Hello:
Is there any practical benefit in using a VPS (virtual private server) as opposed to a shared hosting environment? Westhost (www.westhost.com) offers a VPS at reasonable prices it seems, but Im uncertain of its benefits and how reliable, supportive, etc Westhost is. Im deciding on a web host service for my first ever personal web site, which will be focused on new zealand photos Ive taken. I have over 900 so I have plenty to choose from. Does anyone know of Westhost and if VPS is really beneficial? thanks for any assistance. There appears to be about a million different web hosters these days!! ---- Terry

Terry, you raise a good question, but looking at your requirements to host a picture web site, I don't think you need to go for VPS. VPS is mostly for web sites that cause database loads heavy for a shared hosting environment.

Even a busy picture web site does not have that load on high quality hardware (server), unless you serve tens of thousands of visitors a day.

I would start with a shared hosting account, and if you start outgrowing it - it is relatively easy to switch. Your biggest concern in the beginning should be bandwidth consumption.

Best,

I have to agree with Art,

For what you're looking at hosting, a shared hosting account with a healthy amount of bandwidth will be able to handle the load quite easily. VPS would be overkill and would cost you a fair amount extra too...

In Shared Hosting lots of accounts would be shared in a single server but in VPS some three or four members would be sharing the server which surely results in more secured hosting, faster access, easy support etc...

Some of the benefits in VPS are,

- Complete Root Access
- Full-Featured System Administration as of a Physical Server
- Complete Independence
- Own Network Configuration

which could not be got in your shared hosting environment.

VPS could be got at a very low rate of $14.95 / Month which are very much reliable, strongly secured with different 3 types of 24/7 Customer support with lots of FREE exciting offers, Benefited Services at NO EXTRA COST which includes Deluxe Bonus Packages and some FREE offers to the clients of the Resellers.

If you like to suggest me one, i can give you with the best.

That depends on how the company runs its business, how well it manages customers, provides support, secures their servers, etc.

There are excellent shared hosting providers who do an amazing job.
There are horrible VPS providers whose irresponsibility might just cost you your site.

It depends on case-by-case basis.

Plus, unless you are running a very complicated site and require full control and access over the "server" itself, benefits you names are worthless. From the description you gave, once again, I am not sure why you would need full root access, complete independence or own network configuration. Its just a web site with pictures.

Best,

That, and VPS allow you to be in charge of what you install on your "part" of the server. You can run PHP4 one day and PHP5 the other. A VPS is 99% like a dedicated server but your still are sharing a server with a few others. Not as many as a normal shared server however.

In your case, shared hosting suits you more, as other members stated. VPS is needed when you require Full-Featured System Administration, which is generally needed when you have a business-critical web site or you are reselling that web space to your customers.

VPS would require some knowlwdge in server management, as that may not be a managed service. VPS offers lots of power and flexibility. For your requirements, a normal shared hosting may be the best, as recommended.