Dedicated servers - some basic advice. More and more webmasters are moving their sites to dedicated servers. This operation involves costs ranging from $50 up to $1000 per month. This article will explain you if it worth or not. Having a dedicated server in a web hosting network, means that webmaster rents an entire computer, not only a folder on hard disk. The hosting provider personnel will monitor the computer hardware, while the customer will maintain and control the software running on that computer. 1. Dedicated servers are recommended for webmasters that own very large sites which need massive amounts of bandwidth, and disk space. Also, a big advantage is that customers can use the server processor (CPU) for complex calculations without disturbing other sites hosted by the same provider. 2. Do you have more sites? Dedicated servers are used mostly by only one site, but as long as the customer controls the software on his server, he can host unlimited sites. The dedicated servers are used also by webmasters that own numerous small sites because the price is smaller than when you create separate accounts for each one. 3. Do you prefer an Operating System or have your own management software? Some web hosting providers offer customers the ability to choose the operating system that will be installed on their servers. The webmaster will be responsible for additional software installed on his server. This is a great advantage because you can install any software that you have seen on internet and you can modify all the settings of you server. But when the server break down, the hosting provider staff will not help you because they can’t know if your additional software was verified and compatible with server operating system. 4. Dedicated servers are recommended especially for resellers. Some of them resell web hosting services, others web design services. The advantage for customers that sell web design services is that they can modify instantly one of client’s sites because all these sites are hosted on their dedicated server. Those who resell web hosting services have to do almost nothing to make some money. They divide their server resources in small parts and offer shared web hosting for small sites. 5. What kind of dedicated server do you want? Two types of dedicated servers are available at web hosting providers: Unmanaged Dedicated Servers and Managed Dedicated Servers. It is recommended to hire a server administrator to manage your dedicated server, if you rent an unmanaged dedicated server without having the necessary skills. If the server crash and you can’t repair the bugs, your may lose much more money that if you would have rented a managed dedicated server. 6. For a small fee, some service providers offer technical assistance, in case you don’t want a server administrator to take care of server management. But they will never repair your damaged software because they are not familiar with all the administrative software existing on internet. Usually, they reinstall the operating system and restore the default settings for the web server. 7. If you want full support and assistance for your server management then you have to ask a managed dedicated plan. This is the best alternative for those companies than don’t own a server administrator or IT stuff. The price is higher but the customer will benefit of technical support like those who bought shared hosting. So, before choosing a dedicated server hosting plan, make sure that you know exactly what you need for your site. | 
