Hi,

I'm in the process of getting my first dedicated servers, I was wondering if any of the more experienced users can advise me on what to look out for? There are too many fly-by-night web hosts nowadays and I'm trying to steer clear of them.

Thanks for your time!

Then you might get a server from a larger company. Mostly you have less fast support there. But prices are good there, too.

My advice would be to first make a list of your requirements - can you admin the server by yourself or do you need a managed service? What kind of hardware do you need? How much bandwidth? What location, etc. Then, make a list of potential providers that can meet your needs. Contact each to make sure they respond in a manner and timeframe in which you find to be acceptable. Once you have your list narrowed down, search for reviews and see what you can find.

If your are not aware just search for a good provider and go for fully managed dedicated server.

As 24/7/365 days support is really very important and from first day you should concentrate on server performance and its security including support.

if you are a beginner and don't have much experience, you'd be better to use only a fully managed dedicated server.

The definition of what exactly is "managed" or "fully managed" varies widely from provider to provider. Make sure you get an explicit definition of what is or isn't covered. Not all managed services are the same.

I agree.

ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS!! If the company is worthy and their service is great, they will ANSWER all yor questions. So be sure to CLAIRIFY everything and anything you are unsure of, so you don't have issues later.

If you know NOTHING of manging a server or installing anything, then I'd advise finding a company, which will install and update for you. Usually it cost a bit more, but it's worth it, if you're unsure of anything. The last thing you want is not being able to patch a security whole yourself and having your server hacked.

All the best of luck.

I may be slightly biased but you might want to consider a VPS instead of a dedicated server. They generally are more reliable than a low end dedicated server since they run on high end servers with redundant power and hardware RAID etc.

A VPS can also be upgraded with a few clicks so your server can grow in power with your business with no downtime and minimal cost.

If you application is very disk write intensive however, a VPS can lag behind and you'll need a dedicated server.

The bottom line is to know your requirements.

VPSville brings up a great point: Which type of server is best for you (in my opinion)

If constant uptime is what you're after:
I would argue that Dedicated Servers have (overall) more uptime than a VPS offering. While they are more expensive (in general, at least $90+ from a reputable provider as opposed to about $30+ from a VPS provider) I would still argue that they are more stable for the following reasons:

1) Dedicated OS with standard install (no templates on dedicated to cause strange quirks with application installs)

2) Dedicated Server hardware is lesser quality than a VPS node (in general) but it is dedicated. You know exactly what to expect in terms of hardware performance and application interaction with the hardware.

If flexibility is what you're after:
Go for a VPS. They are remarkable in how quickly they are provisioned, upgraded, O/S changed to meet your needs, etc. They are so nimble and powerful for the price. As a test bed or place to host websites, there is nothing better.

VPS's are at the leading edge of any new hosting technology that arises at this time and they are a delight to work with. In general, they are extremely reliable and flexible. Sometimes though, it's comforting to have a dedicated piece of hardware to call your own.

I am looking forward to VPSville's thoughts :-)

You really must educate yourself about the servers software, even if you have a managed dedicated or VPS. There various levels of 'managed', however, you won't find one that's limitless. Your provider may patch your software on request, they may not charge for reboots, they may even provide direction, however, if you can't add an A-record for a DNS zone, you'll may never catch up to your client's requests.

If you are not familier with server administration, make sure that you get a MANAGED server. Self managed servers can be cheap, but you need certain amount of skills to manage a dedi.

Also, be sure about what you need : OS/Control panel etc. Learn the basic and requirements before going to a host.

Also look for fast support, good network and overall good reputation.

I have to agree with everyone else. Make sure you research every aspect of the company, and make sure they are reputable. If you are un-experienced having a managed server will take a lot of the stress off you as the owner.

Overall though its all up to you.

All of these suggestions sound great. Do not be afraid to ask the site you are looking at lot of questions. This will be a good indicator of how they may communicate with you in the long run.

How has your search coming along? I strong would suggest besides the obvious, but the condition of the equipment and heating.

generally speaking, godaddy and lunarpages are better choices if you are a beginner. I advice you to go to the following website to learn more, you will benefit a lot.

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