Dedicated Hosting: A Crash Course

If you are a webmaster, then you are probably familiar with shared hosting. Shared hosting accounts work by renting a limited amount of space on a server that is shared by several other users. Since the majority of hosting accounts are on shared hosting servers, a person who has a site that is hosted on the same server with other websites. Shared hosting servers can typically support as many as two hundred different websites depending on server speed, bandwidth allowance and how much disk space is available.

A lot of people use shared hosting because it is a fast and inexpensive way to get your website started, especially if you do not have a lot of technical experience. While shared hosting is quick and cheap, it does have a lot of disadvantages. If you have a great deal of people coming to your site, you will experience delays and slower loading times. You will also experience problems delivering email as a result of sharing server space with companies who may be guilty of sending out spam. Your site will be shut down every time database work or routine maintenance is performed on the server. Sharing a server with hundreds of other companies whose actions you have no control over can also lead to a great deal of guilt by Internet association situations. You will constantly be exposed to problems as a result of someone else’s rogue behavior. In addition to having your emails blocked because one of your net neighbors was caught sending spam, your site is also vulnerable to crashing as a result of a denial of service attack. This usually happens because someone else was using the server to host piracy or hacking related websites.

Many of these headaches can be easily avoided by upgrading to a dedicated server. Dedicated servers give webmasters and businesses the opportunity to rent pre-configured hosting services that will only be used by you. Renting a dedicated server is a lot like having your own server, minus the lengthy setup or high initial investment cost. One of the biggest advantages of dedicated hosting is that you have complete control over the server space that you are using. You will be able to use any operating system that you wish, you have the ability to select and install any third party software that you see fit, and you can conduct tweaks on the site that are tailored to fit your specific needs. In addition, you will also be able to share your server space on your own terms. You can be selective about who you choose to share space with, or you can choose to not share space with anyone at all-the choice is yours. Dedicated servers are only used by you and the other sites that you permit.

One of the things that made people a little bit squeamish about dedicated hosting in the past was the price. While renting a dedicated server was very expensive in the past, and still is slightly more expensive than sharing a server, the prices have dropped considerably. You can now find dozens of dedicated hosts that offer dedicated servers for as little as one hundred dollars.

Most people who use dedicated servers say that large increase in quality is well worth the slight increase in cost.  In addition to not having to deal with the common problems associated with sharing a server, you will also have much more bandwidth and the options of having more than one IP address if you have several sites. These IPs will be exclusive to your URLs, so you don’t have to worry about your IP being improperly tagged for another person or websites piracy, spam, or hacking activities.

One of the other concerns that people have about dedicated hosting is that it will require a higher level of technical experience than shared hosting. If you decide to use a dedicated server, it will help if you are more technologically proficient, but you certainly do not need to be a computer wiz in order to use a dedicated host. All you really need to do is make sure you learn the basics of Linux so that you can ensure that your server is always running smoothly. Many dedicated hosting providers also offer you the option of upgrading to a premium hosting account that will allow you to have some technical support to assist you in setting up and maintaining the server. This option is highly recommended if you do not have a lot of experience using Linux or are new to dedicated hosting.