Shared hosting is a great choice for many website owners, providing a cost effective solution for a broad range of websites. However there are times when a shared hosting service does not allow enough resources to run your website. If you are operating a site that has a lot of traffic or is very resource-intensive, you might want to consider choosing dedicated server hosting. With a lot more features and power on offer than a traditional shared hosting, dedicated server web hosting has a lot of advantages, however it is important to be certain that your website really does require this kind of server before making any decisions. Dedicated servers require a lot more time, effort and maintenance than shared hosting and need a lot more technical knowledge to manage and control them. They are also considerably more expensive than shared hosting. There are also lots of factors to bear in mind when choosing the best dedicated hosting to meet your website’s needs.
What are the Advantages of Choosing Dedicated Server Web Hosting?
One of the greatest advantages of choosing a dedicated server web hosting is the reliability that comes with it. Although most shared hosting providers do provide a reliable service, it is important to remember that you are still sharing all the available resources and server space with many other websites and these can consume too many of these resources leaving the server sluggish, slowing down the loading of your web page and affecting the effectiveness of your website. With dedicated server web hosting you can enoy exclusive use of all the resouces on the server meaning that your site speed will never drop. You will also enjoy full control over how the server’s resources are used so you can maximise your uptime. Dedicated server web hosting also gives you administrative access to your server, unlike with shared hosting. With this root access you are not restricted by the hosting provider as you are by many shared hosting companies, and you can be free to install any programs or configure your programs in any way that you choose. You will also be able to monitor the way your server is using resources and spot any problems in order to correct them before your website suffers. Usually when you use a dedicated server hosting you get access to advanced and priority technical support, so your site will be able to get back up and running much more quickly, maximising your revenue. Having a dedicated server hosting is better than trying to host your own server as all the technical side of storing a server is taken care of for you. You will not have to find the space or appropriate climate to store your server yet will enjoy all the benefits that this would bring.
Are There Any Disadvantages of Choosing Dedicated Server Web Hosting?
The main disadvantage of choosing dedicated server web hosting is the associated cost which is considerably more than both shared or VPS hosting. You should make absolutely certain that dedicated server web hosting is definitely the best choice for you before making a commitment to a package. It is also important to note that if you want to use a dedicated server web hosting you will need a good level of technical skill in order to manage and maintain the server properly. If you do not have experience and technical ability, dedicated server web hosting may not be the right choice for you. Even when you do have a lot of technical knowledge, the amount of time and effort required to control your own dedicated server in order to keep a good level of security and reliability may be too great to be worth your while.
Is Switching to Dedicated Server Hosting Right for Me?
Although shared hosting is a great choice for many websites, there are times which only a dedicated server hosting makes sense. You may want to swap to a dedicated server hosting if your website has grown beyond the capabilities and allowances offered by a shared hosting company. If you have a lot of traffic passing through your website every day, a shared hosting is unlikely to be able to accommodate your site. You may also want to think about choosing the best dedicated hosting option if your site is likely to expand very quickly, especially if you are running a lot of domains. A dedicated server hosting is also probably the right choice if your site is very resource-intensive, for example requiring a lot of CGI scripts which are often limited when using shared hosting servers. Also, if site loading speed and maximum uptime is vital to the success of your website, you may not want to take the risk of choosing a shared server where your speed could be slowed down by other users and you may suffer from unexpected downtime.
Which Aspects are Important When Choosing the Best Dedicated Hosting
Once you have decided that dedicated server hosting is right for your website, you will need to know how to choose the best dedicated hosting for your needs. There are some factors that you will need to consider:
Operating System
If you are running applications which are incompatible with either Linux or Windows operating systems, you will need to select a dedicated hosting that uses the correct type of operating system on their server to meet your website’s essential requirements.
Hardware
You are paying a premium for the best dedicated hosting, so you need to be sure that you are getting the best quality hardware to ensure your site meets its potential. Check that your chosen supplier is operating a high quality server brand like HP or Dell.
Customer Support
Technical support can vary greatly from supplier to supplier so check what service you are likely to get before you make a commitment. Choose a provider that allows you to contact them in a variety of ways and can be contacted 24/7. Make sure that they will be able to offer human support instead of pointing you in the direction of online resources and that their response time is fast.
Service Level Agreements
If you have a problem with your server hardware you want to be sure that the company providing it will replace it within a reasonable timeframe. Read the small print on the SLA to make sure that you won’t have a problem should you need a replacement urgently. You should also check the SLA for guarantees on uptime, preferably you will require an uptime of 99.9% or above.
Control Panels and Software
Choose a provider that offers a good quality control panel such as cPanel or Plesk as this will make matters much more simple should you need to migrate your site to another supplier in the future. It also makes sense to choose a provider that gives you additional software like Softaculous which allows you one click installation of top applications and tools and billing software like WHMCS as this is a lot more simple that getting hold of all the necessary licenses yourself. If you need to migrate a site from another provider, you should also check whether the dedicated server company you have chosen will assist you with this before taking out a plan.
Quality of Network
Even when you are managing your own server to guarantee its reliability, you are still dependant upon the quality of the datacentres and network of your supplier. Check your potential host’s Tier rating before making your choice as this will give you a clue as to how reliable their servers are likely to be.
Before making a final decision on your choice of dedicated web hosting, be sure that it is definitely the product that is right for your website, as it can be considerably more expensive to purchase than shared hosting. Take the time to do enough research and compare the different options available before you make your final choice and you are sure to be able to find a package that perfectly meets your website’s needs.