Point number one

Point number one

1. Understand the distinctions between shared, collocated, unmanaged dedicated and managed dedicated hosting so you choose which one is right for your business.

It is crucial to understand the difference between the types of hosting offered. As the hosting industry has matured, hosting offers have split into two distinct categories, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Shared hosting (sometimes called virtual hosting), means you share a server with a number of other clients of that company. The host manages the server almost completely (if you keep your site and your account). They can afford to charge you little since many clients are paying for use of the server. However, companies other than yours are using the resources of that server. That means heavy traffic to one of the other sites on the server can really hammer the performance of your site. Also, you are typically not able to install special software on these types of machines, because the host will need to maintain a stable environment for all customers using the server.

Collocated hosting means that you purchase a server from a hardware vendor, like Dell or HP for example, and you supply this server to the host. The host then plug your server into its network and its redundant power systems. The host is responsible for making sure its network is available, and you are responsible for all the support and maintenance of your server. Good hosts offer management contracts to their collocation clients so that you can outsource much of the support for them and come to an arrangement similar to the managed dedicated hosting. Most collocation hosts do not offer this service, however.

Unmanaged dedicated hosting is very similar to collocation, except that you lease a server from a host and do not actually own it yourself. Some very limited support (typically only web-based) is included, but the level of support varies widely from unmanaged dedicated server unmanaged dedicated server. This type of server can be had for about $ 99 / month. Support levels are typically only provided in general terms. Ask the host to go into details about what support they will provide - will they apply security patches to your server? - Before signing. This service is typically good for gaming servers (like Doom or Counterstrike servers) or amateur servers, but not for serious businesses that need service at expert level meet.

Managed dedicated hosting means leasing a server from a host and having that company provide a robust level of support and maintenance on the server that is backed by quality guarantees. This maintenance typically includes that services such as monitoring the availability of servers, a hardware warranty, updated security patches and more. Be sure to make sure your managed dedicated server is specific about its managed services included so you can be sure they are not disguising an unmanaged dedicated offering as a managed dedicated server. This has been known to happen unfortunately, which is why it is important to do your homework and ask the right questions.