TrinityTek
Kevin Mitnick was truly legendary. I particularly respect the fact that he reportedly never stole a dime from anyone, and that he ultimately used his skills for good. His services helped protect many people including government entities from hacking attacks. The world lost a great man too soon.
I can’t speak to Racknerd, but I have used a couple VPS from Ethernet Servers and they are a great value. I have a single core VPS with 3 GB RAM and 100 GB SSD for $25 per year, and another with higher specs I pay more for.
Check out Professor Messer on YouTube. Super professional and comprehensive exam prep videos are available on his channel for free. I relied on his videos, a flash card app, and Mike Myers CompTIA A+ study guide when I was broke and trying to get A+ certified and into the IT field. It worked out for me. I owe Professor Messer a debt of gratitude.