.5 | €5 Instant Cash Discount | Root Server 4000 · New & Existing Customers | `36nc17833646274`, `36nc17833646273`, `36nc17833646272` | 100% | | RS 8000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | Root Server 8000 · New & Existing Customers | `6876nc17917708640`, `6876nc17917705800`, `6876nc17917349040` | 100% | | VPS 1000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | VPS 1000 · New & Existing Customers | `6877nc17919058940`, `6877nc17918391481`, `6877nc17918391480` | 100% | | VPS 2000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | VPS 2000 · New & Existing Customers | `6878nc17919059020`, `6878nc17918334110`, `6878nc17914792580` | 100% | | VPS 4000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | VPS 4000 · New & Existing Customers | `6879nc17915798770`, `6879nc17911475220`, `6879nc17911059690` | 100% | | VPS 8000 G12.5 | 1 Month Free (First Month €0) | VPS 8000 · New & Existing Customers | `6880nc17919031360`, `6880nc17915962430`, `6880nc17912205930` | 100% | | Webhosting 2000 | 30% Recurring Lifetime Discount | Webhosting 2000 · New & Existing Customers | `5207nc17919097380`, `5207nc17918822740`, `5207nc17916784140` | 100% | | Webhosting 4000 | 30% Recurring Lifetime Discount | Webhosting 4000 · New & Existing Customers | `5208nc17918065780`, `5208nc17907131900`, `5208nc17907129070` | 100% | | Webhosting 8000 | 30% Recurring Lifetime Discount | Webhosting 8000 · New & Existing Customers | `5209nc17918276770`, `5209nc17903530393`, `5209nc17903530392` | 100% | ## 4-Step Quick-Start Buying Workflow German hosting providers follow strict European invoicing and contract conventions. Follow these 4 steps to go from plan selection to SSH login in about 10 minutes: Step 1 ### Choose the Right Plan Understand the difference between shared vCore VPS and dedicated-core Root Servers, then pick the right RAM and NVMe tier for your workload. [Read Selection Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/kb/choose/) Step 2 ### Copy a Matching Voucher First-time customers can claim a €5 universal discount, while G12.5 VPS and Root Server plans have dedicated vouchers for 1–2 free months. [Browse Active Vouchers →](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) Step 3 ### 0% VAT Checkout & Payment Order without a VPN so your IP matches your country. Non-EU residents (US, UK, CA, AU, SG) get 0% VAT automatically; pay the invoice in CCP via PayPal or card. [View Checkout Walkthrough →](https://netcup.cheap/guide/) Step 4 ### Deploy & Tune Your OS Log in to the SCP panel to manage your instance, enable TCP BBR congestion control, reinstall a clean Linux/Windows OS, and harden SSH. [Read Sysadmin Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/kb/system/) --- ## Essential Pre-Purchase & Troubleshooting Q&A We compiled actionable answers to the 6 most common questions international buyers face regarding 0% VAT billing, anti-fraud checks, OS reinstallation, and contract cancellation: [Registration & Verification Does netcup still require webcam KYC? How to pass automated order screening smoothly Standard orders placed from a residential connection without a VPN skip webcam ID checks. If an incomplete address or VPN IP triggers manual verification, our reply template gets your account cleared quickly. Read Verification Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/#topic-kyc) [Billing & 0% VAT Why do some checkouts include 19% VAT while others don't? Non-EU & EU Reverse Charge rules explained When you select a non-EU country (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, etc.) at checkout—or enter a valid EU business VAT ID—netcup bills at 0% VAT net pricing, saving you 19% compared to German gross prices. See VAT Setup Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/#topic-vat) [Contracts & Renewals Crucial Rule: German hosting contracts auto-renew—submit your cancellation in CCP at least 31 days in advance Leaving an invoice unpaid does not cancel a German contract; it generates late fees. If you no longer need a server, submit a cancellation in CCP at least 31 days before the contract end date. View Cancellation Steps →](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/#topic-cancel) [OS Administration One-Click Clean OS Reinstall (DD) on netcup VPS & Root Servers: Debian 12, Ubuntu 24.04 & Windows Learn how to record your static IPv4/IPv6 gateway details before reinstalling, and how to use the SCP HTML5 VNC console or rescue ISO if your server loses network connectivity. View Reinstall Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/#topic-dd) [Network Tuning High transatlantic or intercontinental latency? Enable Linux TCP BBR & FQ queueing for maximum throughput Across 80–180 ms international links, enabling TCP BBR with sysctl socket buffer tuning dramatically boosts single-thread throughput and resilience against minor packet loss. Get sysctl Commands →](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/#topic-bbr) [Datacenter Speedtest Nuremberg, Vienna, Amsterdam, Manassas (US East) & Singapore: All 5 Datacenter Test IPs Access official Looking Glass endpoints and test IPs. Compare latency, BGP routing, and throughput to Europe/UK, North America, and APAC before choosing your location. Run Speedtest & Compare →](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) [Browse All Q&A Topics & Community Board →](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/) --- ## Why Do So Many Developers & Sysadmins Run on netcup? 1 ### Unmatched Hardware per Euro G12.5 flagship servers run on AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) processors, DDR5 ECC RAM, and enterprise NVMe/SSD arrays. Even the entry-level VPS 500 includes 2 vCores and 4 GB DDR5 RAM—specs that typically cost twice as much at hyperscalers or mainstream cloud hosts. 2 ### Generous Bandwidth & Fair-Use Traffic VPS G12.5 plans include a 1 Gbps port and Root Servers include a 2.5 Gbps port. As long as outbound traffic stays below 2 TB over a rolling 24-hour window, your port remains unthrottled with zero overage charges. 3 ### 0% VAT Net Pricing for Non-EU & B2B Buyers Buyers outside the EU (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, etc.) and EU companies with a valid VAT ID automatically qualify for 0% VAT net pricing—saving 19% on both initial orders and renewals. 4 ### 5 Global Datacenters Backed by Anexia Backbone Choose Nuremberg (NUE), Vienna (VIE), or Amsterdam (AMS) for ultra-low European/UK latency, Manassas (MNZ, Virginia) for North & South America, or Singapore (SIN) for APAC and Australia—all riding on Anexia's AS197540 carrier network. 5 ### 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee New server orders are covered by netcup's 30-day satisfaction guarantee and statutory withdrawal policy (Widerrufsrecht). If the network route or performance doesn't fit your workload, you can request a full refund within 30 days. 6 ### Built-In DDoS Protection, Snapshots & HTML5 VNC Every server includes automated DDoS mitigation, offline snapshot export in the SCP panel, a native `/64` IPv6 subnet, custom ISO mounting, and an out-of-band browser KVM/VNC console at no extra charge. > Affiliate Disclosure: Some outbound links to netcup on this site include partner referral parameters. Ordering through these links never increases your checkout price (and saves you money when combined with our voucher codes) . Referral commissions help fund our benchmark servers and automated voucher verification infrastructure, while all reviews cover both pros and limitations (such as contract notice periods and routing trade-offs). --- ## Core Product Lines at a Glance Web Apps & Dev Environments ### VPS G12.5 Series €5.90/mo net - AMD EPYC Zen 5 · 2–16 vCores - 4 GB – 64 GB DDR5 ECC RAM - 64 GB – 1 TB SSD (NVMe on ARM tiers) - 1 Gbps Port · Unmetered Fair-Use Traffic Ideal for blogs, production web sites, Docker stacks, staging servers, and bursty workloads. [Get VPS Vouchers](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-vps) [View Full Specs](https://netcup.cheap/products/vps/) Dedicated CPU Powerhouse ### Root Server G12.5 Series €9.24/mo net - Dedicated Physical Cores (sustained 100% load) - 4 GB – 128 GB DDR5 ECC RAM - 64 GB – 2 TB PCIe NVMe Storage - 2.5 Gbps Port · Hourly Billing Available Engineered for databases, CI/CD build runners, multiplayer game servers, and sustained compute workloads. [Get RS Vouchers](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-rs) [View Full Specs](https://netcup.cheap/products/root-server/) Ultra-Low-Cost Micro Instances ### VPS pico / nano / Lite €1.85/mo net - Lightweight pico / nano / Lite lineup - Drop IPv4 (IPv6-only) to save an extra €0.50/mo - Scales up to 8 vCores / 16 GB RAM / 320 GB SSD - Perfect for uptime monitors, DNS & Bastion hosts Great for Linux sandboxes, Uptime Kuma probes, authoritative DNS nodes, and lightweight personal services. [Get €5 Voucher](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-discount) [Compare All Plans](https://netcup.cheap/products/) ### 2026 Flagship G12.5 Specs & 0% VAT Net Price Reference Table | Model | CPU Allocation | RAM | Storage | 24-Mo Net Price (Save 26%) | 12-Mo Net Price (Save 13%) | Monthly Net Price | Matching Voucher | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **VPS pico G11.5s** | 1 vCore (Shared) | 1 GB | 30 GB SSD | - | **€1.85 /mo** (Fixed) | - | IPv6-only €1.35/mo · [Claim €5 Code](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-5e) | | **VPS 500 G12.5** | 2 vCore (x86/ARM) | 4 GB DDR5 ECC | 64 GB SSD (NVMe on ARM) | **€5.90 /mo** | €6.94 /mo | €7.98 /mo | [Claim €5 New-Customer Code](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-5e) | | **VPS 1000 G12.5** | 4 vCore (x86/ARM) | 8 GB DDR5 ECC | 128 GB SSD (NVMe on ARM) | **€10.35 /mo** | €12.18 /mo | €14.01 /mo | [Claim 1 Month Free Code](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-vps1) | | **VPS 2000 G12.5** | 8 vCore (x86/ARM) | 16 GB DDR5 ECC | 256 GB SSD (NVMe on ARM) | **€19.23 /mo** | €22.62 /mo | €26.01 /mo | [Claim 1 Month Free Code](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-vps2) | | **RS 500 G12.5** | **2 Dedicated Cores (Zen 5)** | 4 GB DDR5 ECC | 64 GB NVMe | **€9.24 /mo** | €10.87 /mo | €12.49 /mo | [Claim €5 New-Customer Code](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-5e) | | **RS 1000 G12.5** | **4 Dedicated Cores (Zen 5)** | 8 GB DDR5 ECC | 128 GB NVMe | **€15.54 /mo** | €18.26 /mo | €21.00 /mo | [Claim 2 Months Free Code](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-rs1) | | **RS 2000 G12.5** | **8 Dedicated Cores (Zen 5)** | 16 GB DDR5 ECC | 256 GB NVMe | **€29.10 /mo** | €34.20 /mo | €39.33 /mo | [Claim 1 Month Free Code](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-rs2) | | **Webhosting 2000** | Plesk Webhosting | 150 GB SSD | Includes 3 Free Domains | **~€2.37 /mo** (30% off) | **~€2.37 /mo** (30% off) | €3.39 /mo | [Claim 30% Lifetime Code](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/#coupon-w2) | > Useful tools: Want to calculate your exact effective monthly cost in EUR, USD, GBP, CAD, or AUD after stacking a voucher and 0% VAT? Try our [netcup Cost & Currency Calculator](https://netcup.cheap/tools/cost-calculator/) and [Interactive VPS & RS Plan Chooser](https://netcup.cheap/tools/vps-chooser/). Read [Verified Community Reviews & Pros/Cons](https://netcup.cheap/reviews/) or look up German panel terms in our [EN/DE/ZH Hosting Glossary](https://netcup.cheap/glossary/). --- ## Latest Knowledge Base Guides ## In-Depth Reviews & Feature Articles **Found the right netcup server for your project?** Copy a live-verified voucher code before checking out to get 1–2 months free or €5 off your first invoice. Still have questions about VAT rules or hardware sizing? Visit our community Q&A board. [Get Active Vouchers →](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) [Browse Q&A & Discussion →](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/) ======================================================================== # About netcup: Company Background, Anexia Group Backbone & Nuremberg Data Centers - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/about/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/about/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/about/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: An in-depth engineering profile of German hosting provider netcup GmbH: founded in Karlsruhe in 2003, backed by Austria's Anexia Group (AS197540), operating two owned green data centers in Nuremberg, and balancing raw hardware value against strict German contract law. > **TL;DR**: Founded in 2003 in Karlsruhe, Germany, netcup GmbH joined the Austrian cloud and telecom provider Anexia Group in 2016 while maintaining independent brand operations. Its core infrastructure consists of two self-owned, 100% hydro-powered data centers in Nuremberg connected directly to the Anexia European backbone (AS197540) and DE-CIX Frankfurt. netcup is renowned for generous hardware specs (AMD EPYC Zen 5 cores, DDR5 ECC RAM, honest IOPS) and 0% VAT for non-EU customers or EU businesses via Reverse Charge, paired with strict German contract enforcement (31-day cancellation notice) and business-hours ticket support. ## Key Facts - Corporate Heritage: Founded by Felix Preuß in Karlsruhe in 2003; became part of the Austrian telecom and cloud group Anexia in 2016 - Owned Data Centers: Operates two company-owned data centers in Nuremberg, Germany—ISO 9001 certified and powered by 100% renewable hydroelectricity - Backbone Connectivity: Integrated into Anexia's international network (AS197540) with high-capacity peering at DE-CIX Frankfurt, VIX Vienna, and AMS-IX - Hardware Transparency: Delivers significantly more AMD EPYC Zen 5 compute, ECC memory, and storage per euro than typical hyperscalers or budget resellers - Contract & Support Model: Ticket-based support operates during German business hours (CET/CEST); contracts auto-renew under German civil law unless cancelled 31 days in advance # About netcup: Company Background, Anexia Backbone & Nuremberg Data Centers Among European system administrators, self-hosters, and DevOps engineers, **netcup** consistently ranks alongside Hetzner and OVHcloud as one of the "Big Three" high-value infrastructure providers in Europe. Unlike hourly cloud platforms designed for ephemeral spin-ups, netcup operates with the classic engineering mindset of a traditional German data center operator: **generous, unthrottled hardware specifications and transparent pricing—paired with rigid, by-the-book German contract and billing procedures.** Before deploying production workloads on your first server, understanding netcup's corporate ownership, physical facilities, and support culture will help you decide whether it fits your architecture. --- ## 1. Corporate History: From Karlsruhe Startup to the Anexia Group * **2003: Founded in Karlsruhe, Germany** netcup was founded in 2003 by Felix Preuß in **Karlsruhe**, a major German technology hub home to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and incorporated as **netcup GmbH** in 2008. Starting with web hosting and colocation, the company built a strong domestic following through reliable hardware and aggressive pricing. * **2016: Acquisition by Austria's Anexia Group** In 2016, netcup joined **Anexia** (founded by Alexander Windbichler), a multinational cloud and telecommunications provider headquartered in Klagenfurt, Austria. * Following the partnership, netcup retained its independent management, brand identity, and low-cost pricing structure; * At the infrastructure layer, netcup plugged directly into **Anexia's global backbone (AS197540)**, gaining massive European transit capacity and automated hardware DDoS mitigation. This Anexia integration also enabled netcup to expand beyond Germany into **Vienna (Austria), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Manassas (Virginia, USA), and Singapore**. * **2023–2026: ISO 9001 Certification & G12.5 Zen 5 Fleet** netcup's data center operations are **ISO 9001 certified**, and in late 2026 the company transitioned its flagship G12.5 Root Server lineup to **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5 architecture)** processors paired with DDR5 ECC memory. --- ## 2. Physical Infrastructure: Two Owned Data Centers in Nuremberg While many budget VPS brands merely lease racks or resell capacity from third-party facilities, **netcup owns and operates two dedicated data centers in Nuremberg (Nürnberg), Germany**: 1. **Geographic Proximity to DE-CIX Frankfurt**: Located in Bavaria, Nuremberg sits just 4–6 ms round-trip fiber latency away from **DE-CIX Frankfurt**, one of the world's largest Internet Exchange Points. 2. **Redundant Power & Eco-Friendly Cooling**: * Equipped with **2N transformer feeds and dual utility power paths**, backed by modular UPS arrays and emergency diesel generators; * Powered by **100% renewable hydroelectricity** (`Ökostrom`); * Cooled via N+1 redundant chilled-water and free-cooling circulation loops. 3. **99.6% Annual Network Availability SLA**: Because netcup employs its own on-site data center technicians in Nuremberg, hardware replacements—such as failed drives, power supplies, or top-of-rack switches—are handled directly by internal staff without waiting on third-party remote hands. --- ## 3. Strengths vs. Trade-Offs: What to Expect Before You Buy If you plan to run infrastructure on netcup long-term, it pays to weigh its technical advantages against its bureaucratic quirks: ### Key Strengths: 1. **Honest Hardware Without Aggressive Overselling**: On many budget VPS hosts, a "4 vCore" plan suffers from severe CPU steal and throttled disk I/O. At netcup: * **Root Server (RS)** plans allocate **dedicated physical AMD EPYC Zen 5 cores** engineered for sustained High-Load operation; * NVMe-backed Root Servers routinely deliver **80,000 to 150,000+ 4K random IOPS** in independent `fio` benchmarks. 2. **Tax Transparency (0% VAT for Non-EU & EU Reverse Charge)**: * Customers outside the European Union (**US, UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, etc.**) automatically receive **0% VAT net pricing**—saving 19% compared to German retail rates. * Registered EU businesses outside Germany can enter a valid **EU VAT ID (`USt-IdNr.`)** in the CCP to qualify for **0% VAT under the EU Reverse Charge mechanism**. 3. **Zero Hidden Add-On Fees**: Online/offline snapshots, browser-based KVM/VNC rescue console access, custom ISO mounting, baseline DDoS protection, and unmetered traffic (up to 2 TB/day before fair-use throttling) are all included at no extra charge. ### The Classic German Bureaucracy (Where New Users Get Burned): 1. **Strict German Contract Law (`BGB`) & 31-Day Notice Period**: As detailed in our [Refunds & Cancellation Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/), netcup enforces standard German fixed-term service contracts: * **You must cancel at least 31 full days before the end of your billing term (`Kündigungsfrist`)** in the Customer Control Panel (CCP)! * If you miss the deadline by even one day, the cancellation option locks for the current cycle and your contract automatically renews for another full term (e.g., 12 or 24 months). * Support tickets asking to waive a missed deadline are politely declined, and ignoring unpaid invoices leads to formal debt collection via German agencies like **Creditreform**. (Fortunately, you can transfer unwanted servers to another user for **€0 via a CCP Transfer Code**.) 2. **Business-Hours Ticket Support (No 24/7 Live Chat)**: * There is **no instant live chat** for general technical support; * Regular support tickets are processed in queues during **German business hours (Monday–Friday, CET/CEST)**, while a 24/7 emergency hotline is reserved strictly for critical infrastructure outages; * You are expected to manage your own Linux OS, firewall, and software stack independently. 3. **Standard Public Peering to Asia**: While European and Transatlantic routing (via DE-CIX, Telia/Arelion, GTT, and Anexia) is stellar, routing to East Asia uses standard public internet transit (~160–220 ms). If you serve end users in Asia-Pacific, place a CDN (such as Cloudflare) in front of your origin. --- ## 4. Ideal User Profile: Is netcup Right for You? ### Strongly Recommended For: * **Linux Sysadmins, DevOps Engineers & Self-Hosters**: Comfortable with SSH, `systemd`, Docker, and firewalls, looking for maximum compute and memory per euro; * **SaaS Founders, E-Commerce Stores & European Agencies**: Serving audiences across Europe, the UK, or North America who require GDPR-compliant German hosting and proper tax invoices; * **Long-Term Production Workloads**: Running mail servers (Mailcow/Stalwart), primary PostgreSQL/MySQL databases, GitLab instances, or encrypted off-site Borg/Restic backup repositories; * **Compute-Intensive Projects**: Running CI/CD build agents, multiplayer game servers (Minecraft, Palworld, CS2), or Proxmox VE virtualization nodes on dedicated Root Server cores. ### Not Recommended For: * **Complete Linux Beginners Expecting Managed Hand-Holding**: If you need 24/7 live chat to debug WordPress plugins or nginx configs, choose a managed host instead; * **Users Who Ignore Billing Emails and Abandon Servers**: Cloud users accustomed to "stop paying and let the provider delete the VM" will run straight into German contract renewals and collection notices (unless they use Hourly billing or schedule cancellation on Day 1); * **Abuse, Crypto Mining, or Bulk Spam Workloads**: German compliance and abuse handling are rapid and unforgiving—violations result in immediate termination without refund. ======================================================================== # netcup Benchmark & Performance Verification Guide (YABS, Geekbench 6, fio, iperf3) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/benchmark/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/benchmark/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/benchmark/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: How to benchmark a new netcup Root Server or VPS using YABS: real-world AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) Geekbench 6 reference scores, fio 4K random IOPS baselines, CPU steal checks, and multi-stream iperf3 network testing. > **TL;DR**: Before deploying production workloads on a new netcup server, run the industry-standard YABS suite (curl -sL yabs.sh | bash). Reference baselines for G12.5 hardware: Root Servers powered by dedicated AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) cores score 1,950–2,150+ single-core in Geekbench 6 with 0.0% CPU steal and 80k–150k+ 4K random IOPS on NVMe storage; x86 VPS plans score 1,700–1,950 single-core and deliver 15k–35k 4K random IOPS on enterprise SSD RAID10. Always test long-distance network throughput with iperf3 -P 8 multi-stream flags. ## Key Facts - Standard Suite: Run YABS (curl -sL yabs.sh | bash) to test fio disk IOPS, iperf3 bandwidth, and Geekbench 6 CPU performance in one command - RS G12.5 Baseline: Dedicated AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) delivers 1,950–2,150+ GB6 single-core with <2% variance and 0.0% CPU steal - VPS G12.5 Baseline: Shared AMD EPYC vCores score 1,700–1,950 GB6 single-core with strong burst performance under fair-use scheduling - Real Disk Metric: Focus on 4K random read/write IOPS (80k–150k+ on RS NVMe; 15k–35k on VPS SSD RAID10) rather than sequential 1M throughput - Network Testing: Always pass -P 8 to iperf3 on high-RTT links to overcome single-stream TCP window constraints # netcup Benchmark & Performance Verification Guide (YABS, Geekbench 6, fio, iperf3) When your newly provisioned netcup Root Server or VPS comes online, **do not rush straight into deploying production containers**. Spending 15 minutes running a standardized benchmark suite verifies that your hardware matches official specifications, checks host node health (`%st` CPU steal time), and gives you an objective baseline report (`benchmark-report.txt`) for future troubleshooting or support tickets. This guide walks through the standard open-source benchmarking workflow and provides verified **netcup G12.5 hardware reference scores**. --- ## 1. All-in-One Automated Benchmark: YABS (Yet Another Bench Script) Instead of outdated legacy scripts, the global hosting and sysadmin community relies on **YABS (Yet Another Bench Script)** as the gold standard for Linux server verification. YABS automatically runs three industry-standard tests without cluttering your system: 1. **`fio` (Flexible I/O Tester)**: Measures real-world mixed random read/write throughput and IOPS across `4k`, `64k`, `512k`, and `1m` block sizes. 2. **`iperf3` Multi-Location Network Test**: Tests upload and download throughput against public endpoints in Europe, North America, and Asia. 3. **Geekbench 6**: Cross-platform single-core and multi-core CPU compute benchmark. ### How to Run YABS Connect via SSH and execute: ```bash # Run the full suite (fio + iperf3 + Geekbench 6) curl -sL yabs.sh | bash ``` > **Tip for Low-RAM Instances**: On ultra-compact instances like `VPS pico` (1 GB RAM) or when you want to skip the 5-minute Geekbench CPU test, pass the `-g` flag: > `curl -sL yabs.sh | bash -s -- -g` --- ## 2. CPU Compute Baselines (Geekbench 6 & CPU Steal Check) In the latest **G12.5 generation**, netcup upgraded its Root Server line to flagship **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5 architecture)** processors, while the x86 VPS line runs on high-density AMD EPYC host nodes and ARM VPS plans run on **Ampere Altra** processors. ### Verified Geekbench 6 Reference Scores (v6.3+) | Product Line | Processor & Allocation | Single-Core Score | Multi-Core Score | Consistency & Workload Profile | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Root Server (RS) G12.5** | **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5)** / 100% Dedicated Cores | **1,950 – 2,150+** | **RS 1000 (4C): ~7,500** / **RS 2000 (8C): ~14,200** / **RS 4000 (12C): ~20,500** | **Deterministic Performance**. / Under 2% variance across repeated runs, `0.0%` CPU steal, built for 24/7 sustained compilation & databases. | | **VPS G12.5 (x86 Standard)** | **AMD EPYC Platform** / Shared vCores (Fair-Use) | **1,700 – 1,950** | **VPS 1000 (4vC): ~6,200** / **VPS 2000 (8vC): ~11,000** | **High Burst Capability**. / Snappy web response and fast builds; continuous multi-hour 100% load is governed by host CFS scheduling. | | **VPS pico / nano / micro** | **AMD EPYC Platform** / Entry Shared Slice | **1,400 – 1,750** | Scales linearly by core count | Ideal for lightweight Docker stacks, reverse proxies, DNS, and monitoring. | | **VPS ARM G12.5** | **Ampere Altra (ARM64)** / Native aarch64 Cores | **1,100 – 1,300** | Highly linear multi-core scaling | Excellent efficiency for native ARM64 containers, Go/Rust binaries, and CI runners. | ### How to Check Host Health (`%st` CPU Steal Time) Run `top` in your terminal and inspect the **`st` (Steal Time)** metric at the end of the `%Cpu(s)` line: * On a **Root Server (RS)**, `%st` should remain at **`0.0%`** because your KVM cores are dedicated. * On a **VPS**, `%st` should stay between **`0.0%` and `1.0%`** under normal conditions. If `%st` stays above `10%` for prolonged periods, a noisy neighbor may be abusing the host node—save your YABS output and open a support ticket. --- ## 3. Storage Benchmarking (`fio`): Focus on 4K Random IOPS Many hosting providers advertise multi-gigabyte sequential speeds (`1M` block size), which only reflect copying huge video files. In real production workloads—**PostgreSQL/MySQL transactions, Redis persistence, Docker image extraction, and Node.js/PHP file reads**—over **95% of disk operations are 4K random reads and writes (`4k` block size)**. ### Reading Your YABS `fio` Output Look specifically at the **`4k`** row in the `fio` summary table: ```text ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Block Size Read IOPS Write IOPS 4k 112.5k (439.45 MB/s) 98.2k (383.59 MB/s) <-- Focus on this row! 64k 32.1k (2.05 GB/s) 28.4k (1.78 GB/s) 512k 8.4k (4.31 GB/s) 7.9k (4.05 GB/s) 1m 4.6k (4.71 GB/s) 4.3k (4.41 GB/s) ``` | Storage Tier | Product Line | 4K Random Read IOPS | 4K Random Write IOPS | Production Workload Impact | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Enterprise NVMe** | **All Root Servers (RS G12.5)** | **80,000 – 150,000+** | **60,000 – 120,000+** | Ultra-low latency I/O for write-heavy SQL databases, Elasticsearch, and high-concurrency APIs. | | **Enterprise SSD RAID10** | **All VPS x86 G12.5** | **15,000 – 35,000** | **12,000 – 28,000** | Rock-solid throughput for WordPress, Nextcloud, Mailcow, and multi-container Docker hosts. | *Note: With the G12.5 refresh, netcup standardized VPS x86 storage on redundant enterprise SSD RAID10 arrays to keep monthly prices ultra-low despite global flash price spikes, while keeping pure high-IOPS NVMe on the Root Server (RS) line.* --- ## 4. Network Throughput Testing (`iperf3` Multi-Stream Best Practices) When running a single-thread speed test to a server across the Atlantic or in Asia (`80–200 ms` RTT), you might see `250 Mbps` instead of the full `1 Gbps` or `2.5 Gbps` port speed. **This is normal TCP physics (Bandwidth-Delay Product), not a throttled NIC**: A single TCP stream waits for `ACK` packets across long distances before expanding its congestion window. ### How to Measure True Physical Port Capacity 1. **Always pass `-P 8` (8 parallel streams) to `iperf3`**: ```bash # Test outbound throughput with 8 parallel streams iperf3 -c speedtest.netcup.net -P 8 # Test inbound (download) throughput with -R (reverse mode) iperf3 -c speedtest.netcup.net -P 8 -R ``` 2. **Expected Line-Rate Results**: * Against regional European or North American endpoints, an 8-stream test consistently saturates **`940+ Mbps`** on 1G VPS ports and **`2.35+ Gbps`** on 2.5G Root Server ports. * To maximize single-stream speed across high-latency international paths, apply the **TCP BBR + 64 MB socket buffer tuning** in our [Network Architecture & BBR Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/network/). --- ## 5. Archiving Your Baseline Hardware Report Save a copy of your initial YABS output inside `/root/benchmark-baseline.txt`: ```bash curl -sL yabs.sh | bash | tee /root/benchmark-baseline.txt ``` If your application ever feels sluggish months later, running a fresh benchmark and comparing it side-by-side against `/root/benchmark-baseline.txt` immediately tells you whether disk IOPS, CPU steal, or network throughput has changed. ======================================================================== # How to Choose the Right netcup Server: An Engineering Sizing Guide - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/choose/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/choose/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/choose/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Stop guessing server specs. Size your netcup infrastructure across five real-world dimensions: burstable vs. sustained CPU workloads, Linux OOM Killer memory boundaries for MySQL/PostgreSQL, Local Block Storage economics, data center routing, and contract exit strategies. > **TL;DR**: Choosing the right netcup server follows a clear five-step engineering decision tree. First, match your CPU profile—choose VPS G12.5 for burstable web/API workloads, and Root Server (RS G12.5) for sustained high load or latency-sensitive apps (databases, game servers, CI builds). Second, respect Linux memory boundaries—never run production MySQL 8.0 or PostgreSQL on 1–2 GB RAM where the OOM Killer will terminate mysqld; start at 4 GB minimum. Third, scale disk capacity with Local Block Storage (€0.012/GB/month) instead of overpaying for higher server tiers. Fourth, default to the Nuremberg flagship data center for best value and peering. Fifth, match your contract term to your project lifespan. ## Key Facts - Workload Divide: Use VPS G12.5 for burstable web/API traffic; use Root Server (RS G12.5) for sustained load, databases, and multiplayer game servers requiring zero CPU steal - Memory Survival Line: Never run production MySQL 8.0 on 1 GB or 2 GB RAM—traffic spikes trigger the Linux OOM Killer; 4 GB RAM is the minimum production baseline - Storage Economics: Don't upgrade your entire server tier just for disk space; attach Local Block Storage at €0.012/GB/month to cut storage costs by up to 60% - Data Center Selection: Nuremberg (Germany) is netcup's owned flagship facility with 4–6 ms latency to DE-CIX Frankfurt; verify latency via Looking Glass before picking non-EU locations - Contract Strategy: Lock in 24-month terms for 26% savings on stable production systems (and set a 31-day cancellation reminder), or use 1-month/Hourly billing for short-term testing # How to Choose the Right netcup Server: An Engineering Sizing Guide The most expensive mistake in server provisioning is rarely a €5 difference on your monthly invoice—it is **under-sizing critical resources, suffering mid-day database crashes from the Linux OOM Killer, and spending a sleepless weekend migrating production data.** netcup's catalog spans everything from €1 micro-slices to AMD EPYC Zen 5 monsters with dedicated physical cores and managed Plesk web hosting. Skipping generic marketing claims, this guide breaks down server selection across **five concrete engineering dimensions: CPU scheduling behavior, Linux memory & database survival boundaries, block storage economics, data center peering, and contract exit strategy.** --- ## Dimension 1: Workload Profile (Shared VPS vCores vs. Dedicated Root Server Cores) This is the **primary fork** in the netcup decision tree: ### 1. Burstable Workloads → Choose VPS G12.5 * **Typical Use Cases**: Personal blogs, corporate websites, REST/GraphQL APIs, staging environments, cron automation, and lightweight Docker stacks. * **Physical Behavior**: * For more than 90% of a 24-hour cycle, baseline CPU utilization hovers between 5% and 20%; * Compute spikes to 100% for only a few seconds or minutes during page renders, cache rebuilds, or package upgrades. * **Verdict**: **Shared vCores on VPS G12.5 are purpose-built for burstable traffic.** You get strong single-core burst performance (1,800+ in Geekbench 6) and generous DDR5 ECC RAM at a fraction of dedicated compute cost. ### 2. Sustained High-Load & Zero-Jitter Workloads → Must Choose Root Server (RS) * **Typical Use Cases**: Multiplayer game servers (Minecraft, Palworld, CS2, Rust), primary transactional databases (MySQL/PostgreSQL), continuous video transcoding, CI/CD build farms, and Proxmox VE nested virtualization hosts. * **Physical Behavior**: * **Game servers** rely on deterministic single-threaded tick loops (e.g., 20 ticks per second). Even millisecond-level hypervisor scheduling jitter (CPU steal) on a shared VPS causes rubber-banding and tick drops for all connected players; * **Sustained compute** pinning CPU cores at 100% for hours on a shared VPS will trigger fair-share hypervisor throttling. * **Verdict**: **Go straight to a Root Server (RS G12.5).** With dedicated physical AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) cores, near-zero CPU steal, and local NVMe arrays delivering 100,000+ IOPS, RS plans provide deterministic hardware performance. --- ## Dimension 2: RAM Capacity & Surviving the Linux OOM Killer A classic pitfall among budget-conscious developers is ordering a 1 GB or 2 GB entry-level VPS, installing a full control panel alongside MySQL 8.0 and WordPress, and wondering why the site randomly throws `502 Bad Gateway` or `Error establishing a database connection` under light traffic. ### Why Modern Databases Crash on 1–2 GB RAM: 1. **Baseline Database Memory Footprint**: On startup alone, a default MySQL 8.0 instance allocates **400 MB to 600 MB** of resident physical memory for its InnoDB Buffer Pool, performance schema, and thread caches. 2. **Worker Process Multiplication**: In a typical PHP-FPM or Node.js/Python web stack, each concurrent worker consumes 30 MB to 60 MB of RAM. A burst of just 5–10 simultaneous requests can exhaust remaining memory in seconds. 3. **The Linux Kernel OOM Killer**: Once physical RAM and Swap are exhausted, the Linux kernel invokes the Out-Of-Memory (OOM) Killer to prevent a total kernel panic—**automatically targeting and executing `SIGKILL` against the process with the highest memory score, which is almost always `mysqld` or `postgres`!** ### Safe Workload Boundaries by RAM Tier: | RAM Tier | Recommended Models | Safe Production Workload Boundary | What NOT to Run Here | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **1 GB – 2 GB** | **VPS pico / nano** | Monitoring agents (Uptime Kuma/Prometheus node), authoritative/recursive DNS (CoreDNS/AdGuard), SQLite apps, static Caddy/Nginx sites, single-binary Go/Rust services. | Do NOT run MySQL 8.0, GitLab, heavy JVM stacks, or bloated control panels. | | **4 GB** | **VPS 500 G12.5** / **RS 500 G12.5** | **Standard Production Baseline**. / Comfortably runs LEMP/LAMP, single-site WordPress/Ghost, Node.js/Django apps, and 5–10 lightweight Docker containers. | Avoid running multiple heavy Java/Spring Boot services simultaneously. | | **8 GB** | **VPS 1000 G12.5** / **RS 1000 G12.5** | **The Sweet Spot for Teams**. / WooCommerce/e-commerce stores, multi-site hosting, decoupled app + database stacks, and small CI/CD runners. | Handles the vast majority of small-to-medium production workloads. | | **16 GB – 32 GB** | **VPS 2000 / 4000** / **RS 2000 / 4000** | Microservice clusters, high-concurrency relational databases, modded multiplayer game servers, self-hosted GitLab CE. | - | --- ## Dimension 3: Storage Scaling Economics (Don't Upgrade Your Tier Just for Disk) In real-world operations, many servers sit below 30% CPU and RAM utilization while disk usage climbs past 85% due to user uploads, container images, logs, or local backups. ### The Expensive Mistake: To expand storage from 128 GB to 512 GB, many users blindly upgrade their instance from a **VPS 1000 (~€10.35/mo)** to a **VPS 4000 (~€32/mo)**—overpaying by **more than €21 every month** for CPU and RAM they never touch! ### The Smart Architecture: Attach Local Block Storage * netcup offers **Local Block Storage** volumes priced at just **€0.012 per GB per month** (net). * Suppose you need an extra 300 GB of storage: * Keep your existing VPS 1000 (€10.35/mo); * Attach a 300 GB Local Block Storage volume: `300 × €0.012 = €3.60/mo`; * **Your total monthly bill is just €13.95/mo—saving over €18/month (more than 55% cost reduction) compared to upgrading the server tier!** * Local Block Storage is backed by a Ceph-based high-availability storage cluster and can be resized on the fly in the Server Control Panel (SCP) up to 8 TB. --- ## Dimension 4: Data Center Location & Peering Rules Choose your data center based on where your users and upstream services actually live: 1. **Default Flagship: Nuremberg, Germany (`NUE`)**: * Nuremberg is netcup's company-owned flagship facility with the lowest base pricing, fastest hardware refreshes, and largest inventory; * Direct 4–6 ms fiber path to **DE-CIX Frankfurt** guarantees sub-20 ms latency across Central/Western Europe and ~30–35 ms to the UK. 2. **Regional Edge Nodes (`VIE`, `AMS`, `IAD`, `SIN`)**: * **Vienna (`VIE`)** is ideal for Austria, Switzerland, and Central/Southeastern Europe; * **Amsterdam (`AMS`)** offers prime connectivity for the Benelux region, the UK, and transatlantic cables; * **Manassas, Virginia (`IAD`)** serves North American audiences right inside the US East Ashburn/Northern Virginia corridor; * **Singapore (`SIN`)** serves Southeast Asia—always test routing via our [Looking Glass & Speed Test](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) first to ensure your local ISP peers directly in Singapore rather than trombone-routing via the US or Europe. --- ## Dimension 5: Contract Term & Exit Strategy 1. **Short-Term Testing, PoCs & Disposable Labs**: * Select a **1-month contract term** or an **Hourly billed** tier; * Spin up, benchmark, and cancel or delete when finished without locking yourself into a multi-year commitment. 2. **Core Long-Term Production Infrastructure**: * Choose the **24-month contract term** to save roughly **26% off the monthly rate**; * Stack an official voucher code from our [Coupons Hub](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) at checkout for free months or instant discounts; * **Golden Operational Rule**: As soon as your server is provisioned, either set a calendar reminder **45 days before contract expiration** or immediately schedule **cancellation at the end of the contract term (`zum Ende der Vertragslaufzeit`)** inside the CCP so you never accidentally trigger a 12- or 24-month auto-renewal under German contract law. ======================================================================== # netcup Datacenter Locations & Global Routing Guide (NUE, VIE, AMS, MNZ, SIN) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/datacenter/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/datacenter/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/datacenter/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Complete breakdown of netcup's global datacenter footprint: flagship Nuremberg (NUE), Vienna (VIE), Amsterdam (AMS), Manassas US-East (MNZ), and Singapore (SIN) with real-world latency, peering analysis, and migration rules. > **TL;DR**: Choosing the right netcup datacenter depends on your target audience and budget. Nuremberg (NUE, Germany) is netcup's flagship owned-and-operated facility offering the lowest prices, exclusive promo deals, and 3–18 ms latency across Europe via DE-CIX Frankfurt. Vienna (VIE) and Amsterdam (AMS) serve Central and Western Europe, Manassas (MNZ, Virginia) delivers 8–25 ms latency across the US East Coast and Americas, while Singapore (SIN) covers Southeast Asia, Australia/NZ, India, and Japan (15–60 ms via Equinix SG/SGIX, though mainland China routes use standard international transit rather than premium CN2). ## Key Facts - Flagship Hub: Nuremberg (NUE, Germany) is netcup's owned-and-operated ISO 9001 certified datacenter with 100% green power and all promotional deals - European Coverage: Nuremberg, Vienna (VIE), and Amsterdam (AMS) deliver 3–18 ms latency across EU/UK via DE-CIX, AMS-IX, and VIX (~80 ms to US East) - Americas Hub: Manassas (MNZ, Virginia, US-East) provides 8–25 ms latency across the US East Coast and ~65 ms to the US West Coast - APAC Hub: Singapore (SIN) achieves 15–60 ms across Southeast Asia, Australia, India, and Japan via Equinix SG/SGIX (standard international transit to mainland China, no CN2) - Migration Rule: Existing instances cannot be live-migrated between datacenters via one click; migrating requires deploying a new server and transferring data # netcup Datacenter Locations & Global Routing Guide (NUE, VIE, AMS, MNZ, SIN) When provisioning a netcup Root Server (RS) or VPS, selecting the right datacenter location affects not only network latency to your end users, but also hardware availability, promotional eligibility, and monthly location surcharges. This guide breaks down all five netcup datacenter locations—**Nuremberg (`NUE`)**, **Vienna (`VIE`)**, **Amsterdam (`AMS`)**, **Manassas (`MNZ`)**, and **Singapore (`SIN`)**—with real-world BGP peering insights, regional latency benchmarks, and practical migration rules. --- ## 1. Complete Overview of netcup Datacenter Locations | Location & Code | Infrastructure & Tier | Network Peering & Latency Profile | Best For & Rating | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Nuremberg, Germany (`NUE`)** | **Owned & Operated by netcup** / Two modern DCs, ISO 9001 / 100% Renewable Energy | **Global Flagship & Primary Hub**. / Direct fiber to DE-CIX Frankfurt (`4–6 ms`), `3–18 ms` across Europe/UK, `~80 ms` to US East. Zero location surcharge; hosts all Black Friday & promo deals. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / **Best Default Choice** / EU/Global web apps, SaaS, mail servers, backups | | **Vienna, Austria (`VIE`)** | **Anexia Parent Backbone** / Tier III+ Certified | Direct peering at **VIX (Vienna Internet Exchange)**. / `3–12 ms` across Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Central/Eastern Europe. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / Central, Alpine & Eastern European workloads | | **Amsterdam, Netherlands (`AMS`)** | **Premier Colocation** / Western Europe Hub | Direct access to **AMS-IX**. / Ultra-low latency to the UK (`6–9 ms`), Benelux, France, and transatlantic subsea cables. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / UK, Western Europe & transatlantic API nodes | | **Manassas, Virginia, USA (`MNZ`)** | **US-East Ashburn Metro** / North American Core | Situated in the Northern Virginia internet corridor. / `8–25 ms` across US East & Eastern Canada, `~65 ms` to US West, `~80 ms` to Europe. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / **Best for Americas** / US/Canada SaaS, e-commerce, LATAM services | | **Singapore (`SIN`)** | **APAC Edge Colocation** / Equinix SG / SGIX | Direct peering across Southeast Asia. / `15–60 ms` to ASEAN, Australia/NZ, India, and Japan. Standard international transit to mainland China. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / **Best for APAC** / SEA, Oceania, India & Japan workloads | --- ## 2. Why Nuremberg (`NUE`) Is the Flagship Powerhouse Nuremberg is the heart of netcup's infrastructure and remains the highest-value location for the vast majority of workloads: ### Owned Hardware & Redundant Infrastructure Unlike providers that lease a few racks in third-party facilities, netcup owns and operates its Nuremberg datacenters. They feature dual redundant utility power feeds, diesel backup generators, N+1 free-cooling systems, 100% green hydro/renewable electricity, and a **99.6% annual SLA** backed by full GDPR compliance. ### Direct Connection to DE-CIX Frankfurt Traffic from Nuremberg reaches **DE-CIX Frankfurt**—one of the world's largest internet exchange points—in just **4 to 6 ms**. Through parent company Anexia's global backbone (`AS197540`), Nuremberg peers directly with hundreds of European ISPs, cloud providers, and Tier-1 carriers: * **Central & Western Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, UK)**: **3 ms – 18 ms** * **Nordics, Southern & Eastern Europe**: **18 ms – 35 ms** * **US East Coast (New York / Virginia)**: **75 ms – 85 ms** ### Exclusive Access to Promotional Pricing Every major netcup campaign—including Black Friday Root Server specials, Easter double-SSD promos, and limited-edition `VPS pico` deals (see [Latest Coupons & Deals](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/))—is deployed **exclusively or primarily in Nuremberg (`NUE`)** with **zero location surcharge**. --- ## 3. International Locations: US-East (`MNZ`), Amsterdam (`AMS`), Vienna (`VIE`), and Singapore (`SIN`) For workloads that require edge proximity outside Germany, netcup leverages the global Anexia backbone to offer four international hubs: ### Manassas, Virginia (`MNZ` — US East Coast) Located adjacent to the Ashburn, Virginia datacenter alley, Manassas is the premier choice for North and South American traffic: * **US East Coast (Virginia, New York, Atlanta, Toronto)**: **8 ms – 25 ms** * **US Central (Chicago, Dallas)**: **25 ms – 38 ms** * **US West Coast (Los Angeles, Seattle, Silicon Valley)**: **60 ms – 70 ms** * **Europe (Frankfurt / London)**: **75 ms – 85 ms** ### Vienna (`VIE`) & Amsterdam (`AMS`) * **Vienna (`VIE`)** is ideal if your primary user base is in Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Poland, or Southeastern Europe, or if you want geographical separation from Germany for a secondary backup node. * **Amsterdam (`AMS`)** sits directly on AMS-IX, offering slightly lower latency (`5–8 ms`) into London and transatlantic cable landing stations. ### Singapore (`SIN` — Asia-Pacific) netcup's Singapore location connects to **Equinix SG and SGIX**, making it an excellent hub for the Asia-Pacific region: * **Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines)**: **2 ms – 35 ms** * **Australia & New Zealand (Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland)**: **50 ms – 85 ms** * **India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea**: **35 ms – 65 ms** * **Routing Note for Mainland China**: Singapore uses standard global Tier-1 transit rather than expensive China-specific premium routes (such as CN2 GIA or CUII 9929). As a result, packets between mainland China and netcup Singapore often route via the US West Coast or Europe (`220–320 ms`). Users targeting ASEAN, Oceania, Japan, or India will enjoy fast, direct APAC peering, whereas workloads needing a low-cost European origin with clean transatlantic/Eurasian transit are often better served by Nuremberg (`NUE`) paired with a global CDN. You can test real-time latency and download speeds from your browser to each region using our [Interactive Speedtest & Looking Glass](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/). --- ## 4. Datacenter Migration Rules: Can You Switch Locations Later? A common question after ordering is whether an existing VPS or Root Server can be moved to another datacenter with a single click. * **No Automated Live Migration Between Datacenters**: Because IP subnets, storage pools, and KVM host clusters are physically isolated per region, the [Server Control Panel (SCP)](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/) does **not** have a one-click button to migrate a running instance from, for example, Singapore to Nuremberg. * **Standard Migration Workflow**: 1. Order a new server in your target datacenter via the Customer Control Panel (CCP). 2. Create an **Offline Snapshot** in [SCP](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/) and export the raw disk image, or transfer your application data directly over SSH using `rsync`, `scp`, or `restic`. 3. Update your DNS records (`A` / `AAAA`) to point to the new IPv4/IPv6 addresses. 4. Cancel the old server via the CCP following our [Contract Cancellation & Refund Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/) (or exercise your 30-day money-back guarantee if it is a brand-new order). ======================================================================== # netcup Network Architecture, 2 TB Fair-Use Policy & Linux BBR Tuning - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/network/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/network/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/network/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Deep dive into netcup's Anexia AS197540 global backbone, European & transatlantic peering, the 2 TB / 24h outbound fair-use traffic shaping policy, and Linux kernel TCP BBR + high-BDP buffer optimization. > **TL;DR**: netcup operates on parent company Anexia's global backbone (AS197540), featuring dense peering at DE-CIX, AMS-IX, VIX, and Equinix exchanges with 1 Gbps to 2.5 Gbps ports. All modern plans include unmetered traffic subject to a transparent Fair-Use rule: if a server exceeds 2 TB of outbound traffic within a rolling 24-hour window (roughly 185 Mbps sustained 24/7), its port is temporarily shaped to 200 Mbps and automatically restored once 24-hour rolling usage drops below the threshold. Enabling Linux BBR congestion control and tuning TCP socket buffers dramatically improves single-stream throughput across transatlantic and intercontinental links. ## Key Facts - Global Backbone: Powered by Anexia AS197540 with direct peering at DE-CIX, AMS-IX, VIX, SwissIX, and Equinix - Unmetered Port Speeds: Root Servers feature 2.5 Gbps NICs and VPS plans feature 1 Gbps NICs with IPv4 + /64 IPv6 included - 2 TB / 24h Fair-Use Rule: Exceeding 2 TB outbound in a rolling 24-hour window temporarily shapes the port to 200 Mbps until rolling usage drops - High-BDP Optimization: Enabling BBR (fq + bbr) and increasing rmem/wmem to 64 MB boosts intercontinental single-thread speeds by 2x–5x - Edge Best Practice: Pair your netcup origin with a CDN or WireGuard/Cloudflare Tunnel for global low-latency delivery # netcup Network Architecture, 2 TB Fair-Use Policy & Linux BBR Tuning When evaluating a cloud server or dedicated-core Root Server, raw CPU and NVMe numbers only tell half the story—network peering, traffic policies, and TCP stack tuning determine how fast your applications feel in production. Many users see **"2.5 Gbps Port"** and **"Unmetered Traffic"** on netcup's specification sheets and wonder how the network performs globally and whether there are hidden bandwidth caps. This guide examines netcup's underlying **AS197540 backbone**, explains the **2 TB / 24-hour fair-use traffic shaping mechanism**, and provides a production-ready **Linux BBR + TCP buffer sysctl configuration** for transatlantic and intercontinental links. --- ## 1. Backbone Architecture & Global Peering (`AS197540`) Rather than relying on budget single-homed resellers, netcup runs directly on the international network backbone of its parent company, **Anexia (`AS197540` / `AS34225`)**: * **Major Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)**: Direct high-capacity peering at **DE-CIX Frankfurt** (one of the largest IXPs in the world), **AMS-IX Amsterdam**, **VIX Vienna**, **SwissIX Zurich**, **LINX London**, **Equinix Ashburn**, and **Equinix/SGIX Singapore**. * **Regional & Intercontinental Latency Benchmarks**: * **Intra-Europe (Nuremberg to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Vienna, Zurich)**: **3 ms – 10 ms** * **Western & Northern Europe (London, Paris, Milan, Stockholm)**: **12 ms – 22 ms** * **Transatlantic (Nuremberg/Amsterdam to US East Coast)**: **75 ms – 85 ms** * **North America (Manassas `MNZ` to New York/Toronto/Chicago)**: **8 ms – 28 ms** * **Asia-Pacific (Singapore `SIN` to ASEAN/Tokyo/Sydney)**: **15 ms – 65 ms** --- ## 2. International Routing Characteristics (Europe, Americas & APAC) Because netcup serves a diverse global engineering audience, understanding how traffic routes across continents helps you architect resilient deployments: ### 1. Europe, UK, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) * **Routing Path**: Direct bilateral peering at DE-CIX, AMS-IX, and VIX with major consumer and business ISPs (Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Liberty Global, BT, Orange, Swisscom, Init7). * **Performance**: Near-zero packet loss and single-digit to low-double-digit millisecond latency. Both `1 Gbps` (VPS) and `2.5 Gbps` (Root Server) ports easily saturate line rate. ### 2. North & South America * **Routing Path**: Direct transatlantic wavelengths between Frankfurt/Amsterdam/London and New York/Ashburn, plus native local peering from the Manassas (`MNZ`) datacenter. * **Performance**: `8–25 ms` on the US East Coast (`~65 ms` to the US West Coast) from `MNZ`, or `~80 ms` from Nuremberg. High-bandwidth transfers between EU and US nodes benefit significantly from TCP window scaling (detailed in Section 4). ### 3. Asia-Pacific & Mainland China * **APAC Regional Peering**: From Singapore (`SIN`), traffic routes directly via Equinix SG and SGIX to Southeast Asia, Japan, India, and Australia (`15–60 ms`). * **Mainland China Note**: netcup uses standard international Tier-1 transit (Telia/Arelion, Cogent, NTT, GTT) and does not purchase specialized China-only premium circuits (such as CN2 GIA or CUII 9929). From Nuremberg (`NUE`), traffic reaches China directly via Frankfurt (`180–220 ms`), whereas Singapore (`SIN`) to mainland China may route via the US or Europe. For global web applications serving Asian users, placing a CDN (such as Cloudflare) in front of your netcup server caches static assets at the edge and eliminates intercontinental round-trip overhead. --- ## 3. The 2 TB / 24h Outbound Fair-Use Traffic Policy Explained All current netcup VPS and Root Server G12.5 plans advertise **"Traffic: Unlimited / Unmetered"** at **€0.00 per TB**. However, netcup enforces an automated, transparent **Fair-Use Traffic Shaping Policy** in its Acceptable Use Policy (AUP): ### How the Trigger Works > **If a server's outbound traffic exceeds 2 TB within a rolling 24-hour window (equivalent to sustaining ~185 Mbps continuously for 24 hours straight), the network port is automatically throttled to 200 Mbps.** * **Automatic Recovery (No Extra Charges)**: * You are **never billed** for overage traffic, and your server is **never suspended** for hitting 2 TB/day. * Even while throttled to `200 Mbps`, a server can still push nearly **2 TB per day** (`~60 TB per month`). * As soon as your rolling 24-hour outbound volume drops back below the 2 TB threshold, the system **automatically restores your full 1 Gbps or 2.5 Gbps port speed**. * **Which Workloads Trigger Throttling?** * High-volume public BitTorrent seedboxes, uncached video streaming origins, or public mirror servers pushing multi-terabyte daily egress. * **Which Workloads Are Never Affected?** * Production SaaS apps, e-commerce stores, Nextcloud instances, mail servers, game servers, Git repositories, and daily encrypted offsite backups (`restic` / `borg`). Even pushing 100–300 GB per day stays far below the 2 TB / 24h threshold. --- ## 4. Production Linux Kernel Tuning: TCP BBR + High-BDP Buffers On intercontinental links (such as Europe to North America at `80 ms` RTT, or Europe to Asia at `160–200 ms` RTT), the **Bandwidth-Delay Product (BDP)** is high. Traditional Linux congestion control (`cubic`) and conservative default socket buffers (`rmem` / `wmem`) restrict single-connection throughput and halve the congestion window on the slightest packet loss. Enabling **Google TCP BBR (`fq` + `bbr`)** alongside **64 MB maximum TCP buffers** allows a single SSH, HTTPS, or WireGuard stream to saturate high-speed ports across oceans. ### Apply the Production Sysctl Configuration (Debian 12 / Ubuntu 24.04) Run the following block as `root`: ```bash cat << 'EOF' > /etc/sysctl.d/99-network-bbr.conf # Enable Fair Queueing packet scheduler and Google BBR congestion control net.core.default_qdisc = fq net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control = bbr # Increase TCP socket buffers for high-BDP intercontinental links (up to 64 MB) net.core.rmem_max = 67108864 net.core.wmem_max = 67108864 net.core.rmem_default = 65536 net.core.wmem_default = 65536 net.ipv4.tcp_rmem = 4096 87380 67108864 net.ipv4.tcp_wmem = 4096 65536 67108864 # Enable window scaling, selective acknowledgments, and TCP Fast Open net.ipv4.tcp_window_scaling = 1 net.ipv4.tcp_timestamps = 1 net.ipv4.tcp_sack = 1 net.ipv4.tcp_fastopen = 3 # Optimize connection queues and socket backlog for high-concurrency servers net.core.somaxconn = 8192 net.ipv4.tcp_max_syn_backlog = 8192 net.ipv4.tcp_max_tw_buckets = 2000000 net.ipv4.tcp_fin_timeout = 15 EOF # Reload sysctl parameters immediately without rebooting sysctl --system ``` ### Verify Your Configuration ```bash # Confirm active congestion control (must output: bbr) sysctl net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control # Confirm packet scheduler (must output: fq) sysctl net.core.default_qdisc # Verify the tcp_bbr kernel module is loaded lsmod | grep bbr ``` With BBR and expanded socket buffers active, single-stream transatlantic and intercontinental transfers typically achieve a **2x to 5x throughput boost**! ======================================================================== # netcup Price History & Hardware Generations Archive (G9 to G12.5 Reference) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/price-history/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/price-history/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/price-history/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Complete historical archive of netcup hardware generations (G9, G10, G11, G12, G12.5) and pricing shifts: the evolution of €1 micro-VPS plans, the G12.5 NVMe-to-SSD RAID10 transition, grandfathered contract protections, and safe CCP Transfer Code practices. > **TL;DR**: netcup labels its server hardware generations with a 'G + number' scheme. Across recent generations: G9/G10 established netcup's reputation for high-RAM value on enterprise SSD RAID10; G11/G11.5 introduced DDR5 ECC and Ampere Altra ARM64 nodes; G12 rolled out all-NVMe storage and hourly billing; and in September 2026, G12.5 upgraded flagship Root Servers to dedicated AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) cores while moving standard x86 VPS plans back to enterprise SSD RAID10 to offset global DRAM/NAND price surges. All existing contracts remain 100% protected by netcup's Grandfathered Rate policy—neither specs nor renewal prices change as long as the contract stays active. ## Key Facts - Generation Cadence: Major hardware refreshes occur every 1–2 years (G9 -> G10 -> G11 -> G12 -> G12.5), aligned with new AMD EPYC CPU architectures - Grandfathered Price Protection: Existing active contracts keep their original hardware specs and renewal price indefinitely—netcup never downgrades live servers - The G12.5 Storage Shift: While G12 x86 VPS plans included NVMe, G12.5 shifted standard VPS tiers to enterprise SSD RAID10 while keeping Root Servers 100% NVMe - Evolution of the €1 VPS: Evolved from legacy VPS 200/500 promos into the permanent VPS pico/nano lineup (with a €0.50/month IPv6-only discount option) - Zero-Fee Contract Transfers: Grandfathered servers can be transferred between CCP accounts for €0 using the official CCP Transfer Code mechanism # netcup Price History & Hardware Generations Archive (G9 to G12.5 Reference) Browse any European sysadmin or self-hosting forum—such as LowEndTalk, Reddit's `r/selfhosted`, or Hardwareluxx—and you will frequently spot veterans trading **"a grandfathered G11 Black Friday Root Server"** or **"a G12 NVMe VPS 1000."** If you are evaluating netcup for the first time, it is natural to wonder: *What do G11, G12, and G12.5 actually mean? How do older generations compare to current storefront offerings, and is now a good time to buy?* Tracking netcup's hardware generation timeline and historical pricing helps you evaluate current value, understand why certain promotional plans are prized by the community, and safely take over grandfathered contracts via CCP Transfer Codes. --- ## 1. Timeline of netcup Hardware Generations (G9 → G12.5) netcup uses **`G` (Generation) + version number** to designate major host node, CPU, and storage architecture cycles: | Generation | Active Era | Host CPU & Architecture | Storage Media | Key Milestones | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **G9 / G10** | 2021 – 2023 | AMD EPYC 7002 / 7003 / (Zen 2 / Zen 3) | Enterprise SSD RAID10 | Cemented netcup's reputation for massive RAM per euro and popularized the legendary €1–€2 micro-VPS tier. | | **G11 / G11.5** | 2024 – 2025 | AMD EPYC 9004 (Zen 4) / + **Ampere Altra ARM64** | SSD / Select NVMe / DDR5 ECC rollout | Launched the permanent **VPS pico / nano** lineup and introduced the **-€0.50/mo IPv6-only** discount option. | | **G12** | 2025 – Sep 2026 | High-frequency AMD EPYC | **All-NVMe across VPS & RS** | Introduced **Hourly billing** and iconic Black Friday **RS Pro / Ultra** double-storage promotional tiers. | | **G12.5** | **Sep 2026 – Present** | **Root Servers upgraded to AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5)** | **RS: Pure NVMe** / **VPS: Enterprise SSD RAID10** | Re-engineered lineup during the global AI DRAM/NAND price surge ("Rampocalypse"); flagship Zen 5 compute leap on Root Servers. | --- ## 2. G12 vs. G12.5 Spec & Price Comparison (0% VAT Net Rates) The September 2026 transition from **G12 to G12.5** represented the largest architectural realignment in netcup's recent history. Driven by surging enterprise DDR5 and NAND costs across the data center industry, netcup bifurcated its storage strategy between shared VPS and dedicated Root Servers: ### 1. Mainstream x86 VPS Lineup Changes: * **VPS 500**: * **G12 Era**: 2 shared vCores / 4 GB RAM / 64 GB NVMe / ~€4.80/mo (24-month term, net). * **G12.5 Era**: 2 shared vCores / 4 GB DDR5 ECC / 64 GB **Enterprise SSD RAID10** / **€5.90/mo** (24-month term, net). * **VPS 1000**: * **G12 Era**: 4 shared vCores / 8 GB RAM / 128 GB NVMe / ~€8.50/mo (24-month term, net). * **G12.5 Era**: 4 shared vCores / 8 GB DDR5 ECC / 128 GB **Enterprise SSD RAID10** / **€10.35/mo** (24-month term, net). ### 2. Flagship Root Server (Dedicated Core) Lineup Changes: * **RS 1000**: * **G12 Era**: 4 dedicated cores (Zen 3/4) / 8 GB RAM / 128 GB NVMe / ~€8.70–€11/mo level. * **G12.5 Era**: 4 dedicated cores (**upgraded to flagship AMD EPYC 9645 Zen 5**) / 8 GB DDR5 ECC / 128 GB NVMe / 2.5 Gbps NIC / **€18.26/mo** (12-month term, net). * *Engineering Takeaway: While base pricing rose on the RS series, single-core Geekbench 6 scores jumped from ~1,300 to 2,100+, turning the RS G12.5 family into one of the fastest dedicated-core virtualization platforms in Europe.* --- ## 3. Contractual Price Protection: The "Grandfathered Rate" Guarantee A frequent question before signing a multi-year server contract is: *"If hardware or electricity costs rise next year, will netcup raise the price on my existing server or downgrade its NVMe drive?"* At netcup, the answer is an unconditional **No**. ### How Grandfathering Works at netcup: * **Locked Specs & Pricing (`Bestandsschutz`)**: As long as an existing G10, G11, or G12 contract remains active in your CCP and invoices are paid on time, **your original contract price and hardware allocation remain locked in across future renewal cycles**. * **Why Promotional Plans Hold Long-Term Value**: * Users who locked in a Black Friday **RS 1000 G12 Pro** (with doubled 512 GB NVMe storage) at ~€8–€9/month continue paying that exact rate year after year; * netcup never retroactively replaces an existing G12 VPS's NVMe allocation with SATA/SAS SSDs unless you voluntarily upgrade/switch your contract to a new G12.5 plan. --- ## 4. Taking Over Grandfathered Servers Safely (CCP Transfer Code Guide) Because grandfathered G11/G12 promotional contracts retain their legacy pricing, developers frequently trade or pass along idle servers on communities like LowEndTalk. If you plan to take over a server from another user, follow these three safety rules: 1. **Verify the Exact Generation & Net Invoice Rate**: Ask the current owner for a redacted screenshot of the **`Produkte` (Products)** specification view and recent **`Rechnungen` (Invoices)** in the CCP to confirm whether the server is a true G12 NVMe instance, its exact monthly/annual net price, and its next billing date. 2. **Check Cancellation & Lock Status**: Ensure the contract has not already been scheduled for immediate termination and check when the current billing period expires. 3. **Always Use the Official €0 CCP Transfer Code (Never Buy Whole Accounts)**: * Do **not** buy someone else's entire CCP login account—mismatched account holder names and payment methods frequently trigger anti-fraud reviews. * Instead, use netcup's built-in **CCP Transfer Code (`Transfer-Code`)** system: the current owner generates a Transfer Code under `Produkte` in their CCP, and you redeem it inside your own verified CCP account. * **Cost**: **100% FREE (€0 transfer fee)**, with the contract and hardware transferred cleanly into your name. ======================================================================== # netcup Refunds, 31-Day Cancellation Notice, Free PUSH Transfers & Avoiding Debt Collection - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/refund-cancel/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/refund-cancel/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Complete guide to netcup's German contract rules (BGB): how to observe the strict 31-day cancellation notice period in CCP, claim the 30-day money-back guarantee (Widerruf), transfer unwanted servers for €0 via CCP Transfer Code (PUSH), and avoid Creditreform debt collection. > **TL;DR**: netcup operates under strict German contract law (BGB): all server contracts automatically renew for an identical term unless you submit a formal cancellation (Kündigung) inside the CCP at least 31 full days before the current period expires. If less than 31 days remain, the cancellation option for the current term locks. However, if you no longer need a server mid-contract or missed the notice window, you can generate a CCP Transfer Code to PUSH the contract to another user for 100% free (€0 fee). New orders also qualify for a 30-day money-back guarantee (Satisfaction Guarantee / Widerrufsrecht) via support ticket. ## Key Facts - The 31-Day Golden Rule: You must cancel in the CCP at least 31 full days before your billing period ends (Kündigungsfrist: 31 Tage vor Vertragsende) - 100% Free Server Transfer (PUSH): If you have an idle server or missed the 31-day window, generate a Transfer Code in the CCP to hand the server over to another user for €0 fee - Fatal Misconception: Powering off or wiping a VM in the SCP does NOT stop billing! Contracts are managed exclusively in the CCP - How to Cancel in CCP: Log in to CCP -> Produkte (Products) -> select server -> Kündigung (Cancellation) -> select "at the end of the contract period" and confirm via email - 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: New VPS, Root Server, and Webhosting orders can be refunded within 30 days by opening a support ticket # netcup Refunds, 31-Day Cancellation Notice, Free PUSH Transfers & Avoiding Debt Collection Experienced European sysadmins always give newcomers the same piece of advice before ordering from netcup: **"netcup's hardware value is unbeatable, but German contract law does not mess around."** Developers accustomed to hourly cloud providers (like AWS, DigitalOcean, or Hetzner Cloud) often assume that powering off a VM or removing a credit card automatically terminates their subscription. At netcup, ignoring an active contract leads to automatic multi-month renewals, late fees (`Mahngebühren`), and eventually formal notices from German debt collection agencies. This guide explains how netcup contracts work under the German Civil Code (`BGB`), how to cancel cleanly in the CCP, how to claim the 30-day money-back guarantee, and how to transfer an unwanted server to another user for **€0 via a CCP Transfer Code**. --- ## 1. The #1 Rule: Powering Off or Wiping a Server ≠ Stopping Billing This is the most common—and most expensive—misconception among first-time netcup users: * **The Mistake**: Clicking "Power Off" or wiping the disk inside the Server Control Panel (SCP) and assuming billing will stop because the VM is no longer running. * **How netcup Actually Works**: * **SCP (Server Control Panel)** only controls the underlying **KVM virtual hardware and operating system**. * **CCP (Customer Control Panel)** governs your **legally binding commercial contract and invoicing (`Vertrag`)**. * As long as your contract remains active in the CCP, netcup reserves your dedicated CPU, RAM, IPv4 subnet, and disk quota on the host node—and **will continue issuing invoices every billing cycle whether your VM is powered on or off**. > **Bottom Line**: Aside from hourly-billed tiers deleted inside the SCP, the only way to stop recurring charges is to submit a formal **contract cancellation (`Kündigung`) inside the CCP** (or transfer the contract via a CCP Transfer Code). --- ## 2. German Contract Law: The Strict 31-Day Notice Period (`Kündigungsfrist`) netcup contracts are governed by the German Civil Code (`Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch` / `BGB`) regarding fixed-term service agreements: 1. **Automatic Renewal (`Automatische Vertragsverlängerung`)**: Whatever contract period (`Vertragslaufzeit`) you select at checkout—1 month, 12 months, or 24 months—**automatically renews at expiration** unless cancelled in time. 2. **The 31-Day Notice Deadline (`Kündigungsfrist: 31 Tage`)**: For nearly all standard VPS, Root Server, and Webhosting plans, netcup's terms require you to submit your cancellation **at least 31 full days before the end of the current contract period (`31 Tage vor Ablauf der Vertragslaufzeit`)**. ### Concrete Example of How Users Get Caught: * Suppose you order a VPS with a 12-month contract ending on **October 15, 2027**. * You must submit your cancellation in the CCP **on or before September 14, 2027**. * If you log in on September 20, 2027 (with only 25 days remaining): * **The option to cancel for October 15, 2027 is automatically locked!** * Your contract has already crossed the renewal threshold and extends for the next term. * Opening a ticket to say *"I forgot"* or *"I don't use the server anymore"* will not waive the deadline; German support staff strictly enforce contractual notice periods. --- ## 3. Step-by-Step: How to Cancel Cleanly in the CCP You do **not** have to wait until the 32nd day before expiration to cancel. **If you know you do not want a contract to auto-renew, you can schedule its end-of-term cancellation on Day 1 right after your server is provisioned!** Your server will continue running normally until the final day of your paid term, and you eliminate any risk of forgetting the deadline. ### CCP Cancellation Walkthrough: 1. **Log In to the CCP**: Go to [customercontrolpanel.de](https://www.customercontrolpanel.de/) and sign in with your Customer ID and password. 2. **Select Your Product**: * Click **`Produkte` (Products)** in the left navigation bar. * Click the magnifying glass / details icon next to the VPS, Root Server, or Webhosting plan you wish to cancel. 3. **Open the Cancellation Tab**: * Click the **`Kündigung` (Cancellation)** tab in the product view. 4. **Choose the Effective Cancellation Date (Critical Step)**: * You will see two timing options: * **`zum Ende der Vertragslaufzeit` (At the end of the contract period — Recommended)**: Your server remains fully operational until the paid period ends, then terminates cleanly without generating further invoices. * **`schnellstmöglich` (As soon as possible / Immediately)**: Destroys the server and data immediately, **without refunding the remaining prepaid period** (unless you are exercising a valid 30-day money-back guarantee via support). 5. **Confirm & Submit**: * Check the confirmation boxes, enter your CCP password if prompted, and click **`Kündigung absenden` (Submit cancellation)**. 6. **Verify the Confirmation Email (`Kündigungsbestätigung`)**: * Within a few minutes, netcup will email you a formal **`Kündigungsbestätigung` (Cancellation Confirmation)** PDF/message. * **Keep this email in your archive**—it is your legal proof that the contract termination was registered on time. --- ## 4. What Happens If You Ignore Unpaid Invoices? (Creditreform & Debt Collection) Some international users assume they can walk away from an unwanted renewal simply by ignoring the invoice or blocking PayPal/card charges. With a German provider, that approach escalates quickly: 1. **Stage 1: Dunning Notices & Late Fees (`Mahnung`)**: Roughly 7–14 days after an invoice goes past due, netcup issues an official reminder (`1. Mahnung` / `2. Mahnung`) and adds statutory late fees (**typically €2.50 to €5.00 per notice**). 2. **Stage 2: Account & Server Suspension**: After 14–21 days past due, your servers are suspended (`gesperrt`), though the underlying contractual balance remains payable. 3. **Stage 3: Referral to Debt Collection (`Inkasso` / Creditreform)**: If an invoice remains unpaid after 30–45 days, netcup hands the claim over to a licensed debt collection agency such as **Creditreform** or **Coeo Inkasso**. * Collection processing fees, interest, and legal charges can turn a **€15 invoice into an €80–€120+ collection demand** sent to your residential or corporate address; * Your identity is permanently blacklisted across European hosting fraud-prevention networks. > **Takeaway**: Never ghost an open netcup contract. Scheduling cancellation in the CCP takes less than 60 seconds—and if you are stuck with a contract you no longer need, you can transfer it to someone else for €0 (see Section 6 below). --- ## 5. The 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee (`30-Tage-Geld-zurück-Garantie` / `Widerruf`) If you ordered a new server and discover within the first month that the routing, latency, or specifications do not fit your workload, netcup offers a **30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee (`30-Tage-Geld-zurück-Garantie`)** alongside statutory EU consumer withdrawal rights (`Widerrufsrecht`). ### Eligibility: * **Covered**: Standard VPS plans, Root Servers, and Webhosting packages ordered within the last 30 days. * **Excluded**: Domain registrations (non-refundable registry costs), extra dedicated IP add-ons, and special promotional servers explicitly marked as excluded from the guarantee at checkout. ### Ticket Template to Request a 30-Day Refund: Do **not** simply click "cancel immediately" in the CCP without contacting support. Open a support ticket (**Support -> Ticket**) with the following template: ```text Subject: Request for Refund under 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee (Customer ID: YOUR_CUSTOMER_ID) Dear netcup Support Team, I recently ordered the following product: - Product Name: VPS 1000 G12.5 (replace with your model) - Order / Contract Number: (from your CCP Products or Invoices page) Unfortunately, the network routing / specifications do not match my current project requirements. I would therefore like to exercise the official 30-day money-back guarantee (30-Tage-Geld-zurück-Garantie / Widerruf). Please cancel this contract immediately and refund the invoice amount to my original payment method (PayPal / Credit Card). Thank you very much for your help! Best regards, Your Full Name Customer ID: YOUR_CUSTOMER_ID ``` Support typically processes refund requests within **1–2 German business days**, cancelling the contract and issuing a full refund to your original payment method. --- ## 6. Stuck in a Contract? Transfer Your Server for €0 via CCP Transfer Code (PUSH) What if your server is past the 30-day refund window—or you accidentally missed the 31-day cancellation deadline on a 12- or 24-month contract? **Do not abandon your account!** netcup provides a built-in, self-service **CCP Transfer Code (`Transfer-Code`)** feature that lets you transfer (`PUSH`) any active product contract to another netcup user: * **Myth Buster (€0 Transfer Fee)**: Older forum posts sometimes claim that netcup charges a €15 ownership transfer fee. **That information is outdated!** Generating and redeeming a Transfer Code inside the CCP is **100% FREE (€0 fee)**. * **How the Free CCP Transfer Works**: 1. **Current Owner Generates Code**: Log in to the [CCP](https://www.customercontrolpanel.de/), open **`Produkte` (Products)**, select the server, and generate a **Transfer Code (`Transfer-Code`)**. 2. **New Owner Redeems Code**: Any user with a netcup CCP account can enter that Transfer Code in their panel to accept the server. Once accepted, both the server instance and all future billing obligations transfer legally and immediately to the new owner at **zero cost**. --- ## 7. Quick Pre-Purchase Checklist 1. **Use 1-Month or Hourly Billing for Testing**: If you are evaluating a new project, choose a **1-month term** or an **Hourly billed** plan so you can exit at any time without long-term commitment. 2. **Schedule End-of-Term Cancellation on Day 1 for Long Contracts**: If you lock in a 24-month contract for maximum discount (~26% off) and want zero risk of accidental renewal, select **`zum Ende der Vertragslaufzeit`** in the CCP right after setup—you can always revoke the cancellation later if you decide to keep the server. 3. **Set a 45-Day Calendar Alert or Use Free PUSH**: Always keep a calendar reminder **45 days before your contract end date**, or pass idle servers (especially grandfathered promo deals) to another developer on LowEndTalk or our community using a **€0 CCP Transfer Code**. ======================================================================== # netcup VPS & Root Server Security Hardening Guide (SSH Keys, Fail2ban & Docker UFW Bypass Fix) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/security/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/security/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/security/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Production Linux security checklist for netcup servers: Ed25519 SSH key authentication, Debian 12 sshd_config.d hardening, systemd Fail2ban configuration, and fixing the critical Docker iptables UFW bypass vulnerability. > **TL;DR**: Every public Linux server faces automated botnet brute-force scans within minutes of deployment. Production hardening on netcup requires four core pillars: 1. Create a non-root sudo user with Ed25519 SSH keys and disable password and root logins; 2. Change the default SSH port via /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/ while keeping an active terminal session open; 3. Configure Fail2ban with backend = systemd on Debian 12; and 4. Enable UFW while binding internal Docker container ports to 127.0.0.1 so Docker's iptables PREROUTING rules do not bypass UFW and expose databases to the public internet. ## Key Facts - Anti-Lockout Rule: Never close your current SSH window before verifying your new SSH key and custom port in a second terminal window - Modern Cryptography: Replace legacy RSA keys with compact, high-security Ed25519 SSH keys (ssh-keygen -t ed25519) - Docker UFW Bypass Trap: Docker manipulates iptables PREROUTING directly, bypassing UFW; always bind internal ports to 127.0.0.1:PORT:PORT - Debian 12 Fail2ban Fix: Minimal Debian 12 uses systemd-journald instead of /var/log/auth.log; set backend = systemd in jail.local - Hardware Console Fallback: If locked out by a firewall typo, use SCP Screen (HTML5 VNC) to log in locally and roll back changes # netcup VPS & Root Server Security Hardening Guide (SSH Keys, Fail2ban & Docker UFW Bypass Fix) Any newly provisioned Linux server connected to a public IPv4 address will be targeted by **automated global botnet port scanners and SSH brute-force attacks within 15 minutes of booting**. Leaving TCP port `22` open with password authentication enabled exposes your server to thousands of daily credential-stuffing attempts against `root`, `admin`, and `ubuntu`. This guide walks through a battle-tested **production security hardening workflow for Debian 12 and Ubuntu 24.04**, including Debian 12's `systemd` logging quirks and the notorious **Docker UFW firewall bypass vulnerability**. --- ## 0. The Golden Rule Before Starting: Never Lock Yourself Out Whenever modifying SSH configurations or firewall rules, follow two strict habits: 1. **Keep your current root SSH session open!** Never close your active terminal window until you have opened a **second, independent terminal window** and confirmed you can log in using your new user, SSH key, and custom port. 2. **Know your out-of-band rescue console**: If a firewall rule ever blocks your public connection, log into the [netcup Server Control Panel (SCP)](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/) and open **`Screen` (HTML5 VNC Console)** to access the server directly as if sitting at a physical monitor. --- ## 1. System Updates & Creating a Non-Root Privilege User Log in with your initial `root` credentials, apply all security patches, and create a dedicated administrative user: ```bash # 1. Update package lists and apply all latest OS security patches apt update && apt upgrade -y # 2. Install essential security utilities apt install -y sudo curl wget ufw fail2ban # 3. Create an administrative user (e.g., deploy) and grant sudo privileges adduser deploy usermod -aG sudo deploy # 4. Verify sudo elevation works properly su - deploy sudo whoami # Must output: root exit ``` --- ## 2. Deploying Modern `Ed25519` SSH Keys Retire legacy RSA-2048 keys and password logins in favor of elliptic-curve **`Ed25519`** keys, which offer superior cryptographic resistance and faster authentication. ### 1. Generate an `Ed25519` Key Pair on Your Local Workstation (macOS / Linux / Windows PowerShell) ```bash # Generate an Ed25519 key pair (add a strong passphrase when prompted) ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "admin@yourdomain.com" ``` This creates two files in `~/.ssh/`: `id_ed25519` (your private key—never share this) and `id_ed25519.pub` (your public key). ### 2. Copy Your Public Key to the Server ```bash # Run on your local workstation to install your public key into ~/.ssh/authorized_keys ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub deploy@YOUR_SERVER_IP ``` --- ## 3. Hardening the SSH Daemon (`sshd_config.d` Best Practices) Instead of editing the main `/etc/ssh/sshd_config` file (which can cause merge conflicts during OS upgrades), create a clean drop-in configuration file inside `/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/`: ```bash cat << 'EOF' > /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/99-security.conf # 1. Move SSH to a custom high port (eliminates 99% of automated port-22 noise) Port 22222 # 2. Disable direct root login over SSH PermitRootLogin no # 3. Disable password authentication completely (enforce SSH keys only) PasswordAuthentication no KbdInteractiveAuthentication no # 4. Enable public key authentication PubkeyAuthentication yes # 5. Disconnect idle sessions after 10 minutes of inactivity ClientAliveInterval 300 ClientAliveCountMax 2 # 6. Restrict SSH access strictly to your administrative user AllowUsers deploy EOF ``` ### Reload SSH and Verify the Listener ```bash # Validate syntax before restarting (must return no errors) sshd -t # Reload systemd units and restart the SSH service systemctl daemon-reload systemctl restart ssh # Confirm sshd is listening on port 22222 ss -tulpn | grep ssh ``` > **Mandatory Verification Checkpoint**: > Open a **new terminal window** on your workstation and test logging in: > `ssh -p 22222 deploy@YOUR_SERVER_IP` > **Do not proceed until you have confirmed passwordless key login works on the new port!** --- ## 4. Configuring UFW & Fixing the Docker Firewall Bypass Trap ### 1. Configure Baseline UFW Rules ```bash # Deny all incoming connections by default, allow all outbound traffic ufw default deny incoming ufw default allow outgoing # Allow your custom SSH port FIRST ufw allow 22222/tcp comment 'Custom SSH Port' # Allow HTTP and HTTPS for web servers / reverse proxies ufw allow 80/tcp comment 'HTTP' ufw allow 443/tcp comment 'HTTPS' ufw allow 443/udp comment 'HTTP/3 QUIC' # Enable UFW at boot ufw enable # Verify active rules ufw status verbose ``` --- ### 2. Critical Security Trap: How Docker Bypasses UFW by Default One of the most common causes of compromised databases on self-hosted Linux servers is **Docker's interaction with `iptables`**: * **Why It Happens**: By default, the Docker daemon inserts its own `DOCKER` chain directly into the kernel's `iptables` `PREROUTING` and `FORWARD` tables. Because `PREROUTING` is evaluated **before** UFW's `INPUT` rules, **publishing a container port with `-p 3306:3306` exposes that port to the entire public internet (`0.0.0.0`), completely ignoring `ufw deny 3306`!** * **Dangerous Configuration (`docker-compose.yml`)**: ```yaml ports: - "5432:5432" # DANGER: Exposes PostgreSQL on 0.0.0.0:5432 to the public internet! ``` ### The Production Fix: Bind Internal Container Ports to `127.0.0.1` For all databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, Redis) and internal admin dashboards, **explicitly bind host ports to the loopback interface (`127.0.0.1`)**: ```yaml ports: - "127.0.0.1:5432:5432" # SECURE: Only reachable locally on the host or via reverse proxy ``` Only your edge reverse proxy (Caddy, Nginx, or Traefik on ports `80` and `443`) should ever bind to `0.0.0.0`. --- ## 5. Deploying Fail2ban on Debian 12 (`systemd` Backend Fix) On minimal Debian 12 installations, `rsyslog` is no longer installed by default—authentication logs are managed exclusively by `systemd-journald`. Without specifying `backend = systemd`, Fail2ban will fail to start because `/var/log/auth.log` does not exist. ### Create `/etc/fail2ban/jail.local` ```bash cat << 'EOF' > /etc/fail2ban/jail.local [DEFAULT] # Ban offending IPs for 1 hour (3600 seconds) bantime = 3600 # Count failures within a 10-minute window findtime = 600 # Ban after 3 failed authentication attempts maxretry = 3 # Required on Debian 12 / Ubuntu 24.04 to read from systemd journal backend = systemd [sshd] enabled = true port = 22222 EOF # Restart and enable Fail2ban systemctl restart fail2ban systemctl enable fail2ban # Check active SSH jail status fail2ban-client status sshd ``` --- ## 6. Enabling Automated Security Updates (`unattended-upgrades`) Ensure critical kernel and OpenSSL zero-day patches are applied automatically overnight: ```bash apt install -y unattended-upgrades dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades ``` --- ## 7. Final Production Security Checklist Before putting your server into production, verify every item below: * [ ] All OS packages updated via `apt update && apt upgrade -y` * [ ] Dedicated non-root `sudo` user created * [ ] `Ed25519` SSH public key authentication verified * [ ] Default SSH port changed and `PermitRootLogin no` + `PasswordAuthentication no` enforced * [ ] UFW firewall enabled with only SSH, `80`, and `443` exposed publicly * [ ] All Docker database and internal service ports bound strictly to `127.0.0.1` * [ ] `fail2ban-client status sshd` shows active monitoring via `systemd` * [ ] `unattended-upgrades` enabled for automated security patching * [ ] Verified access to [SCP `Screen` (VNC)](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/) for emergency out-of-band recovery ======================================================================== # netcup Disk Partition Expansion & Clean OS Reinstallation Guide (Debian, Ubuntu, Windows) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/system/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/system/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/system/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: How to fix unallocated disk space and growpart swap partition errors on netcup VPS & Root Servers, change German QWERTZ console keymaps, and perform clean Debian/Ubuntu/Windows installations via SCP ISO or netboot scripts. > **TL;DR**: Official netcup OS images often use conservative base partitions (allocating 10–20 GB out of a 128+ GB disk) with a trailing swap partition that causes growpart to fail with NOCHANGE. To expand the root filesystem non-destructively, disable and delete the trailing swap partition, run growpart and resize2fs, and replace the partition with a modern swapfile. For clean Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine, or Windows Server installations, you can either mount custom ISOs in the SCP panel or run automated netboot installers with built-in KVM virtio drivers. ## Key Facts - Partition Expansion Fix: Delete the trailing swap partition before running growpart /dev/vda 1 and resize2fs, then switch to a flexible /swapfile - Console Keymap Tip: Default VNC console images often use German QWERTZ (swapping Y and Z); run localectl set-keymap us to switch to US layout - KVM Virtio Requirement: Any custom OS or Windows image must include virtio storage and network drivers to boot on netcup KVM hosts - Architecture Rule: ARM64 instances (Ampere Altra) strictly require aarch64 images with UEFI boot support - Emergency Recovery: SCP Screen (HTML5 VNC) and Rescue Mode let you mount disks or reflash official images anytime # netcup Disk Partition Expansion & Clean OS Reinstallation Guide (Debian, Ubuntu, Windows) Many engineers logging into a freshly deployed netcup VPS or Root Server are surprised when they run `df -h`: *"I ordered a 128 GB or 256 GB server—why does my root filesystem `/` only show 20 GB?"* In addition, default images sometimes inherit a German `QWERTZ` console keyboard layout, and power users often prefer installing a minimal upstream Debian/Ubuntu setup or a custom Windows Server instance. This guide covers **non-destructive live partition resizing**, **fixing the common `growpart NOCHANGE` swap error**, **switching console keymaps**, and **performing clean OS installations via SCP ISO or automated netboot scripts**. --- ## 1. Non-Destructive Partition Resizing: Reclaiming Unallocated Disk Space netcup's automated image deployment templates sometimes create a small base partition (`10–20 GB`) and leave the remaining disk capacity unallocated at the end of the virtual block device (`/dev/vda` or `/dev/sda`). ### 1. Inspect Your Current Partition Layout Run the following commands via SSH: ```bash lsblk df -h ``` **Typical output on a conservative template**: ```text NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS vda 252:0 0 128G 0 disk ├─vda1 252:1 0 20G 0 part / └─vda2 252:2 0 2G 0 part [SWAP] ``` Here, the virtual disk `vda` is **128 GB**, but the root partition `vda1` is only **20 GB**, and `vda2` (`[SWAP]`) sits directly behind `vda1`, blocking contiguous expansion! --- ### 2. Fixing the `growpart NOCHANGE` Error Caused by Trailing Swap If you run `growpart /dev/vda 1` while `vda2` sits immediately after `vda1`, `growpart` will fail with: ```text NOCHANGE: partition 1 could only be grown by 0 [fsize=..., end=..., max=...] ``` **Why this happens**: A partition can only expand into contiguous free sectors immediately following it. Because `vda2` (`swap`) blocks the path, you must temporarily disable and remove `vda2`, expand `vda1` to 100%, and replace the rigid swap partition with a modern `/swapfile`. ### Safe Live Expansion Procedure (Zero Downtime) ```bash # 1. Disable active swap swapoff -a # 2. Comment out the old swap partition UUID in /etc/fstab so boot never hangs sed -i.bak '/swap/s/^/#/' /etc/fstab # 3. Install partition utilities apt update && apt install -y cloud-guest-utils fdisk parted # 4. Delete the blocking swap partition (partition 2) fdisk /dev/vda <> /etc/fstab ``` --- ## 2. Fixing the German Console Keyboard Layout (`QWERTZ` to `US`) When typing in the [SCP HTML5 VNC Console (`Screen`)](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/), you may notice that pressing `y` outputs `z` and pressing `-` outputs `/`. This happens because the default console keymap is set to German (`de`). Switch permanently to the standard US English (`us`) keyboard layout with one command: ```bash localectl set-keymap us ``` Or inside a temporary rescue shell: ```bash loadkeys us ``` --- ## 3. Clean OS Installation: Custom ISO vs. Automated Netboot (`InstallNET.sh`) Whether you want a pristine upstream Debian 12 / Ubuntu 24.04 installation without vendor customizations or need to run Windows Server, you have two reliable paths on netcup: 1. **Official Way**: Mount any custom ISO (Debian netinst, Alpine, Proxmox, FreeBSD, or Windows Server) under **`Media` -> `DVD Drive`** in the [SCP Control Panel](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/) and complete the setup via the VNC screen. 2. **Automated Netboot Way**: Run a community-verified automated netboot script directly from SSH. ### Critical Prerequisites Before Reinstalling 1. **Record Your Static Network Configuration**: Run `ip addr` and `ip route show` and save your: * Public IPv4 address and subnet prefix * Default Gateway IP * IPv6 `/64` prefix and gateway (`fe80::1`) 2. **Mandatory KVM `virtio` Drivers**: netcup uses KVM virtualization with `virtio-blk` / `virtio-scsi` storage and `virtio-net` network interfaces. Any custom OS or Windows image **must include `virtio` drivers**, or the server will fail to detect its disk and NIC on boot. 3. **Match Your CPU Architecture**: * **AMD EPYC (`x86_64` / `amd64`)**: Use standard `amd64` images. * **Ampere Altra (`ARM64` / `aarch64`)**: Must use `arm64` images with **UEFI boot** support. --- ### 1. Automated Clean Debian 12 / Ubuntu 24.04 Installation Using the widely audited `leitbogioro/Tools` netboot installer: ```bash # 1. Install curl and wget apt update && apt install -y curl wget # 2. Download the installer script wget --no-check-certificate -qO InstallNET.sh 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/leitbogioro/Tools/master/Linux/InstallNET.sh' && chmod a+x InstallNET.sh # 3. Boot into an automated clean Debian 12 installation # Replace YourStrongPassword123! and customize the SSH port if desired bash InstallNET.sh -debian 12 -pwd 'YourStrongPassword123!' -port 2222 ``` * **Installation Time**: Typically **5 to 10 minutes** (automatically formats the full disk into a single clean partition). * **Live Progress**: Open **`Screen` (VNC)** in the [SCP panel](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/) to watch the Debian installer run unattended. --- ### 2. Installing Windows Server (With Built-in `virtio` Drivers) While netcup does not ship pre-installed Windows templates, its dedicated-core Root Servers (`RS G12.5`) run Windows Server smoothly: ```bash # Install Windows Server 2022 (includes KVM virtio storage & network drivers) bash InstallNET.sh -windows 2022 -lang "en" -pwd 'YourStrongWindowsPass123!' ``` * **Wait Time**: Allow **15 to 25 minutes** for image extraction and first-boot initialization via the SCP VNC console. * Once complete, connect via Microsoft Remote Desktop (`mstsc`) to `YOUR_SERVER_IP:3389` and immediately restrict RDP access behind a firewall or WireGuard VPN. --- ## 4. Emergency Recovery: What If a Reinstall Fails to Boot? If a custom image or network typo leaves your server unreachable via SSH: 1. Log in to the [Server Control Panel (SCP)](https://www.servercontrolpanel.de/). 2. Select your server and navigate to **`Rescue`** (Rescue System). 3. Activate the **64-bit Linux Rescue System** and restart the server. 4. Connect via VNC or the temporary rescue SSH credentials to either: * Mount your root filesystem (`mount /dev/vda1 /mnt`) and fix `/etc/network/interfaces` or `/etc/netplan/`; or * Go to **`Media` -> `Images`** in SCP and reflash an official netcup Debian/Ubuntu image in under 2 minutes! ======================================================================== # What Can You Host on a netcup VPS? 12 Production Self-Hosting Architectures - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/usecases/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/usecases/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/usecases/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Turn your netcup VPS or Root Server into a sovereign private cloud: 12 battle-tested production self-hosting stacks including Mailcow email, Vaultwarden, Nextcloud with Block Storage, Restic encrypted backups, and game servers. > **TL;DR**: Thanks to clean European IP reputation, full rDNS control, unmetered traffic, and 99.6% SLA hardware reliability, a netcup VPS or Root Server can power an entire self-hosted software stack. Top production use cases include sovereign email servers (Mailcow/Stalwart), ultra-lightweight password vaults (Vaultwarden using ~30 MB RAM), scalable private clouds (Nextcloud/Seafile paired with Local Block Storage), 3-2-1 encrypted offsite backups (Restic/Borg), private Git CI/CD (Forgejo), and zero-jitter multiplayer game servers on dedicated Zen 5 Root Servers. ## Key Facts - High-Deliverability Email: Clean netcup IPv4/IPv6 subnets, open port 25, and instant rDNS (PTR) setup in SCP make Mailcow/Stalwart hosting reliable - Ultra-Light Password Vault: Vaultwarden consumes only ~30 MB RAM, running effortlessly even on a €1.85/mo VPS pico - 3-2-1 Offsite Backups: Unmetered traffic + German datacenter stability make netcup ideal for end-to-end encrypted Restic or Borg repositories - Scalable Storage: Pair a low-cost VPS with Local Block Storage (~€0.012/GB/month, up to 8 TB) for massive Nextcloud/Seafile file libraries - Low-Jitter Game Servers: Always choose dedicated-core Root Servers (RS G12.5 with AMD EPYC Zen 5) for 20 TPS Minecraft, Palworld, or CS2 servers # What Can You Host on a netcup VPS? 12 Production Self-Hosting Architectures Many developers grab a netcup server during a promotional sale, run a quick benchmark script, and then wonder: *"Now that I have this server running 24/7, what are the highest-value production workloads I can actually host on it?"* Combining **owned German datacenter stability (300+ day uptimes)**, **clean IP reputation**, **native IPv4 + `/64` IPv6**, and **unmetered traffic**, even a few euros per month unlocks a complete, GDPR-compliant sovereign cloud stack. Here are **12 battle-tested production self-hosting architectures** and hardware sizing recommendations for netcup VPS and Root Server instances. --- ## 1. Sovereign Transactional & Business Email Server (`Mailcow` / `Stalwart`) Many budget cloud providers suffer from heavily abused IP neighborhoods that are permanently blocklisted by Spamhaus or Microsoft Outlook. * **Why netcup Excels at Email Hosting**: * Clean European IPv4/IPv6 subnets with outbound TCP port `25` open by default; * Instant self-service **rDNS (`PTR` reverse DNS)** configuration for both IPv4 and IPv6 inside the [SCP Control Panel](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/). * **Recommended Stack**: * **Mailcow (`mailcow-dockerized`)**: Full groupware suite with Webmail, SOGo calendar/contacts, Rspamd filtering, and DKIM/DMARC automation (recommended on **VPS 1000 G12.5** with 8 GB RAM). * **Stalwart Mail Server**: All-in-one modern Rust mail server supporting JMAP, IMAP4, SMTP, and built-in spam filtering in a single binary (runs easily on **1–2 GB RAM**). --- ## 2. Zero-Knowledge Password Manager (`Vaultwarden`) Storing your 2FA TOTP seeds, SSH keys, and payment credentials on a commercial SaaS target carries subscription costs and third-party breach risks. * **Recommended Stack**: **Vaultwarden** (lightweight Rust-based server compatible with official Bitwarden apps). * **Resource Footprint**: * Consumes just **25 MB – 40 MB of RAM** and virtually `0.0%` idle CPU. * **Hardware Sizing**: * Runs effortlessly on a **[VPS pico G12.5](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/)** (`€1.85/mo`) alongside a Caddy reverse proxy with automatic Let's Encrypt TLS certificates, syncing seamlessly across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and browser extensions. --- ## 3. Private Cloud Storage & Photo Sync (`Nextcloud` / `Seafile` + Block Storage) Want to replace Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud Photos without paying hefty monthly per-terabyte subscription fees? * **Recommended Stack**: * **Seafile**: Written in C, engineered for blistering file sync throughput and tens of thousands of small files. * **Nextcloud + Immich**: Nextcloud for collaborative documents, calendars, and WebDAV, paired with **Immich** for AI-powered mobile photo backup. * **Storage Scaling Pro-Tip**: * Instead of overpaying for a massive compute plan just to get disk space, pair a modest VPS with netcup **Local Block Storage** (`~€0.012/GB/month`, scalable up to **8 TB**) attached directly as a KVM `virtio` block device. --- ## 4. 3-2-1 Encrypted Offsite Backup Repository (`Restic` / `BorgBackup`) For sysadmins and homelab operators, an offsite backup server is the cornerstone of the **3-2-1 Backup Rule** (3 copies of data, 2 local media types, 1 offsite location): * **Architecture**: Run an SFTP server, `restic-rest-server`, or **MinIO S3** on your netcup VPS in Nuremberg (`NUE`) or Vienna (`VIE`), and push automated nightly snapshots from your home NAS, Proxmox cluster, or primary production servers using **Restic** or **BorgBackup**. * **Why It Works So Well**: * **Client-side AES-256 / ChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption** guarantees zero-knowledge security—even if someone had root access to the backup server, your archives remain unreadable without your local key; * netcup's **unmetered inbound/outbound traffic** means nightly multi-gigabyte deduplicated backups never incur bandwidth overage bills. --- ## 5. 24/7 Infrastructure Monitoring & Status Page (`Uptime Kuma` + `Prometheus`) * **Recommended Stack**: * **Uptime Kuma**: Self-hosted monitoring dashboard for HTTP(s), TCP ports, DNS records, Docker containers, and SSL certificate expiration with instant alerts via Telegram, Slack, Discord, PagerDuty, or email. * **Beszel / Grafana + VictoriaMetrics**: Lightweight resource metrics and historical telemetry across all your servers. * **Best Practice**: Host your monitoring stack on an independent netcup datacenter (e.g., Vienna `VIE` or Manassas `MNZ`) so it can alert you immediately if your primary cluster ever goes offline. --- ## 6. Private Git Hosting & CI/CD Pipelines (`Forgejo` / `Gitea`) Self-hosting GitLab CE requires 4–8 GB of RAM just to stay idle. Modern Go-based alternatives deliver the same developer experience at a fraction of the footprint: * **Recommended Stack**: **Forgejo** or **Gitea** paired with **Forgejo Actions** or **Woodpecker CI**. * **Resource Footprint**: Uses only **100 MB – 200 MB of RAM** while providing millisecond web UI response times, container registries, and automated Docker build/deploy pipelines on every `git push`. --- ## 7. High-Performance Web Publishing & E-Commerce (`Ghost`, `WordPress`, `Astro`) * **Recommended Stack**: * **Ghost** (Node.js) or **WordPress** (PHP-FPM + Redis Object Cache + MariaDB) behind **Caddy** or **Nginx**; * Static/SSR frameworks (**Astro**, **Next.js**, **Hugo**) deployed via Docker or Coolify. * **Hardware Sizing**: * A **VPS 500 G12.5** (`2 vCore / 4 GB RAM`) or **VPS 1000 G12.5** (`4 vCore / 8 GB RAM`) fronted by Cloudflare CDN handles tens of thousands of daily visitors with sub-50ms TTFB. --- ## 8. Team Knowledge Base & Second Brain (`Outline` / `Wiki.js` / `BookStack`) * **Why Self-Host**: Keep proprietary engineering runbooks, architecture diagrams, and personal notes under 100% data sovereignty with offline-ready Markdown exports. * **Recommended Stack**: **Outline** (fast, Slack/Notion-style collaborative Markdown workspace), **Wiki.js**, or **BookStack**, backed by PostgreSQL and automated nightly Restic snapshots. --- ## 9. Zero-Jitter Multiplayer Game Servers (`Minecraft`, `Palworld`, `Factorio`, `CS2`) * **Critical Hardware Rule**: * **Never host tick-sensitive multiplayer game servers on shared-vCore VPS plans!** Game server main loops (such as Minecraft's 20 TPS tick loop) suffer from noticeable lag spikes if a shared host core experiences even brief CPU steal. * **Always choose a Root Server (`RS 1000 G12.5` or `RS 2000 G12.5`)!** * **Why Root Servers Dominate**: * Dedicated **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5)** physical cores (`2,000+` Geekbench 6 single-core score), DDR5 ECC RAM, and high-IOPS NVMe storage keep tick times rock-steady even with dozens of concurrent players and heavy modpacks (deployable via **Pterodactyl** or **Pelican Panel**). --- ## 10. Secure Mesh VPN & Zero-Trust Homelab Relay (`WireGuard` / `Headscale` / `frp`) * **Scenario**: Your home NAS, Proxmox homelab, or Raspberry Pi sits behind residential CGNAT without a static public IPv4 address. * **Architecture**: Deploy **WireGuard**, **Headscale** (self-hosted Tailscale control server with an embedded DERP relay), or **Pangolin / frp** on your netcup VPS to expose selected internal services securely with automatic TLS and authentication. --- ## 11. Algorithmic-Free RSS Reader & Read-It-Later Hub (`Miniflux` + `Wallabag`) * **Scenario**: Escape algorithmic social feeds and paywalled link rot with a fast, distraction-free reading pipeline. * **Recommended Stack**: **Miniflux** (ultra-minimalist Go + PostgreSQL RSS reader consuming `<30 MB` RAM) + **Wallabag** or **Hoarder** (full-text article archiver), synced directly with NetNewsWire, Reeder, or Fluent Reader on mobile and desktop. --- ## 12. Risk-Free Linux Kernel & DevOps Sandbox (Powered by Free Offline Snapshots) * **The Ultimate Learning Lab**: * Want to test Kubernetes (`k3s`), BGP routing with `FRRouting`, PostgreSQL replication failover, or custom nftables rules without risking a production environment? * Before running any risky command on netcup, create a **free Offline Snapshot** in the [SCP Control Panel](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/). * If an experiment breaks the kernel or corrupts the filesystem, click **Restore Snapshot** in SCP and your server is back online in **under 60 seconds**! ======================================================================== # netcup 0% VAT Rules, EU Reverse Charge, Payment Methods & Avoiding PayPal FX Fees - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/vat-payment/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/vat-payment/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/vat-payment/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Complete guide to netcup billing: how non-EU customers (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland) and EU businesses (via Reverse Charge VAT ID) get 0% VAT net pricing, how to pay CCP invoices without KYC delays, and how to avoid PayPal's 4% currency conversion markup. > **TL;DR**: netcup calculates Value Added Tax (VAT) strictly based on your verified billing address and tax status: non-EU customers (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, etc.) automatically receive 0% VAT net pricing (saving 19%), while registered EU businesses outside Germany qualify for 0% VAT via the EU Reverse Charge mechanism by entering a valid VAT ID (USt-IdNr.) in the CCP. After placing an order, netcup sends your CCP login credentials and invoice via email—simply log in to the CCP and pay via PayPal, credit card, or SEPA transfer. When paying EUR invoices from a USD/GBP/CAD card via PayPal, always choose to bill in the merchant's currency (EUR) or use Wise/Revolut to avoid PayPal's 3.5%–4.5% Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) markup. ## Key Facts - Non-EU 0% VAT Exemption: Customers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, and other non-EU countries automatically pay 0% VAT (net price) - EU Business Reverse Charge: EU companies/freelancers outside Germany with a valid EU VIES VAT ID receive 0% VAT under the intra-community Reverse Charge rule - Why Prices Show 19% VAT Initially: The public website estimates tax by IP geolocation; selecting your non-EU country during checkout immediately drops VAT to 0% - Streamlined Onboarding: Orders generate a CCP customer account and PDF invoice directly by email—pay your open invoice under Rechnungen (Invoices) to trigger automated provisioning - Avoid PayPal's 4% FX Trap: In PayPal checkout, switch currency conversion from your home currency (USD/GBP/CAD/AUD) to EUR so your card issuer (or Wise/Revolut) handles the exchange at mid-market rates # netcup 0% VAT Rules, EU Reverse Charge, Payment Methods & Avoiding PayPal FX Fees One of the biggest financial advantages of hosting with netcup—beyond its raw hardware-to-price ratio—is its transparent tax treatment under German and European Union tax law: **non-EU customers and eligible EU businesses pay 0% VAT, instantly saving 19%–20% compared to standard European retail prices.** However, international buyers frequently run into questions during checkout: *"Why does the website show 19% VAT when I browse?"*, *"How do I apply my EU VAT ID for Reverse Charge?"*, and *"Why did PayPal charge me 4% more than the official EUR exchange rate?"* This guide walks through netcup's VAT calculation rules, the Customer Control Panel (CCP) invoice workflow, and how to eliminate hidden foreign exchange fees. --- ## 1. How 0% VAT Works: Non-EU Customers & EU Reverse Charge In Germany, the standard statutory Value Added Tax (`Umsatzsteuer` / VAT) is **19%**. Under EU digital services tax directives, whether you pay VAT depends entirely on your **billing residency (`Rechnungsadresse`)** and business status: ### Case A: Non-EU Customers (Automatic 0% VAT) If you reside outside the European Union—such as in the **United States (`US`), United Kingdom (`GB`), Canada (`CA`), Australia (`AU`), Switzerland (`CH`), Norway (`NO`), Singapore (`SG`), or Japan (`JP`)**—cross-border digital services exported from Germany are exempt from EU VAT (`Steuerfreie Ausfuhrlieferung / Drittland`). * **Rate**: **0% VAT** (you pay the pure Net Price). * **Requirements**: No tax certificate or corporate registration is needed; your billing country selection at checkout automatically sets VAT to 0%. ### Case B: EU Businesses & Freelancers (0% VAT via EU Reverse Charge) If you operate a registered business or freelance practice inside the EU (outside Germany—e.g., in the **Netherlands, Austria, France, Ireland, Poland, Spain, etc.**): * By entering a valid **EU VIES VAT Identification Number (`USt-IdNr.`)** in your account profile, your invoices are issued with **0% VAT under the EU Reverse Charge procedure (`Steuerschuldnerschaft des Leistungsempfängers`)**. * *(Note: German businesses and freelancers pay the standard 19% German `Umsatzsteuer` on the invoice and reclaim it as input tax / `Vorsteuerabzug` on their regular tax return.)* ### Case C: EU Private Consumers Private individuals residing in an EU member state are billed the statutory VAT rate of their home country under the EU OSS (One-Stop-Shop) rule (e.g., 19% in Germany, 20% in Austria, 21% in the Netherlands/Spain). ### Why Does the Website Show 19% VAT Before Checkout? * **Cause**: netcup's public storefront estimates VAT based on your **visitor IP address** (or defaults to 19% German VAT). If you browse directly or through a European VPN node, a €5.90 net VPS will display as €7.02 on the product page. * **Fix**: 1. Add the server to your shopping cart and proceed to checkout. 2. On the **Customer Details** step, select your actual non-EU country (e.g., `United States`, `United Kingdom`, `Canada`, `Switzerland`) from the **Country** dropdown. 3. On the final order summary screen, the system recalculates taxes and **removes the 19% VAT automatically**, restoring the exact net price. --- ## 2. Paying Your First Invoice in the CCP (Step-by-Step) > Streamlined Account Creation (No Upfront Card Charge at Checkout) netcup uses traditional German B2B/B2C invoice billing ( Kauf auf Rechnung ). Submitting an order on the website does not immediately charge your card; instead, netcup creates your Customer Control Panel (CCP) account and emails your login credentials alongside your first invoice. Once you pay that invoice inside the CCP, your server provisions automatically. ### Complete First-Order Payment Workflow: 1. **Check Your Email Inbox**: * After submitting your order, watch for two emails: **`Your login credentials for the netcup CCP`** (containing your **Customer ID / Kundennummer** and temporary password) and **`Your Invoice from netcup`** (check your Spam/Promotions folder if delayed). 2. **Log In to the Customer Control Panel (CCP)**: * Visit [customercontrolpanel.de](https://www.customercontrolpanel.de/) and sign in with your Customer ID, password, and the email 2FA code. 3. **Open Your Outstanding Invoices**: * Click **`Rechnungen` (Invoices)** in the left sidebar. * Locate your invoice under **`Offene Rechnungen` (Outstanding Invoices)**. 4. **Select a Payment Method & Pay**: * Click **`Jetzt bezahlen` (Pay now)** next to the open invoice. * Supported payment methods include: * **Credit / Debit Card (Visa & Mastercard)**: Fast, direct payment in EUR; ideal when using a card with zero foreign transaction fees (or Wise/Revolut). * **PayPal**: Instant settlement; supports linked cards and bank accounts worldwide. * **SEPA Bank Transfer / Direct Debit**: Available for customers with a EUR IBAN account (including Wise or Revolut EUR details). 5. **Automated Server Provisioning**: * Once the invoice status updates to **Paid**, netcup's provisioning engine deploys your server within **5 to 15 minutes** and emails your **Server Control Panel (SCP)** credentials and initial `root` password. --- ## 3. Avoiding PayPal's 3.5%–4.5% Currency Conversion Trap (DCC) All netcup invoices are denominated in **Euros (`EUR`)**. If your primary bank card is issued in **USD, GBP, CAD, AUD, CHF, or SGD** and you pay through PayPal, PayPal defaults to its built-in **Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)**—one of the most common hidden fees in international hosting. ### How PayPal's FX Markup Works: * Suppose your netcup invoice is **€10.00 EUR** and the real mid-market exchange rate is **$1.08 USD** (€10.00 = $10.80). * Instead of charging your card €10.00 EUR, PayPal applies its own retail exchange rate (which includes a **3.5% to 4.5% currency conversion spread**) and charges your card **$11.25+ USD**. * Over a 24-month Root Server contract, that silent markup adds up to an extra month or two of wasted hosting fees. ### How to Bypass the Markup in 10 Seconds: 1. On the netcup invoice payment screen, select **PayPal** and log in to the PayPal checkout window. 2. Under your selected credit/debit card, click **`See currency options`** or **`Conversion Options`**. 3. PayPal will present two choices: * **Option A (PayPal's Default Trap)**: *Convert currency with PayPal (Pay in USD/GBP/CAD...)* * **Option B (Recommended)**: ***Pay in the merchant's currency (`EUR`)*** 4. Select **Pay in `EUR`** and confirm payment. 5. **Pro Tip**: Pair Option B with a **no-foreign-transaction-fee credit card** (e.g., Chase Sapphire, Capital One, Amex/Visa with 0% FX fee) or a multi-currency fintech card (**Wise** or **Revolut**). Your card network (Visa/Mastercard) will convert EUR at the true interbank rate, saving you 3.5%–4.5% on every invoice! --- ## 4. Setting Up Auto-Pay for Hassle-Free Renewals To avoid accidentally missing a renewal invoice and triggering late payment fees (`Mahngebühren`), you can enable automatic payments: 1. In the CCP left menu, navigate to **`Stammdaten` (Master Data) -> `Zahlungsmethode` (Payment Methods)**. 2. Set up a **Pre-approved PayPal billing agreement**, save a default **Credit Card**, or configure a **SEPA Direct Debit mandate (`SEPA-Lastschriftmandat`)**. 3. Future renewal invoices will be settled automatically a few days before their due date. 4. **Important Reminder**: Revoking a PayPal billing agreement or deleting a saved card inside your bank app **does NOT cancel your netcup contract**! If you no longer need a server, you must submit a formal cancellation (`Kündigung`) in the CCP at least **31 days before the contract term ends**—see our [Refunds & Cancellation Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/). --- ## 5. Downloading Tax-Compliant PDF Invoices for Accounting Every invoice generated by netcup is a formal, audit-ready German commercial invoice: * Navigate to **`Rechnungen` (Invoices)** in the CCP and click the PDF download icon next to any bill. * Each PDF clearly states your company name and billing address, the net amount in EUR, and the applicable tax clause (**`0% VAT — Export / Reverse Charge`** or itemized EU VAT), making it straightforward to expense in Xero, QuickBooks, Stripe Atlas, or corporate accounting software. ======================================================================== # netcup Knowledge Base & Tutorial Index - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/kb/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/kb/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/kb/ - **Category**: Knowledge Base - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Complete index of our netcup Knowledge Base: from company background, architecture sizing, VAT rules & billing, and contract cancellation to benchmarks, OS reinstalls, security hardening, BBR tuning, and 12 self-hosted Docker use cases. > **TL;DR**: This Knowledge Base is structured as a progressive engineering roadmap ("Buy Right -> Provision Cleanly -> Run Reliably"): start with About netcup and How to Choose a Server; review VAT & Payment Rules and Refunds, 31-Day Notice & Free PUSH Transfers before checkout; follow OS Reinstall, Security Hardening, and Performance Benchmarks upon provisioning; and finish with Network & BBR Tuning plus 12 Self-Hosted Production Use Cases. ## Key Facts - Pre-Purchase Essentials: Covers Anexia Group & Nuremberg data center infrastructure, VPS vs. Root Server workload sizing, 0% VAT / EU Reverse Charge billing, and the strict 31-day cancellation rule - Day-1 Provisioning & Ops: Walks through Debian 12 security hardening, SSH key lockdown, YABS/Geekbench 6/fio hardware verification, and clean minimal OS installation - Advanced Optimization: Explains cross-border TCP BBR congestion control, G9-to-G12.5 hardware & pricing evolution, and 12 high-value Docker production architectures # netcup Knowledge Base This hub indexes all of our in-depth technical guides on netcup VPS and Root Servers, organized by **engineering workflow** rather than publication date. If you are new to netcup, start with Step 1 below. > Looking for a quick answer? Press / to search, or check our [24 Frequently Asked Questions](https://netcup.cheap/faq/) and [Technical Glossary](https://netcup.cheap/glossary/). ## Step 1: Understand the Provider - [About netcup: Company Background, Anexia Backbone & Nuremberg Data Centers](https://netcup.cheap/kb/about/) — History since 2003, owned vs. leased facilities, product lines, and an honest look at German contract rigidity; - [netcup Price History & Hardware Generations (G9 to G12.5)](https://netcup.cheap/kb/price-history/) — How specs, storage media, and pricing evolved from G9 to G12.5, plus grandfathered contract rules; - [netcup Reviews & Community Reputation](https://netcup.cheap/reviews/) — Independent benchmarks and long-term user feedback from LowEndTalk, Reddit, and sysadmin communities. ## Step 2: Essential Rules Before You Order - [0% VAT Exemption, EU Reverse Charge, Payment Methods & Avoiding PayPal FX Fees](https://netcup.cheap/kb/vat-payment/) — Why non-EU customers and EU businesses with a VAT ID pay 0% VAT, invoice payment in CCP, and how to avoid PayPal's 4% currency conversion markup; - [Refunds, 31-Day Cancellation Notice, Free PUSH Transfers & Avoiding Debt Collection](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/) — How the 30-day money-back guarantee works, the strict 31-day notice period under German contract law, and 100% free server transfers via CCP Transfer Code; - [How to Choose the Right netcup Server](https://netcup.cheap/kb/choose/) — Five architectural dimensions (workload jitter, MySQL OOM boundaries, Block Storage math, routing, and contract terms) to pick the right tier. ## Step 3: Day-1 Provisioning Checklist - [Clean OS Reinstall, Partition Resizing & Initial Setup](https://netcup.cheap/kb/system/) — Minimal Debian/Ubuntu installation, disk expansion, custom ISO mounting, and baseline sysctl scripts; - [VPS Security Hardening Checklist](https://netcup.cheap/kb/security/) — SSH public-key authentication, UFW/nftables firewall rules, fail2ban jails, and unattended security updates; - [Complete VPS Benchmarking Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/benchmark/) — Three-stage CPU, NVMe/SSD fio IOPS, and network throughput testing with reference baselines. ## Step 4: Tune Network & Routing Performance - [VPS Networking Fundamentals: Latency, MTR Routing, TCP BBR & DNS](https://netcup.cheap/kb/network/) — Reading `mtr` traces, enabling TCP BBR congestion control, and diagnosing peering bottlenecks; - [Looking Glass & Data Center Speed Test](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) — Official test IPs, Looking Glass endpoints, and latency comparisons across Nuremberg, Vienna, Amsterdam, Manassas, and Singapore. ## Step 5: Put Your Server to Work - [What Can You Run on a netcup VPS? 12 Practical Self-Hosted Scenarios](https://netcup.cheap/kb/usecases/) — Production blueprints ranging from Ghost/WordPress and Nextcloud to CI/CD runners, observability stacks, and encrypted off-site Borg/Restic backups. ## Interactive Tools & Reference - [Technical Glossary](https://netcup.cheap/glossary/) — Concise explanations of VPS, Root Server, fair-use traffic, rDNS, snapshots, KVM/VNC, clean OS install, and BBR; - [Interactive Server Chooser](https://netcup.cheap/tools/vps-chooser/) — Answer four workload questions to get an instant primary and alternative server recommendation; - [True Cost Calculator](https://netcup.cheap/tools/cost-calculator/) — Compute your exact monthly effective cost after contract terms, VAT rules, and voucher codes; - [Community Discussion](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/) — Ask questions with your specific server model and error logs if your edge case isn't covered above. ## All Knowledge Base Articles ### Not sure which guide to read first? Start with our architecture sizing guide to match your workload to the right server family. [Start with Server Sizing →](https://netcup.cheap/kb/choose/) ======================================================================== # netcup Plesk Webhosting, Domains & Local Block Storage Guide (30% Lifetime Off) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/products/hosting/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/products/hosting/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/products/hosting/ - **Category**: Products - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Complete guide to netcup Webhosting plans (1000–8000) with Plesk Obsidian, 30% lifetime recurring voucher codes, included domain rules (.de/.com/.eu), and Local Block Storage Ceph expansion up to 8 TB. > **TL;DR**: netcup Webhosting is a managed Plesk Obsidian platform featuring one-click WordPress, multi-version PHP-FPM (8.1–8.4), free Let's Encrypt SSL, and unlimited custom domain email accounts starting at €2.26/mo net (with free included domains). Pairing Webhosting 2000/4000/8000 with a 30% lifetime recurring voucher locks in a permanent 30% discount across all future renewals. Note that included domains are bundled with the hosting contract and revert to standard domain pricing if you cancel the hosting plan. For VPS and Root Servers needing extra disk space, Local Block Storage scales up to 8 TB at €0.012/GB/mo net. ## Key Facts - Managed Plesk Stack: Graphical Plesk Obsidian control panel with zero Linux CLI maintenance, PHP 8.1–8.4, and one-click WordPress Toolkit - 30% Lifetime Discount: Webhosting 2000/4000/8000 support 30% recurring vouchers that permanently discount every future renewal bill - Included Domain Rules: Free included domains (Inklusivdomains) remain free for the life of the hosting plan, reverting to standard domain rates if the hosting contract is cancelled - Polyglot Runtimes: Webhosting 4000 and 8000 natively support Node.js, Python, and Ruby web applications alongside PHP - Ceph Block Storage: Local Block Storage adds up to 8 TB of triple-replicated SAN storage to any VPS or Root Server for just €0.012/GB/mo net # netcup Webhosting, Domains & Local Block Storage Guide (Plesk Panel / 30% Lifetime Voucher / Domain Rules) Not every project needs an unmanaged VPS where you have to patch the Linux kernel, configure Nginx firewalls, and maintain RSPAMD/Postfix mail servers by hand. If your primary goals are to: * **Run corporate websites, e-commerce storefronts, WordPress blogs, or landing pages reliably**; * **Host unlimited custom-domain business email accounts (e.g., `contact@yourdomain.com`) with built-in spam filtering**; * **Spend zero hours on OS upgrades, server hardening, and mail deliverability maintenance**; Then netcup's **Plesk Webhosting lineup** is often cheaper, safer, and far more convenient than managing a virtual server yourself. Below is a complete guide to netcup's Webhosting tiers, Plesk Obsidian features, how to lock in a **30% lifetime recurring discount**, important rules around included domains, and how to expand VPS/Root Server disks using **Local Block Storage**. --- ## 1. Webhosting Specifications & Net Pricing Table All prices below are **0% VAT net prices** for non-EU customers (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, etc.) and EU B2B customers via Reverse Charge (German private consumers add 19% VAT): | Plan | Storage (Web + Mail) | MySQL Databases | Free Included Domains | PHP Processes / RAM Limit | Standard Net Price | Net Price with 30% Lifetime Voucher | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Webhosting 1000 | 50 GB SSD | 10 | 1× .de or alternative TLD | 500 procs / 512 MB | €2.26 /mo | — | | Webhosting 2000 | 150 GB SSD | 10 | 3× .de or 1× other TLD | 500 procs / 512 MB | €3.39 /mo | ~€2.37 /mo | | Webhosting 4000 | 500 GB SSD | 25 | 6× .de or 2× other TLDs | 1000 procs / 1024 MB | €6.81 /mo | ~€4.77 /mo | | Webhosting 8000 | 1000 GB SSD | 50 | 12× .de or 3× other TLDs | 2000 procs / 2048 MB | €11.07 /mo | ~€7.75 /mo | ### Core Features Included Across All Plans: 1. **Plesk Obsidian Control Panel**: Industry-standard graphical web hosting interface supporting multiple languages (English, German, etc.) for effortless website, database, DNS, and mailbox management. 2. **Per-Domain PHP-FPM Selection**: Switch seamlessly between PHP 7.4 and modern **PHP 8.1 / 8.2 / 8.3 / 8.4** on a per-subdomain basis. 3. **Automated Let's Encrypt SSL**: One-click wildcard and multi-domain TLS certificates with automatic background renewal. 4. **Node.js, Python & Ruby Support (4000 & 8000 Tiers)**: Run lightweight **Node.js, Python (WSGI/Passenger), and Ruby** web apps alongside PHP without needing a separate VPS. 5. **Automated Daily Backups**: Off-site daily snapshots allow you to restore accidentally deleted files or database tables directly from Plesk with one click. --- ## 2. How the 30% Lifetime Recurring Voucher Works While most netcup vouchers for VPS and Root Servers grant 1–2 free initial months or a one-time €5 credit, netcup offers a special **30% recurring discount voucher** exclusively for **Webhosting 2000, 4000, and 8000**: * **One-Time vs. Lifetime Recurring**: Standard vouchers apply only to your first invoice. By contrast, the **30% Webhosting voucher is permanently attached to your contract (`Dauerrabatt`)**. * **Real-World Math**: * **Webhosting 2000** normally costs €3.39/mo net; * Applying a 30% voucher drops your rate to **~€2.37/mo net** (~€28.44/year net); * Every subsequent renewal year is billed at the exact same 30% discounted rate for as long as you keep the plan; * For **€2.37/mo net, you get 150 GB SSD storage, free included domain(s), and unlimited custom mailboxes**—often cheaper than renewing a single domain and email mailbox elsewhere. * Grab an active 30% code anytime from our [Active Vouchers Page](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/). --- ## 3. Rules & Caveats for Included Domains (`Inklusivdomains`) Each Webhosting plan includes between 1 and 12 free domains (such as `.de`, `.com`, `.net`, `.org`, or `.eu` depending on the tier): ### Important Contract Rules to Know Up Front: 1. **Free for the Duration of the Hosting Contract**: "Included domains" mean the annual registry fee is waived for as long as your Webhosting plan remains active. 2. **What Happens When You Cancel the Webhosting Plan**: If you later cancel your Webhosting package in the CCP panel: * The included domains **do not remain free forever** on a standalone basis. * During cancellation, you must choose to either: **delete** the domain, **keep** it as a standalone paid domain at netcup's standard annual rate, or request the **Auth-Code** to transfer the domain out to an external registrar (such as Cloudflare Registrar or Porkbun). 3. **Accurate WHOIS Contact Data**: For `.de` domains (managed by DENIC) and generic TLDs, always register with your real name and verifiable billing address to avoid registry compliance holds. --- ## 4. Local Block Storage: Scaling VPS & Root Server Disks Up to 8 TB If you run a VPS or Root Server and your primary 64 GB or 128 GB disk starts filling up with media uploads, container volumes, or backups, **you do not need to upgrade to an expensive high-CPU server tier just to get more storage**. Instead, attach netcup's **Local Block Storage** volume: * **Ultra-Low Net Price**: Billed purely by capacity at **€0.012 / GB / month net** (100 GB costs just €1.20/mo net; 1 TB costs €12.00/mo net). * **Maximum Volume Size**: * Root Server (G9+) and VPS x86 (G10+): Attach up to **8 TB (8,192 GB)** per server. * Selected entry VPS Lite / G11s models: Attach up to 4 TB. * **Triple-Replicated Ceph Architecture**: Backed by parent company Anexia's distributed enterprise Ceph SAN storage cluster with 3× data replication, protecting your data against individual drive or node failures. * **4-Step Attachment Workflow**: 1. Order your desired capacity of Local Block Storage in the CCP customer panel. 2. Log in to the [SCP Server Control Panel](https://netcup.cheap/guide/scp/), open your server's **`Extension`** tab, and attach the volume to your instance. 3. Reboot or rescan the virtio bus and run `lsblk` over SSH to see the new raw block device (typically `/dev/vdb`). 4. Partition, format (`ext4` or `xfs`), and add the UUID to `/etc/fstab` for seamless persistent storage. ======================================================================== # netcup Root Server Review & Specs (AMD EPYC Zen 5 Dedicated Cores / 2.5G) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/products/root-server/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/products/root-server/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/products/root-server/ - **Category**: Products - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Complete breakdown of netcup Root Server (RS 500–16000 G12.5) specs and 0% VAT net pricing: dedicated AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) cores, DDR5 ECC RAM, pure NVMe storage, and 2.5 Gbps port performance. > **TL;DR**: The Root Server (RS) series is netcup's flagship dedicated-core compute line: using KVM hardware-level CPU pinning, it guarantees 100% dedicated AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5) physical cores, DDR5 ECC memory, pure NVMe storage, and a 2.5 Gbps network port starting at €9.24/mo net on a 24-month contract (26% off monthly rates). It permits 24/7 100% sustained CPU load without throttling while retaining cloud conveniences like snapshots, VNC console, and Local Block Storage expansion. ## Key Facts - Core Positioning: Root Servers provide 100% dedicated physical CPU cores pinned exclusively to your instance with zero noisy-neighbor interference - Hardware Platform: G12.5 features AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5 architecture), DDR5 ECC RAM, pure NVMe storage arrays, and a 2.5 Gbps network port - Workload Policy: Permits 24/7 uninterrupted 100% CPU utilization with zero CFS time-slice throttling - Disk Performance: Pure NVMe arrays deliver 80k–150k+ 4K random IOPS, ideal for high-concurrency OLTP databases - Net Pricing: Starts at €9.24/mo net (0% VAT for non-EU & EU B2B Reverse Charge; +19% VAT for German consumers), plus 1–2 free months via voucher codes # netcup Root Server Series Review & Specifications (AMD EPYC Zen 5 Dedicated Cores / 2.5 Gbps / NVMe) First-time visitors to netcup often wonder what **"Root Server" (RS series)** actually means: is it a standard VPS or a bare-metal dedicated server? And why do experienced sysadmins always prioritize RS deals during major promotions even when the core count looks similar to a VPS? In short, a netcup Root Server sits right between a shared VPS and a bare-metal dedicated server: it runs on KVM virtualization, but the hypervisor **pins dedicated physical AMD EPYC CPU cores and DDR5 ECC RAM exclusively to your instance**, while keeping cloud advantages like instant snapshots, browser VNC, custom ISO mounting, and online scaling. Below, we examine the hardware isolation architecture, full G12.5 net pricing tables, and the four workloads where an RS server dramatically outperforms a shared VPS. Figure: Hardware isolation comparison between netcup VPS (shared vCore time slices) and Root Server (dedicated Zen 5 physical cores) --- ## 1. Architecture Comparison: Root Server vs. Shared VPS vs. Bare-Metal Dedicated Comparing a netcup Root Server side-by-side with a **Shared VPS** and a **Traditional Bare-Metal Dedicated Server** makes the architectural trade-offs clear: | Dimension | Standard VPS (Shared vCore) | Bare-Metal Dedicated Server | **netcup Root Server (RS)** | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **CPU Allocation** | Shared virtual cores (vCore) / Multiple VMs time-share physical cores | Exclusive ownership of the entire physical chassis | **Dedicated Physical Cores** / Pinned physical cores with zero neighbor contention | | **24/7 100% CPU Load** | Not permitted long-term / Multi-hour 100% load triggers CFS deprioritization | Permitted 24/7 / Full hardware control | **Permitted 24/7 at 100%** / Compile, transcode, or run batch jobs nonstop without throttling | | **CPU Steal (`%st`)** | Subject to neighbor bursts / Occasional `%st` jitter at peak hours | None | **Virtually Zero Jitter** / `%st` remains at `0.0%` continuously | | **Storage Media** | Enterprise SSD RAID10 / (~15k–35k IOPS) | Raw disks; drive failure requires manual ticket & replacement | **Enterprise Pure NVMe Array** / (~80k–150k+ IOPS, ultra-low latency) | | **Network Port Speed** | 1 Gbps | Typically 1 Gbps | **2.5 Gbps port standard across all tiers** | | **Cloud Management** | Snapshots, VNC, online scaling | No snapshots; slower provisioning & rescue | **Full Snapshots, HTML5 VNC, Custom ISO & Block Storage** | > **The Bottom Line**: > **Root Server = Dedicated physical EPYC cores & pure NVMe IOPS + Cloud snapshots, VNC console, and on-demand scalability.** --- ## 2. RS G12.5 Full Specifications & Net Pricing Table (2026 Lineup) With the G12.5 generation, netcup upgraded the entire Root Server line to **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5 architecture)** enterprise processors paired with **DDR5 ECC memory** and **pure NVMe storage**. All prices below are **0% VAT net prices** for non-EU customers (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, etc.) and EU businesses with a valid VAT ID via Reverse Charge (private customers in Germany add 19% VAT): | Model | Dedicated Cores (AMD EPYC 9645) | Memory (RAM) | Storage (Pure NVMe) | Network Port | 1-Month Net | 12-Month Net (~13% Off) | 24-Month Net (~26% Off) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | RS 500 G12.5 | 2 Dedicated (Zen 5) | 4 GB DDR5 ECC | 64 GB NVMe | 2.5 Gbps | €12.49 | €10.87 | €9.24 /mo | | RS 1000 G12.5 | 4 Dedicated (Zen 5) | 8 GB DDR5 ECC | 128 GB NVMe | 2.5 Gbps | €21.00 | €18.26 | €15.54 /mo | | RS 2000 G12.5 | 8 Dedicated (Zen 5) | 16 GB DDR5 ECC | 256 GB NVMe | 2.5 Gbps | €39.33 | €34.20 | €29.10 /mo | | RS 4000 G12.5 | 12 Dedicated (Zen 5) | 32 GB DDR5 ECC | 512 GB NVMe | 2.5 Gbps | €75.21 | €65.40 | €55.66 /mo | | RS 8000 G12.5 | 16 Dedicated (Zen 5) | 64 GB DDR5 ECC | 1 TB NVMe | 2.5 Gbps | €143.43 | €124.72 | €106.14 /mo | | RS 12000 G12.5 | 20 Dedicated (Zen 5) | 96 GB DDR5 ECC | 1.5 TB NVMe | 2.5 Gbps | €209.60 | €182.26 | €155.10 /mo | | RS 16000 G12.5 | 24 Dedicated (Zen 5) | 128 GB DDR5 ECC | 2 TB NVMe | 2.5 Gbps | €279.73 | €243.24 | €207.00 /mo | *Note: Just like the VPS series, Root Servers offer **1-month**, **12-month (~13% off)**, and **24-month (~26% off)** contract periods, plus hourly billing options and netcup's 30-day satisfaction guarantee. High-capacity RS 12000 and RS 16000 configurations are provisioned on request.* --- ## 3. Four Killer Use Cases: Why Choose a Root Server? ### Use Case 1: Multiplayer Game Servers (Minecraft / Palworld / CS2 / Rust) * **The Problem on Shared VPS**: Game servers rely on a tight real-time **tick loop** (e.g., 20 TPS in Minecraft or 64/128 tick in CS2). Even if your average CPU utilization is only 30%, a neighboring VM on a shared host running a heavy `git clone` or archive extraction can cause millisecond-level **CPU scheduling jitter**, resulting in rubber-banding, packet loss, or `"Can't keep up! Is the server overloaded?"` warnings. * **The RS Advantage**: Dedicated Zen 5 cores eliminate multi-tenant contention completely. High single-thread clock speeds keep every game tick deterministic for dozens or hundreds of concurrent players. ### Use Case 2: Production OLTP Databases (PostgreSQL / MySQL / Redis) * **The Problem on Shared VPS**: High-concurrency transactional databases are sensitive to disk I/O latency. Standard SSD RAID10 arrays typically deliver 15k–35k 4K random write IOPS, which can queue up during heavy WAL flushes or backup jobs. * **The RS Advantage**: Pure **NVMe arrays** on Root Servers consistently achieve **80,000 to 150,000+ 4K random IOPS** with microsecond-level latency, paired with dedicated DDR5 ECC RAM for large InnoDB/PostgreSQL buffer pools. ### Use Case 3: Private Hypervisor & Nested Virtualization (Proxmox VE) * **The Problem on Shared VPS**: Many budget VPS providers disable nested virtualization (`SVM`/`VT-x`), or secondary VMs suffer severe overhead. * **The RS Advantage**: Root Servers expose hardware-assisted **AMD-V nested virtualization** instructions. You can mount the official **Proxmox VE (PVE)** ISO directly via the SCP panel and partition your RS into dozens of isolated LXC containers and KVM virtual machines. ### Use Case 4: 24/7 CI/CD Build Runners, Media Transcoding & Distributed Nodes * **The Problem on Shared VPS**: Multi-hour Rust/Chromium builds, FFmpeg H.265/AV1 batch encoding, or Elasticsearch indexing will trigger CFS fair-use throttling on shared vCores. * **The RS Advantage**: Your dedicated cores belong to you 24/7. You can run all cores at 100% utilization for weeks on end with zero throttling. --- ## 4. vGPU Root Servers (NVIDIA H200 for AI & CUDA) For AI inference, fine-tuning, and GPU-accelerated rendering, netcup also offers **vGPU Root Servers**: * Equipped with dedicated slices of enterprise **NVIDIA H200 Tensor Core GPUs** (such as RS 2000 vGPU 7 and RS 4000 vGPU 14). * Full hardware pass-through for CUDA and TensorRT, ready for self-hosted Llama 3 / DeepSeek inference endpoints, Whisper transcription, or Stable Diffusion pipelines. * Eligible for €5 new-customer vouchers and promotional deals listed on our [Active Vouchers Page](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/). --- ## 5. Final Sizing Verdict * **For standard websites, blogs, lightweight Docker apps, or staging**: A **VPS 500 / 1000 G12.5** is more than sufficient and keeps monthly overhead low. * **For multiplayer game servers, production databases, Proxmox VE hypervisors, or 24/7 heavy compute**: Step up to a **Root Server** (starting with **RS 1000** or **RS 2000 G12.5** on a 12- or 24-month term, paired with a free-month voucher code). The jump to dedicated AMD EPYC Zen 5 cores, pure NVMe storage, and a 2.5 Gbps port is night and day. ======================================================================== # netcup VPS In-Depth Review & Buyer's Guide (G12.5 / Lite / ARM64) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/products/vps/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/products/vps/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/products/vps/ - **Category**: Products - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Complete 2026 breakdown of netcup VPS plans and pricing: G12.5 x86 flagship line, budget Lite/pico/nano tiers, and ARM64 NVMe instances, including CFS fair-use CPU scheduling, Enterprise SSD RAID10 performance, and 0% VAT pricing. > **TL;DR**: netcup's VPS lineup targets high-value web and container workloads: the flagship G12.5 x86 series pairs AMD EPYC shared vCores with DDR5 ECC RAM and Enterprise SSD RAID10 from €5.90 to €47.93/mo net on a 24-month contract; the Lite/pico/nano series starts at €1.85/mo net (€1.35/mo net with IPv6-only); and the ARM64 series delivers Ampere Altra cores with pure NVMe storage. All plans include unmetered traffic (2 TB/day fair-use rule) and allow full 100% CPU bursts, while sustained multi-hour 100% load or crypto mining is restricted. ## Key Facts - Flagship Lineup: VPS 500 / 1000 / 2000 / 4000 / 8000 G12.5 with 2–16 vCores and 4–64 GB DDR5 ECC RAM - Transparent Pricing: 0% VAT net pricing for non-EU users and EU B2B Reverse Charge (+19% VAT for German consumers); 24-month terms save ~26% over monthly billing - CPU Scheduling: Linux kernel CFS dynamic scheduling permits 100% short bursts, while multi-hour continuous 100% load triggers automatic priority deprioritization - Storage Media: G12.5 x86 instances use Enterprise SSD RAID10 to keep pricing stable; ARM64 instances retain pure NVMe storage - IPv6-Only Discount: Selecting IPv6-only on pico/nano instances reduces your monthly bill by an extra €0.50/mo net # netcup VPS Series Review & Sizing Guide (G12.5 x86 / Lite / ARM64) For developers, sysadmins, and small businesses running web applications, Docker stacks, reverse proxies, or staging environments, the **VPS series** is usually the best entry point into netcup's infrastructure. Following the G12.5 generation update, netcup refined its x86, budget Lite/pico/nano, and ARM64 tiers. Below is a complete breakdown of hardware specifications, net contract pricing, Linux CFS fair-use CPU scheduling boundaries, and practical sizing recommendations. --- ## 1. VPS G12.5 (Mainstream x86 Specifications & Net Pricing) The VPS G12.5 x86 lineup is the go-to choice for web hosting and containerized workloads. Every tier features **DDR5 ECC memory** and **Enterprise SSD RAID10 storage** on AMD EPYC host nodes. All prices below are **net prices (0% VAT)** for non-EU customers (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, etc.) and EU businesses via Reverse Charge (German private users add 19% VAT): | Model | Shared vCores | Memory (RAM) | Storage | 1-Month Net | 12-Month Net (~13% Off) | 24-Month Net (~26% Off) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | VPS 500 G12.5 | 2 vCores | 4 GB DDR5 ECC | 64 GB SSD | €7.98 | €6.94 | €5.90 | | VPS 1000 G12.5 | 4 vCores | 8 GB DDR5 ECC | 128 GB SSD | €14.01 | €12.18 | €10.35 | | VPS 2000 G12.5 | 8 vCores | 16 GB DDR5 ECC | 256 GB SSD | €26.01 | €22.62 | €19.23 | | VPS 4000 G12.5 | 12 vCores | 32 GB DDR5 ECC | 512 GB SSD | €43.83 | €38.11 | €32.40 | | VPS 8000 G12.5 | 16 vCores | 64 GB DDR5 ECC | 1 TB SSD | €64.84 | €56.39 | €47.93 | ### Key Platform Features Included: 1. **Network & Bandwidth**: Every G12.5 VPS comes with a **1 Gbps port** and unmetered traffic. Under netcup's fair-use policy, if outbound transfer exceeds **2 TB within a rolling 24-hour window** (equivalent to ~185 Mbps sustained continuously for 24 hours), the port is temporarily throttled to 200 Mbps. 2. **Flexible Contract Terms**: Choose hourly billing (~1/720th of the monthly rate) for short-term testing, a 1-month term for flexibility, or a 12-month / 24-month commitment to save ~13% to ~26%. 3. **Full Control Panel Tooling**: Online/offline snapshots, HTML5 VNC console with keystroke injection, custom ISO mounting, and automated DDoS mitigation are included at no extra cost. --- ## 2. Shared vCores & Fair-Use Scheduling: Can You Peg the CPU 24/7? A common question from buyers is: *"VPS 500 has 2 cores just like RS 500—what is the real difference? Can I run 24/7 video transcoding or heavy compilation on a budget VPS?"* Short answer: **No. If your workload pins all CPU cores at 100% for hours on end, choose a Root Server instead.** ### 1. How Host CPU Allocation Works * VPS instances run on a KVM multi-tenant architecture where multiple virtual machines share a pool of physical AMD EPYC cores. * The host OS dynamically allocates CPU time slices using the Linux kernel's **CFS (Completely Fair Scheduler)** based on weight and historical usage. ### 2. How Three Workload Patterns Behave in Practice * **Intermittent Bursts (Unrestricted)**: Traffic spikes on a web app, a 5-minute CI build, database indexing, or running `apt upgrade` that pushes CPU usage to 100% briefly is completely allowed and runs at full native clock speed. * **Multi-Hour Sustained 100% Load (Automatic CFS Throttling)**: If you run batch video encoding, multi-hour heavy compilation, or aggressive scrapers that peg all vCores at 100% continuously for 1–2+ hours, the host scheduler automatically lowers your VM's CFS priority weight. You will notice elevated `%st` (CPU Steal Time) in `top` and slower terminal responsiveness until load drops. * **Prohibited Compute Abuse (Immediate Suspension)**: netcup's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) strictly forbids cryptocurrency mining and synthetic CPU burn benchmarks. Violating instances are automatically suspended with an Abuse notification. > **Sizing Rule of Thumb**: For web servers, reverse proxies, Nextcloud, Docker microservices, and dev/test nodes, a **VPS** gives you unbeatable value. For sustained high-CPU or latency-sensitive workloads, step up directly to a [Root Server (Dedicated Physical Cores)](https://netcup.cheap/products/root-server/). --- ## 3. VPS Lite / pico / nano (Ultra-Budget Entry Tier) Evolving from netcup's famous "€1 server" promotions, the Lite, pico, and nano models are ideal for uptime monitoring probes (Uptime Kuma), lightweight authoritative DNS, WireGuard VPN endpoints, or Linux learning sandboxes: | Model | vCores | Memory | Storage | Net Price (0% VAT) | Billing Cycle | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | VPS pico G11.5s | 1 vCore | 1 GB | 30 GB SSD | €1.85 /mo | 12-month fixed cycle | | VPS nano G11.5s | 2 vCores | 2 GB | 60 GB SSD | €3.10 /mo | 6-month fixed cycle | | VPS Lite 1 G12.5s | 2 vCores | 4 GB | 80 GB SSD | €4.92 /mo | 6-month fixed cycle | | VPS Lite 2 G12.5s | 4 vCores | 8 GB | 160 GB SSD | €7.98 /mo | 3-month fixed cycle | | VPS Lite 3 G12.5s | 8 vCores | 16 GB | 320 GB SSD | €14.00 /mo | 3-month fixed cycle | ### Pro Saving Tip: Knock €0.50/mo Off with IPv6-Only Because global IPv4 addresses carry a premium, netcup unbundles IPv4 pricing on its entry tiers. When ordering a **VPS pico** or **VPS nano**, selecting the **"IPv6 only" (`Nur IPv6`)** option removes the dedicated public IPv4 address and: * **Reduces your monthly net price by an additional €0.50/mo!** * Brings the **VPS pico** down to just **€1.35/mo net** (~€16.20/year). * Works great for origin servers behind Cloudflare Proxy/Tunnels, IPv6-native mesh networks, or internal backup targets. --- ## 4. VPS ARM G12.5 (Ampere ARM64 NVMe Series) Built on native **Ampere Altra ARM64 processors** and backed by high-speed **pure NVMe storage**, the ARM64 line offers exceptional price-to-storage performance: | Model | ARM64 Cores | Memory | Storage (Pure NVMe) | Monthly Net Price | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | VPS 500 ARM G12.5 | 2 ARM64 | 4 GB DDR5 | 64 GB NVMe | €7.98 /mo | | VPS 1000 ARM G12.5 | 4 ARM64 | 8 GB DDR5 | 128 GB NVMe | €14.01 /mo | | VPS 2000 ARM G12.5 | 8 ARM64 | 16 GB DDR5 | 256 GB NVMe | €26.01 /mo | | VPS 4000 ARM G12.5 | 12 ARM64 | 32 GB DDR5 | 512 GB NVMe | €43.83 /mo | ### Practical Notes for ARM64 Deployments: 1. **Software Architecture**: Requires `aarch64 / arm64` Linux binaries and multi-arch Docker images (almost all official Docker Hub images, Go, Rust, Python, Node.js, and Java workloads run natively). 2. **No x86 Windows Support**: Standard x86_64 Windows Server ISOs cannot be installed on ARM64 instances. 3. **Best Use Cases**: Native ARM64 CI/CD build runners, high-IOPS NVMe web/database stacks, and modern cloud-native microservices in Nuremberg or Vienna. --- ## 5. Summary of Sizing Recommendations * **Uptime monitoring / VPN endpoint / IPv6 lab**: **VPS pico / nano** (enable IPv6-only to save €0.50/mo). * **Personal blogs / Ghost / WordPress / Coolify or Docker**: **VPS 500 G12.5** (2 vCores, 4 GB DDR5 ECC, €5.90/mo net on a 24-month term). * **Multi-site e-commerce / SaaS staging / separated app + DB containers**: **VPS 1000 G12.5** (4 vCores, 8 GB DDR5 ECC, €10.35/mo net on a 24-month term). * **Self-hosted GitLab / heavy team dev environment**: **VPS 2000 G12.5** (8 vCores, 16 GB DDR5 ECC, €19.23/mo net on a 24-month term). * **24/7 high CPU load / multiplayer game servers / high-IOPS production databases**: Skip shared VPS plans and order a [Root Server (Dedicated Cores)](https://netcup.cheap/products/root-server/). ======================================================================== # netcup Product Overview & Comparison: VPS, Root Server & Webhosting - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/products/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/products/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/products/ - **Category**: Products - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Complete guide to netcup's 2026 product lineup: VPS (x86 G12.5, ARM64, Lite), dedicated-core Root Servers, Plesk Webhosting, and Local Block Storage with net pricing and buying advice. > **TL;DR**: netcup offers four core product lines: VPS (shared vCores across x86 G12.5, ARM64, and budget Lite tiers), Root Server (100% dedicated AMD EPYC Zen 5 cores), Plesk Webhosting, and Local Block Storage & Domains. Start with VPS 500 G12.5 (2 vCores, 4 GB RAM, €5.90/mo net on a 24-month term) for general workloads, choose Root Server for sustained high CPU/I/O loads, or pick Webhosting for managed WordPress and business email. ## Key Facts - Four Core Lines: VPS (shared vCores), Root Server (100% dedicated Zen 5 physical cores), Plesk Webhosting, and Block Storage - Entry Net Pricing: Entry VPS pico starts at €1.85/mo net, flagship VPS 500 G12.5 at €5.90/mo net, and dedicated RS 500 at €9.24/mo net - Contract Discounts: Hourly, 1-month, 12-month (~13% off), and 24-month (~26% off) billing; 0% VAT for non-EU & EU B2B Reverse Charge (+19% VAT for German private consumers) - Network & Storage: VPS includes a 1 Gbps port (2 TB/day fair-use threshold); Root Server includes a 2.5 Gbps port and pure NVMe RAID storage - Scalable Storage: Local Block Storage scales on demand up to 8 TB at €0.012/GB/mo net with Ceph triple-replication # netcup Product Overview & Comparison While netcup's catalog looks extensive at first glance, it is structured into four straightforward categories: **VPS (virtual servers with shared vCores)**, **Root Server (KVM servers with dedicated physical CPU cores)**, **Webhosting (managed Plesk hosting)**, and **Add-ons (Local Block Storage, Domains, vGPU)**. Understanding how these tiers differ before ordering (check our [DE-EN Technical Glossary](https://netcup.cheap/glossary/) for German terms and [Community Reviews](https://netcup.cheap/reviews/) for long-term uptime feedback) will save you time and money. | Product Line | CPU Architecture | Best For | Starting Price (Net) | Detailed Guide | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | VPS G12.5 (x86) | Shared vCore, AMD EPYC, DDR5 ECC | Web apps, Docker, staging, light APIs | From €5.90/mo (24-mo term) | VPS Series Guide | | VPS Lite / pico / nano | Shared vCore | Budget sandboxes, monitoring probes, IPv6 labs | From €1.85/mo | VPS Series Guide | | VPS ARM G12.5 | ARM64 (Ampere Altra), NVMe | Cloud-native ARM64 builds, low-power services | From €7.98/mo | VPS Series Guide | | Root Server G12.5 | Dedicated Core , AMD EPYC 9645 Zen 5, DDR5 ECC, NVMe | Production databases, game servers, 24/7 100% CPU loads | From €9.24/mo (24-mo term) | Root Server Guide | | Plesk Webhosting | Managed (PHP / Python / Node.js / Ruby) | Zero-ops WordPress, corporate sites & custom email | From €2.26/mo | Webhosting & Storage | | Local Block Storage | Add-on Ceph SAN Volume | Expanding server storage up to 8 TB without upgrading CPU | €0.012/GB/mo | Webhosting & Storage | | vGPU Server | AMD EPYC + NVIDIA H200 | LLM inference, rendering, CUDA workloads | €5 voucher eligible | Root Server Guide | > Note on Pricing & VAT: All prices listed above are net prices excluding VAT (0% VAT) , which apply to customers outside the EU (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, etc.) and EU businesses with a valid VAT ID via Reverse Charge. Private consumers in Germany pay +19% VAT (EU consumers pay their local VAT rate). Longer contract commitments reduce your monthly rate by ~13% (12 months) or ~26% (24 months). Prices reflect October 2026 official rates. ## 30-Second Selection Guide ### 1. Does your workload peg the CPU continuously? - **Sustained high CPU load** (CI/CD compilation, media transcoding, high-concurrency databases, multiplayer game servers) → Choose **Root Server** for 100% dedicated physical cores without fair-use throttling. - **Bursty or moderate load** (web servers, reverse proxies, microservices, dev/test environments, bots) → Choose **VPS** for the best price-to-performance ratio with shared vCores. ### 2. How much sysadmin maintenance do you want to do? - **Full root SSH control** → **VPS** or **Root Server** for complete OS and kernel freedom. - **Managed websites & business email without Linux patching** → **Webhosting**, which includes Plesk Obsidian, automated SSL, mail servers, and free included domains. - **Turnkey CMS deployment** → **Webhosting** with one-click WordPress Toolkit. ### 3. Matching Your Budget & Contract Term - **Lowest-cost entry sandbox**: **VPS pico G11.5s** (€1.85/mo net, 12-month billing cycle; €1.35/mo net with IPv6-only), ideal for uptime monitors and lightweight tunnels. - **Mainstream web & container hosting**: **VPS 500 / 1000 G12.5** on a 24-month contract delivers the sweet spot of DDR5 ECC memory and low monthly cost. - **Mission-critical performance**: **RS 1000 / 2000 G12.5** gives you dedicated AMD EPYC Zen 5 cores and pure NVMe IOPS. - **High-capacity storage**: Any VPS or Root Server paired with **Local Block Storage** (up to 8 TB at €0.012/GB/mo net) is far more cost-effective than upgrading to a massive compute tier just for disk space. ## Explore Product Categories [VPS VPS Series: G12.5 / Lite / ARM64 Shared vCore lineups, full specification tables, traffic rules, CFS fair-use scheduling details, and sizing advice. Read VPS Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/products/vps/) [Root Server Root Server: Dedicated EPYC Cores RS 500–16000 G12.5 specs and pricing, architectural differences vs. VPS, 2.5 Gbps networking, and NVIDIA H200 vGPU options. Read Root Server Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/products/root-server/) [Webhosting Plesk Webhosting & Block Storage Zero-maintenance Plesk plans, included domains, 30% lifetime recurring discounts, and Ceph Local Block Storage expansion. Read Hosting Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/products/hosting/) [Vouchers Active Coupons for Every Tier Free months on VPS and Root Servers, 30% lifetime discount codes for Webhosting, and €5 new-customer vouchers. Get Voucher Codes →](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) ## 5 Essential Rules Before You Order 1. **Unmetered Traffic with Fair-Use Thresholds**: VPS G12.5 plans include unmetered traffic on a 1 Gbps port; if your rolling 24-hour outbound transfer exceeds 2 TB, port speed is temporarily shaped to 200 Mbps. Budget Lite/pico tiers have lower sustained thresholds (~100 Mbps average). Standard web and application workloads rarely approach this limit. 2. **Contract Terms & Money-Back Guarantee**: Standard plans offer 1-month, 12-month, and 24-month terms, plus hourly billing on G12/G12.5 instances. Official orders include a 30-day satisfaction guarantee subject to netcup's terms, and contracts require a 31-day cancellation notice before renewal. 3. **SLA & Infrastructure**: 99.6% annual average availability guarantee, automated DDoS protection, and redundant power/uplinks across owned European facilities. 4. **Global Datacenter Locations**: Choose between Nuremberg (flagship DE), Vienna (AT), Amsterdam (NL), Manassas (US East), and Singapore (APAC). Test latency and routing from your region first on our [Looking Glass & Speedtest](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) page. 5. **Custom OS & Windows Support**: Official one-click templates cover major Linux distributions (Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, Rocky, Arch). You can mount any custom ISO (including Windows Server or Proxmox VE) via the SCP control panel on x86 instances; ARM64 instances require `aarch64`-compatible Linux images. **Picked your server model?** Grab a matching voucher code before checkout to claim free billing months or instant discounts. [Claim Voucher Codes →](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/) ======================================================================== # netcup Real User Reviews & Long-Term Benchmarks (Uptime, Support & Pros/Cons) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/reviews/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/reviews/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/reviews/ - **Category**: Reviews - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Unbiased long-term review of netcup from global sysadmin communities (LowEndTalk, Reddit, WebHostingTalk): 365+ day uptime, Root Server EPYC Zen 5 performance, support ticket response times, transatlantic/APAC latency, and the 31-day cancellation rule. > **TL;DR**: Across years of community testing on LowEndTalk, Reddit r/selfhosted, and WebHostingTalk, netcup's standout strengths are enterprise-grade hardware without spec inflation, rock-solid dedicated Root Server (RS) performance, unmetered traffic, and 365+ day continuous uptime. Its main drawbacks are business-hours-only ticket support (CET), strict enforcement of German contract law (requiring a 31-day cancellation notice before renewal), and standard public routing to APAC. It is a top-tier choice for experienced Linux sysadmins and developers, but unforgiving for beginners expecting 24/7 live chat hand-holding. ## Key Facts - Rock-Solid Uptime: Redundant power and enterprise hardware in Nuremberg and Vienna regularly deliver 365+ days of continuous zero-downtime operation - Dedicated RS Praise: Root Servers with dedicated AMD EPYC Zen 5 cores receive near-universal acclaim with 0.0% CPU steal even under 24/7 full load - Shared VPS Reality: Excellent everyday burst performance, though sustained multi-hour 100% CPU usage triggers automated CFS deprioritization - Support Expectations: Competent engineering staff, but non-emergency tickets are processed strictly during German business hours (CET) with no 24/7 live chat - #1 Complaint Source: Over 90% of negative online reviews stem from users forgetting the mandatory 31-day cancellation notice before contract renewal # netcup Real User Reviews & Long-Term Benchmarks (Uptime, Overselling, Support & Pitfalls) More valuable than any marketing spec sheet is **what paying developers and sysadmins actually experience after running production workloads for one to three years**. Across international hosting communities—including **LowEndTalk (LET)**, **Reddit (`r/selfhosted`, `r/homelab`, `r/vps`)**, **WebHostingTalk**, and **Hacker News**—netcup is one of the most frequently recommended European infrastructure providers. Stripping away marketing hype, this review synthesizes two years of continuous monitoring across dozens of production netcup VPS and Root Server instances together with hundreds of community reports to give you an **unfiltered look at both the strengths and the sharp edges** of netcup. --- ## 1. Proven Strengths: Why Sysadmins Stay with netcup for Years ### 1. Exceptional Physical Layer Uptime (300 to 500+ Days Continuous Operation) * **Real-World Telemetry**: Across production VPS and Root Server nodes hosted in netcup's Nuremberg and Vienna datacenters, **continuous uptimes of 300 to 500+ days with zero unscheduled host reboots** are the norm. * **Why It Holds Up**: netcup operates enterprise-grade server hardware (rather than repurposed desktop components like some budget providers) backed by dual UPS feeds, on-site diesel generators, and redundant cooling in its Nuremberg facility. Unexpected PSU failures or unrecovered storage array crashes are exceedingly rare. ### 2. Root Server Dedicated Cores Deliver Unmatched Value * **Community Consensus**: Users running the **RS series** (especially **RS 1000 / RS 2000 G12 and G12.5**) consistently rate its price-to-performance ratio at the very top of the market. * **Why It Holds Up**: Pinned **AMD EPYC 9645 (Zen 5)** physical cores paired with pure NVMe storage arrays maintain **`0.0%` CPU Steal (`%st`)** around the clock. Whether compiling large Rust/C++ monorepos, hosting high-tick Minecraft/CS2 servers, or running heavy PostgreSQL clusters, the hardware never throttles even under weeks of 100% load. ### 3. Honest, All-Inclusive Net Pricing * **Community Consensus**: * **Automatic 0% VAT Net Billing**: Customers outside the EU (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, etc.) and EU businesses with a valid VAT ID (Reverse Charge) pay the exact net price advertised, with zero hidden checkout fees. * **No Nickel-and-Diming**: Online/offline snapshots, HTML5 VNC console access, custom ISO mounting, and baseline DDoS protection are included free on every server—features that many cloud providers charge extra for every month. --- ## 2. The 4 Most Common Community Complaints (And How to Avoid Them) Before placing your first order, you should understand the **four strict German operational practices** that catch uninitiated buyers off guard: ### Pitfall 1: Strict Enforcement of the 31-Day German Contract Cancellation Notice (#1 Source of Negative Reviews) * **What Happens in the Wild**: Over 90% of 1-star complaints on Trustpilot and forums follow the exact same script: *"I stopped using my server and assumed it would auto-cancel if I didn't pay—instead, netcup renewed my contract for another 12 months and sent a collection notice!"* * **The Legal Reality**: Unlike hourly US cloud providers or prepaid VPS hosts that simply delete your VM when a bill goes unpaid, netcup operates under standard **German BGB commercial contract law**: * Long-term contracts (12 or 24 months) **must be cancelled in the CCP panel at least 31 full days before the contract period expires** (`Kündigungsfrist`). * If you wait until 30 days before expiration, the cancellation button locks for the current cycle and your contract automatically renews for another term. * Cancelling your PayPal billing agreement or blocking your credit card does **not** cancel a valid German contract—unpaid invoices accrue late fees (`Mahnung`) and are eventually handed over to international debt collection agencies (such as Creditreform or Coeo Inkasso). * **How to Avoid It**: **As soon as your server is provisioned, log in to CCP and schedule your cancellation for `"At the end of contract period"` right away** (or set a calendar reminder 45 days before renewal). Your server will continue running normally until the paid term ends, and you eliminate any risk of accidental renewal. ### Pitfall 2: Support Tickets Follow German Business Hours (No 24/7 Live Chat) * **Community Feedback**: * netcup provides **no 24/7 instant live chat** for general configuration questions; * Standard support and billing tickets are answered in English and German strictly during **German business hours (Monday–Friday daytime CET/CEST)**; * If you open a non-emergency ticket on Friday evening (US Eastern Time) or over a German public holiday (such as Easter or Christmas), expect a response on Monday or Tuesday; * While a 24/7 emergency hotline exists for critical hardware/datacenter outages, unmanaged servers require you to administer your own Linux OS. * **How to Avoid It**: Only choose netcup if you are comfortable managing Linux via SSH and using the SCP rescue console independently. ### Pitfall 3: Cross-Continental Latency & Routing Nuances (US / EU / APAC) * **Community Feedback**: * **Within Europe & UK**: Nuremberg, Vienna, and Amsterdam deliver 5–25 ms latency across major European IXPs (DE-CIX, AMS-IX, VIX). * **North America**: Manassas (US East, Virginia) gives sub-20 ms latency across the US East Coast, while Nuremberg to US East is a clean ~85–95 ms transatlantic hop. * **Asia-Pacific (APAC)**: While netcup offers a Singapore location, certain APAC ISPs route traffic via Europe or the US West Coast unless paired with an anycast CDN; meanwhile, Europe-to-APAC direct connections average 160–230 ms. * **How to Avoid It**: Always test your target location using our [Looking Glass & Speedtest](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) page before ordering, enable **Linux TCP BBR + FQ** on your instance, and place Cloudflare CDN in front of global web applications. ### Pitfall 4: Automated Fraud Checks When Ordering Over VPNs * **Community Feedback**: First-time buyers who place an order while connected to a commercial VPN/proxy IP, or who enter mismatched billing addresses, frequently trigger manual order review (`"In Bearbeitung"`) or receive a verification email. * **How to Avoid It**: Follow our [Step-by-Step Buying Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/)—turn off your VPN so your residential IP matches your billing country, enter a complete street address, and pay the invoice directly inside the CCP panel for fast automated provisioning. --- ## 3. Overall Community Rating Scorecard | Evaluation Category | Score (Out of 5.0) | Summary Verdict | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Hardware & Uptime** | **5.0 / 5.0** | Redundant Nuremberg/Vienna facilities; 365+ day uptimes are routine. | | **Price-to-Performance** | **5.0 / 5.0** | AMD EPYC Zen 5, DDR5 ECC, and pure NVMe at unbeatable net prices. | | **Network & Bandwidth** | **4.5 / 5.0** | Generous 1G/2.5G ports and 2 TB/day fair-use; superb EU/US peering. | | **Control Panels (CCP/SCP)** | **4.0 / 5.0** | Separate billing (CCP) and server (SCP) panels with full VNC, ISO & API access. | | **Customer Support Speed** | **3.0 / 5.0** | Knowledgeable staff, but standard tickets only run during German business hours. | | **Contract Flexibility** | **2.5 / 5.0** | Strict 31-day cancellation notice rule; hourly/1-month plans cost slightly more. | --- ## 4. Final Verdict: Who Should Buy (and Who Should Skip)? * **Buy netcup without hesitation if**: You are a developer, sysadmin, SaaS founder, or self-hoster who knows how to manage Linux, values rock-solid AMD EPYC hardware and honest 0% VAT net pricing (for non-EU / B2B), and is disciplined enough to submit cancellations 31 days before contract end. * **Skip netcup if**: You expect 24/7 hand-holding live chat support to fix your Nginx config, or you habitually abandon unpaid servers instead of formally cancelling contracts. ======================================================================== # Sitemap & Complete Page Directory (Vouchers, Knowledge Base & Tools) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/sitemap/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/sitemap/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/sitemap/ - **Category**: Sitemap - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-13 - **Summary**: Complete directory of all pages on netcup.cheap: active voucher codes, G12.5 server specs, onboarding guides, sysadmin knowledge base, glossary, interactive calculators, benchmark reviews, and FAQs. > **TL;DR**: This page lists every guide, tool, and reference page on netcup.cheap organized by category for quick navigation; for the machine-readable XML sitemap used by search engines, visit /sitemap.xml. ## Key Facts - Full Content Index: Covers live voucher codes, 4 product overviews, onboarding & SCP guides, 11 technical knowledge base articles, benchmark reviews, and interactive calculators - Machine-Readable Feeds: Provides standard /sitemap.xml, /feed.xml RSS feed, and AI/LLM structured context files at /llms.txt and /llms-full.txt # Sitemap Every page on netcup.cheap in one place. Looking for a specific topic? Press / to search instantly, or ask a question on our [Community Board](https://netcup.cheap/discuss/). ## Machine-Readable Endpoints - XML Sitemap: [/sitemap.xml](https://netcup.cheap/sitemap.xml) - RSS Feed: [/feed.xml](https://netcup.cheap/feed.xml) - LLM & AI Context Index: [/llms.txt](https://netcup.cheap/llms.txt) - Robots Policy: [/robots.txt](https://netcup.cheap/robots.txt) ======================================================================== # netcup Speedtest, Looking Glass & Datacenter Latency Guide (All 5 Locations) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/speedtest/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/speedtest/ - **Category**: Speedtest - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Complete guide to netcup's 5 global datacenters: official Looking Glass and test IPs for Nuremberg, Vienna, Amsterdam, Manassas (US-East), and Singapore, plus ping/mtr/iperf3 commands and regional latency benchmarks for Europe/UK, the Americas, and APAC. > **TL;DR**: Before ordering a netcup server, test routing from your local network using the official Looking Glass and public test IPs across all 5 locations: Nuremberg (Germany), Vienna (Austria), and Amsterdam (Netherlands) deliver 5–20 ms latency across Europe and the UK via direct DE-CIX, VIX, and AMS-IX peering; Manassas, Virginia (US-East) delivers 10–65 ms across North America and low transatlantic latency; Singapore provides 15–65 ms across Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Australia/Oceania (note: certain East Asian residential ISPs without direct Singapore peering may route via US-West, where Nuremberg at 160–210 ms can be more stable). Use ping, mtr -rwzbc 50, and iperf3 -P 8 to verify real-world throughput. ## Key Facts - 5 Global Datacenters: Nuremberg (NUE flagship), Vienna (VIE), Amsterdam (AMS), Manassas Virginia (IAD US-East), and Singapore (SIN) - Europe & UK (5–20 ms): Nuremberg, Vienna, and Amsterdam peer directly at DE-CIX Frankfurt, VIX Vienna, and AMS-IX for ultra-low European latency - North & South America (10–65 ms): Manassas (US-East, Ashburn metro corridor) serves US East Coast in 5–20 ms and US West Coast in 55–68 ms - Asia-Pacific & Oceania: Singapore delivers 15–65 ms across ASEAN, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia; Eurasia routes to Nuremberg average 160–210 ms # netcup Official Speedtest, Looking Glass & Datacenter Selection Guide Before deploying production workloads on any VPS or Root Server, **running a quick `ping` and `mtr` route trace from your own network or target user region is the most reliable way to pick the right datacenter**. netcup operates infrastructure across **five global locations** spanning Central & Western Europe, the US East Coast, and Southeast Asia. This guide brings together the official Looking Glass tools, verified IPv4/IPv6 test IPs, CLI network diagnostic commands, and real-world latency benchmarks across **Europe/UK, North & South America, and Asia-Pacific/Oceania**. --- ## 1. Regional Routing Architecture: How the 5 Datacenters Compare Understanding how netcup (and its parent infrastructure group Anexia, AS197540 / AS42473) peers at major Internet Exchanges helps you choose the optimal location: 1. **Europe & United Kingdom (Nuremberg, Vienna, Amsterdam — 5 to 20 ms)**: * **Nuremberg (Germany)** is netcup's flagship primary datacenter. It connects directly via redundant dark-fiber rings to **DE-CIX Frankfurt** (one of the world's largest Internet exchanges), delivering **3–10 ms** within Germany/Central Europe and **12–18 ms** to London/UK. * **Vienna (Austria)** connects directly to the **Vienna Internet Exchange (VIX)**, making it the premier choice for Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Central/Eastern Europe (**2–15 ms**). * **Amsterdam (Netherlands)** sits at the **AMS-IX** hub, offering ultra-low latency (**4–12 ms**) to the Benelux region, the UK, and Nordic countries, as well as direct transatlantic subsea cables. 2. **North & South America (Manassas, Virginia / US-East — 10 to 65 ms)**: * Located in the **Northern Virginia / Ashburn data center corridor** (the primary internet hub of North America), netcup's Manassas facility delivers **5–20 ms** to New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Toronto, and Chicago, **55–65 ms** to US West Coast cities (Los Angeles, Seattle, Silicon Valley), and **70–95 ms** across the Atlantic to London and Frankfurt. 3. **Asia-Pacific & Oceania (Singapore & Eurasia Routes)**: * **Singapore** connects via international Tier-1 BGP transit in Southeast Asia, providing **2–15 ms** within Singapore/Malaysia, **25–45 ms** to Indonesia/Thailand/Vietnam/Hong Kong, and **55–85 ms** to Tokyo, Sydney, and Perth. * **Important Routing Note for East Asia**: Because netcup's Singapore facility uses standard international BGP transit rather than costly China-premium private circuits (like CN2 GIA), certain mainland Asian consumer ISPs may route Singapore traffic across the Pacific via US-West. Always verify with `mtr` first—for many Eurasian connections, **Nuremberg (160–210 ms direct via Frankfurt)** provides more predictable routing and has no location surcharge. --- ## 2. Official Speedtest Server & Looking Glass * **Official Nuremberg Speedtest Node**: [speedtest.netcup.de](https://speedtest.netcup.de/) (official web speedtest & `iperf3` endpoint for testing raw download/upload throughput); * **Official Looking Glass (LG)**: Accessible via the netcup help center and network status portal, allowing you to execute bidirectional `ping`, `traceroute`, and `BGP route` queries directly from netcup's core routers to your IP. --- ## 3. Public IPv4 & IPv6 Test IPs for All Datacenters Run `ping` and `mtr` from your local terminal against these verified test IPs to inspect real-time latency and hop-by-hop routing: | Datacenter Location | Network & IXP Profile | IPv4 Test Address | IPv6 Test Address | Best Target Audience | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nuremberg, Germany (NUE) | Flagship core facility, direct DE-CIX Frankfurt peering, €0 location surcharge | 202.61.254.56 | 2a03:4000:55:8d:6407:abff:feaf:cf2f | Best Overall / Europe & Global (5/5) | | Vienna, Austria (VIE) | Anexia core hub, direct VIX peering for Central/Southern/Eastern Europe | 152.53.47.29 | 2a0a:4cc0:0:2121:2847:deff:fe2b:3d6c | DACH, Central & Eastern Europe (4.5/5) | | Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS) | Western European hub at AMS-IX, ideal for Benelux, UK & transatlantic routes | Via Official LG | Via Official LG | UK, Western Europe & Nordics (4.5/5) | | Manassas, USA (IAD / US-East) | Northern Virginia / Ashburn corridor, Tier-1 North American peering | 152.53.166.109 | 2a0a:4cc0:2000:914b:2843:9bff:fea4:27a5 | Best for US, Canada & LatAm (5/5) | | Singapore (SIN) | APAC international BGP hub for Southeast Asia, Oceania & East Asia | Via Official LG | Via Official LG | SEA, Australia, Japan & APAC (4/5) | --- ## 4. The 3-Step Network Benchmark Method ### Step 1: Measure Latency & Packet Loss with `ping` ```bash # Send 50 ICMP echo requests from your terminal ping -c 50 202.61.254.56 ``` * **What to look for**: Ignore single-packet `min` spikes and focus on **`avg` (average RTT)**, **`mdev` (jitter)**, and **`packet loss`** during peak evening hours. * **Healthy baselines**: * **Within Europe / UK to Nuremberg or Vienna**: **5 ms – 20 ms**, 0% packet loss. * **Within North America to Manassas (US-East)**: **10 ms – 30 ms** (East/Central) or **55 ms – 68 ms** (West Coast), 0% packet loss. * **Within APAC / Australia to Singapore**: **15 ms – 65 ms**, 0% packet loss. ### Step 2: Trace Every Hop & ASN with `mtr` ```bash # Run 50 cycles in report mode showing Autonomous System Numbers (ASN) mtr -rwzbc 50 202.61.254.56 ``` * **How to read the output**: * **Focus on the final destination hop**: Only packet loss that persists all the way to the final hop indicates real network congestion. * **Ignore intermediate hop ICMP rate-limiting**: If hop 5 or hop 8 shows 50%–100% loss while the final hop shows `0.0%` loss, that core router simply deprioritizes ICMP responses—actual TCP/UDP traffic is unaffected. ### Step 3: Test Multi-Stream Throughput with `iperf3` ```bash # Test download throughput from netcup's speedtest server using 8 parallel streams iperf3 -c speedtest.netcup.net -P 8 -R ``` * **Why `-P 8` matters**: On long-haul links with 60–200 ms RTT (such as transatlantic US-to-Germany or Eurasia routes), a single TCP stream is limited by bandwidth-delay product (BDP) window scaling. Running `-P 8` (8 parallel streams) alongside Linux **TCP BBR** reveals the true 2.5 Gbps virtual port capacity. --- ## 5. Global Regional Latency & Routing Matrix | Visitor / Client Region | Nuremberg / Vienna / Amsterdam (EU) | Manassas, Virginia (US-East) | Singapore (APAC) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Europe & United Kingdom** | **5 – 20 ms (Optimal)** / Direct peering via DE-CIX, VIX, AMS-IX, and LINX. Near-instant response times. | **75 – 95 ms (Good)** / Direct transatlantic fiber from London/Amsterdam/Frankfurt to Virginia. | **155 – 185 ms** / Routes via Marseilles/Suez subsea cables to Southeast Asia. | | **North & South America** | **80 – 145 ms (Good)** / 80–95 ms from NY/Toronto/Montreal; ~140 ms from US West Coast. | **10 – 65 ms (Optimal)** / 5–20 ms on US East Coast & Eastern Canada; 55–65 ms to US West; 110–140 ms to Brazil/LatAm. | **175 – 220 ms** / Transpacific routing via Los Angeles/Seattle/Tokyo to Singapore. | | **Asia-Pacific & Oceania** | **155 – 210 ms (Stable)** / Direct Eurasian/Suez routing to Frankfurt. High single-stream speed with BBR enabled. | **180 – 230 ms** / Transpacific to US West Coast, then cross-country to Virginia. | **15 – 65 ms (Optimal for APAC)** / 15–40 ms in SEA/HK/TW; 55–85 ms in Japan & Australia (verify ISP route with `mtr`). | --- ## 6. Final Datacenter Recommendations by Use Case 1. **For European & UK Users, SaaS Apps, or Global Best-Value Hosting**: Choose **Nuremberg (Germany)**. It has zero location surcharge, the largest hardware inventory, the fastest provisioning, and first access to promotional offers. Choose **Vienna** for Austria/CEE or **Amsterdam** for UK/Benelux edge workloads. 2. **For US, Canadian & Latin American Audiences**: Choose **Manassas, Virginia (US-East)**. Sitting right next to Ashburn, it gives you dedicated AMD EPYC hardware in the heart of the US East Coast at European pricing. 3. **For Southeast Asia, Australia & APAC Regional Workloads**: Choose **Singapore**, and run a quick `mtr` check from your target ISP beforehand to confirm direct regional peering. ======================================================================== # netcup Cost Calculator: Contract Term, 0% VAT, Vouchers & EUR/USD Total - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/tools/cost-calculator/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/tools/cost-calculator/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/tools/cost-calculator/ - **Category**: Tools - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Calculate your exact netcup server cost: compare 1, 12, and 24-month contract terms, apply 0% non-EU VAT / EU Reverse Charge or 19%/21% EU VAT, stack free-month or €5 vouchers, and convert EUR to USD in real time. > **TL;DR**: The netcup Cost Calculator combines four variables that determine your real bill: contract term (24-month plans save ~26% vs. monthly billing), VAT status (0% for non-EU buyers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, and for EU businesses with a valid VAT ID vs. 19%–21% consumer EU VAT), voucher discounts (free months, €5 instant credit, or 30% lifetime webhosting discount), and EUR to USD conversion. Click any popular plan preset above the form to see your effective monthly rate and total period expenditure. ## Key Facts - Contract Tier Comparison: Side-by-side breakdown of 1-month, 12-month (~13% off), and 24-month (~26% off) effective monthly costs - 0% VAT & EUR/USD Conversion: Toggle between 0% VAT (US/UK/CA/AU/SG/CH & EU Reverse Charge) and 19%/21% EU VAT with customizable EUR/USD exchange rates - Smart Voucher Auto-Fill: Clicking a popular server preset automatically selects its highest-value voucher (1–2 free months, €5 off, or 30% lifetime recurring) # netcup Server Cost, VAT & Voucher Calculator Once you have picked a server model, the real question is: **What will my actual invoice and effective monthly cost be in EUR and USD after contract discounts, 0% VAT (or EU VAT), and voucher codes?** This calculator puts all four variables side by side. Quick Presets: VPS pico (€1.85) VPS 500 G12.5 VPS 1000 G12.5 🔥 RS 1000 G12.5 🔥 RS 2000 G12.5 Webhosting 2000 (-30% Lifetime) ## How Calculations Are Structured | Component | How It Is Calculated | | --- | --- | | **Monthly Base Price** | Uses the net monthly rate for your chosen contract term (24-month term offers the lowest monthly rate) | | **VAT (Tax)** | **0%** for non-EU countries (US, UK, CA, AU, SG, CH, etc.) and valid EU Reverse Charge VAT IDs; **19%** for Germany; **20%–21%** for other EU consumers | | **Voucher Discount** | Free-month codes deduct 1 or 2 months of gross monthly fees; the €5 voucher deducts €5.00 flat; Webhosting `-30%` deducts 30% every month | | **Total Outlay** | `(Monthly Gross Price × Planned Months) − Voucher Discount` | | **Billing Cycle** | netcup uses post-checkout invoicing in CCP; invoices are typically billed per billing cycle according to the product's contract terms | ## Three Common Pricing Misconceptions to Avoid **1. Comparing long-term costs using the 1-month rate** A 24-month contract on mainline G12.5 VPS and Root Servers is roughly **26% cheaper per month** than the 1-month flexible tier—and only the longer contract terms qualify for 1-month or 2-month free product vouchers. **2. Contract Term vs. Cancellation Notice Period** If you sign a 12-month or 24-month contract, you commit to that minimum contract duration. Regardless of term length, remember to submit a cancellation in CCP **at least 31 days before expiration** if you do not want the contract to auto-renew. See our [Cancellation & Renewal Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/refund-cancel/). **3. VAT depends on your Billing Address Country, not your payment currency** Even though all netcup invoices are issued in Euros (`EUR`), residents outside the European Union automatically pay **0% VAT** once their country is selected during checkout. See our [0% VAT & Payment Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/vat-payment/) for tips on avoiding PayPal currency conversion markups. > This tool provides cost estimates for standard G12.5 plans. Optional add-ons (additional IPv4 addresses, Local Block Storage upgrades), bank FX spreads, and limited-time flash deals are not included. Final binding totals are shown on the official netcup checkout summary and invoice. ## Next Steps - Still deciding between server tiers? Run the [Interactive VPS Chooser](https://netcup.cheap/tools/vps-chooser/); - Ready to order? Copy a verified code from the [Live Coupons Page](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/); - Curious how G12.5 pricing compares to previous generations? Read the [netcup Price History & Generation Tracker](https://netcup.cheap/kb/price-history/). ======================================================================== # netcup VPS & Root Server Chooser: Find Your Ideal Plan in 4 Questions - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/tools/vps-chooser/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/tools/vps-chooser/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/tools/vps-chooser/ - **Category**: Tools - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Free interactive netcup VPS & Root Server recommendation tool: match your primary workload, CPU load profile, monthly budget, and architecture (x86 vs ARM64) to the best G12.5 server and voucher. > **TL;DR**: The interactive VPS Chooser narrows down netcup's catalog in four steps: your primary workload determines the minimum RAM floor (4 GB for blogs/websites, 8 GB for Docker/CI, 16 GB+ for databases and game servers), your CPU load profile determines whether you need dedicated physical cores (Root Server for sustained high CPU usage vs. VPS for bursty workloads), your monthly budget selects the optimal tier and contract length, and your architecture preference filters between x86_64 and ARM64. ## Key Facts - 4-Dimension Decision Model: Matches workload RAM requirements, CPU duty cycle (shared vCore vs. dedicated physical cores), monthly net budget, and ISA (x86 vs. ARM64) - G12.5 Catalog Pricing: Uses official 2026 G12.5 / G11.5s net prices across 1, 12, and 24-month contract terms - Direct Voucher Matching: Automatically links the recommended server to its matching free-month voucher or €5 new customer code # Interactive VPS & Root Server Chooser Answer four quick questions to get a tailored server recommendation plus two alternatives. All calculations run locally in your browser using netcup's official G12.5 specification and pricing data. ## How the Recommendation Engine Works | Decision Factor | How It Shapes Your Recommendation | | --- | --- | | **Primary Workload** | Sets the safe minimum RAM floor: 4 GB for blogs/CMS, 8 GB for Docker & CI/CD, 16 GB+ for databases and game servers | | **CPU Load Profile** | Sustained high CPU workloads automatically prioritize **Root Server (dedicated physical cores)** to avoid shared vCore fair-use throttling | | **Monthly Budget** | Finds the highest-tier configuration that fits within your monthly net budget across 24, 12, or 1-month terms | | **Architecture** | Filters between **x86_64** (AMD EPYC) and **ARM64** (NVMe storage, Linux-only, no Windows support) | | **Sysadmin Experience** | Beginners are matched with full-featured G12.5 mainline plans; experienced users also see ultra-low-cost entry/Lite tiers | ## Quick Rules of Thumb - **Ultra-Low Budget / Lightweight Tasks**: **VPS pico / nano G11.5s** or **VPS Lite G12.5s**, or a 24-month **VPS 500 G12.5**; - **Best All-Round Sweet Spot**: **VPS 500 G12.5** (€5.90/mo on 24m) or **VPS 1000 G12.5** (€10.35/mo on 24m); - **Sustained High CPU / Production Databases**: **RS 500 G12.5** or **RS 1000 G12.5** with 100% dedicated AMD EPYC cores and NVMe storage; - **NVMe Storage on a VPS Budget**: **VPS ARM G12.5 Series** (make sure all your Docker images and binaries support `linux/arm64`). See our [Full VPS Specification Table](https://netcup.cheap/products/vps/) and [In-Depth Server Buyer's Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/choose/) for complete hardware comparisons. > This tool provides directional sizing guidance . Always verify datacenter availability, storage media (SSD vs. NVMe), and live promotional pricing on the official netcup checkout page before ordering. ## Next Steps 1. Calculate your exact invoice total (with VAT, contract discounts, and EUR/USD conversion) in the [Cost Calculator](https://netcup.cheap/tools/cost-calculator/); 2. Grab a verified free-month or €5 discount code on the [Live Coupons Page](https://netcup.cheap/coupons/); 3. Follow the [Beginner's Ordering & 0% VAT Setup Guide](https://netcup.cheap/guide/) and [VAT & Payment Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/vat-payment/) to complete your purchase. ======================================================================== # netcup Online Tools (VPS Chooser, Cost Calculator & Speedtest) - **URL**: https://netcup.cheap/tools/ - **DE URL**: https://netcup.cheap/de/tools/ - **ZH URL**: https://netcup.cheap/zh/tools/ - **Category**: Tools - **Last Verified**: 2026-10-14 - **Summary**: Three free client-side tools to help you pick the right netcup server: interactive VPS Chooser, G12.5 Cost & VAT Calculator (EUR/USD), and Datacenter Speedtest & Looking Glass directory. > **TL;DR**: We provide three free interactive tools for netcup buyers: the VPS Chooser (matches your workload, CPU profile, budget, and architecture to the best G12.5 server), the Cost Calculator (compares 1/12/24-month contract terms, 0%/19%/21% VAT, voucher discounts, and EUR/USD conversion), and the Datacenter Speedtest Hub (official Looking Glass links and test IPs for all 5 global locations). All calculations run 100% locally in your browser. ## Key Facts - Interactive VPS Chooser: Answer 4 questions on workload, CPU profile, budget, and architecture (x86 vs ARM64) to get matched with the best G12.5 plan and voucher - Cost & VAT Calculator: Compare 1, 12, and 24-month contract tiers with 0% non-EU VAT / Reverse Charge or EU VAT, stacked vouchers, and EUR/USD exchange rates - Global Speedtest Directory: Test latency and routing to Nuremberg, Vienna, Amsterdam, Manassas (US-East), and Singapore before ordering # netcup Interactive Online Tools Three free tools designed to answer the three most important questions before you order: **Which server plan do I need? What is my true monthly cost after VAT and vouchers? And which datacenter has the lowest latency to my users?** Everything runs locally in your browser with zero tracking. ## Interactive VPS & Root Server Chooser Answer 4 quick questions (workload, CPU load profile, monthly budget, and x86/ARM64 preference) to get a primary recommendation plus two alternatives. [Launch VPS Chooser →](https://netcup.cheap/tools/vps-chooser/) ## Contract, VAT & Voucher Cost Calculator Compare 1 / 12 / 24-month terms, apply 0% non-EU VAT or EU VAT rates, stack free-month or €5 vouchers, and view real effective monthly costs in EUR and USD. [Open Cost Calculator →](https://netcup.cheap/tools/cost-calculator/) ## Datacenter Speedtest & Looking Glass Hub Public IPv4/IPv6 test IPs, Looking Glass links, ping/mtr/iperf3 commands, and latency benchmarks for Europe/UK, North America, and APAC. [Open Speedtest Guide →](https://netcup.cheap/speedtest/) ## How These Tools Work - **Data Source**: Server specifications and baseline prices reflect netcup's official G12.5 / G11.5s catalog (**net prices excluding VAT**); always verify live promotional stock and final totals on the official netcup checkout page. - **100% Client-Side Privacy**: All calculations execute locally in your browser's JavaScript engine—no form inputs or personal data are ever transmitted to any server. - **Disclaimer**: Output figures are estimates intended to simplify plan comparison; official invoice amounts and bank exchange rates apply at checkout. ## Related Guides - [Complete netcup VPS Series Specs & Pricing Table](https://netcup.cheap/products/vps/) - [How to Choose Between VPS, ARM64 & Root Server](https://netcup.cheap/kb/choose/) - [0% VAT Exemption, EU Reverse Charge & Payment Guide](https://netcup.cheap/kb/vat-payment/)