If you’ve chosen an unmanaged package you’ll need to do everything yourself. This includes choosing your operating system, your DNS software and you’ll need to set up an email server too. Plus, you’ll need to install various security features such as firewalls and DDoS protection, as well as arrange for backups of your data to be taken and stored.
If this all sounds a little complicated, you can pay a little extra for a managed service. Here, the data host will take care of the full set up process for you.
How To Choose the Right Dedicated Server Plan?
Check your bandwidth needs
Dedicated server packages come with preset amounts of bandwidth and processing power. Check how much traffic your site currently receives and have a chat with a customer service rep to find out which level is best for you
Assess your technical knowledge
If you need a lot of processing power, but don’t have the technical skills to manage a dedicated server yourself, you should consider trying a managed service. Conversely, if you want to make a lot of customized modifications, go for an unmanaged package
Consider security
Think about the type of data you’ll have on your site and find a package that has a lot of built in protections to secure it
How to Choose a Dedicated Server Hosting Provider
Uptime guarantee - Only ever choose a host that can guarantee at least 99.99% uptime. Anything less is a sign your site performance could suffer
Customer support - Getting to grips with a dedicated server is a complex task regardless of whether you choose a managed or unmanaged service. This is why it’s vital your host has a great customer service team to support you
Budget - Prices across the industry can vary considerably these days, but higher prices tend to mean better quality of service
Performance and reputation - Customer reviews are a good way to gauge how good the performance of your site will be. Make sure to do your research before choosing
Freedom of operating system - A good hosting provider should give you total freedom to choose the operating system of your choice. Make sure it's covered by your chosen host
What Other Web Hosting Types Are There?
VPS options are similar to the virtual dedicated servers we’ve touched on above, and are a more reasonably-priced alternative to a full dedicated solution.
Managed cloud hosting might just be the most flexible and popular type of hosting right now. It’s more easily scalable than dedicated hosting, is much cheaper and you don’t need a lot of technical knowledge to get started.
Shared hosting sits right at the opposite end of the spectrum to dedicated hosting. Shared packages are designed for small businesses and low-volume sites, and are incredibly cheap. Dedicated servers on the other hand are expensive and intended for large clients.
Making the Move to Dedicated Server Hosting
You’ve got site slow-down - If visitors are noticing significant slow-down when landing on your home page, this is a sure sign you’ve got bandwidth issues. Making the move to a dedicated server could be the solution to fix this
Your company has grown - If you’ve seen significant growth recently, and are getting large amounts of traffic to your site, you might want to consider switching to a dedicated server in order to handle all of the new visitors. It’s a good choice if you expect even more growth in the future as a dedicated server will give you enough room to handle any growth spikes.
To Customize security - If you’re running a site that deals with a lot of confidential information, moving to a dedicated server is a good move. The private environment, coupled with a huge range of security customization options, means your data should be very safe
Summary
If you’ve got a memory-hungry website, or have thousands of visitors to your eCommerce store each day, then a dedicated server will be a good choice for you. The sheer processing power, bandwidth, and memory it can offer are unrivaled by other types of hosting. Still, you should bear in mind this comes with quite a hefty price tag, and it won’t be the best solution for everyone.
If you run a smaller site or don’t have the technical expertise to manage dedicated servers, you’d be much better off going for either shared hosting or a managed cloud option. The decision will ultimately be based on the needs of your business at the end of the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need to pay for server equipment?
No. Verpex will provide the server infrastructure on which your website will be hosted.
Are backups included as part of dedicated server plan?
Yes. Your data will be backed up on a daily basis, enabling you to roll back to a previous version of your data if it’s lost or compromised.
What sort of site can I host with a dedicated server?
Any type you like! You can host e-commerce stores, corporate homepages, dedicated online gaming sites, and much more.
Do dedicated servers come with additional features?
You have full control of all software you install on a dedicated server. This means you can add any feature you can think of, including machine learning tools, security operations centers, and any other compatible software.