Complete Guide To Hosting - Part 1

1. Shared or Dedicated Hosting?

There are three main types of server plans available from the hosting companies, or four if you include the special reseller packages that some offer. The kind of server plan you choose will depend on your current and future site needs, so it's a good idea to know what type of plans are available, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Shared or Virtual Servers

These kinds of plans allocate you a limited amount of space on a server that's shared with other sites. The quotas you're given for this kind of hosting will vary from host to host, but typical disk space quotas are around 50Mb, which is often more than enough for a site. This kind of hosting is usually the cheapest option (perhaps with the exception of free Web space provided by some ISPs), so you shouldn't really expect great things from a plan that hosts your site on a shared server.

Limited Languages

One of the main problems with hosting on a shared server is the fact that the features and technologies available to you will be limited. ASP, PHP and Perl are not always available on shared or virtual plans, due to security and stability issues, If they are offered, you still may not have at your disposal all the modules and components needed for your site to function correctly. JSP support on a shared server is still rare, so if you use it you may need to go for a dedicated server anyway.

Other Sites' Problems

Don't forget that your site will not be the only one on the server, so problems with other sites hosted on the same server as yours could cause problems with the speed of yours -- or even bring your site down altogether. Obviously, the more sites on the server, and the more relaxed the hosts are about running custom-made scripts, the more likely you are to experience problems.

It would be a good idea to find out in advance how many other sites you can expect to share a server with, and the penalties you'd suffer if you ever exceed your disk space or data transfer limits. It's very easy to exceed your data transfer limit: all it takes is for your site to become popular (either with interested users or an unruly Web-bot) and you could find yourself with either a huge bill, or a site that works on a part time basis.

Hosting your site on a shared server shouldn't be too much of a problem if it's a low traffic site with static pages, but if you expect your site to get rather busy or complicated, you really should consider a dedicated server of some description.

Dedicated Servers

Setting up a dedicated server is not as easy as renting space on a shared server, but it can do wonders for your site. Firstly, you're free to use all the resources on the server (as there shouldn't be any other sites residing on the server that you aren't aware of). Having the use of all the processing power of a single computer can make a world of difference to a site, particularly if it uses databases and other server side technologies.

Having a dedicated server also gives you the freedom (within reason) to do as you please. If your site requires JSP support, you can install it yourself (if you opt for a server with remote administration), or have your host install it for you. This is just the kind of freedom you'll need if you build your own components and modules, or if you use technologies that are not widely supported.

Another bonus about having a dedicated server is that you can house more than one site on it if you wish. This can help you keep costs low, but you shouldn't forget that the more sites you have on the server, the more things can go wrong.

Having your own dedicated server can be a lot of work, particularly if you have to set up the DNS entries, FTP accounts and mail settings for all the domains that are hosted on it. Some hosts will do all the hard work for you, and undoubtedly this will be reflected in the price. Be aware of the hidden charges such as making backups, rebooting the machine and other tasks associated with dedicated hosting that you might not think of at first.

A dedicated server isn't for everyone, and is probably overkill for a single simple static Website that attracts only a handful of visitors. If your site will use server side technologies and databases for most of its content, then it would certainly benefit from the extra power you'll gain from its own server.

Co-location Servers

This is just like having a dedicated server. The difference is that you buy the hardware and set the serve up yourself, and then rent the space in the data center and connections to the Internet.

This option really isn't for the beginner. At least with a dedicated server, the host will set the server up for you. With co-location, the onus is on you. It's true that his option gives you the most freedom in terms of which software you install, but it's also the most involved. If you're unable to go to the data center and fix the problems yourself, you can expect hefty charges for having the host to do it for you; backups and reboots are unlikely to be free or charge.

Co-locating your computer is often far more expensive than simply renting a dedicated server from your host, and it can also be more time consuming. This hosting option is best left to the more technically-minded people -- it's not usually necessary for most sites.

Reseller Hosting

This isn't one of the main types of hosting per se, but it is becoming more and more popular. Essentially it's like an affiliate program: you receive hosting discounts in one way or another as a reward for encouraging more people to use that host's servers.

More often than not, the accounts that you're able to resell are on virtual (shared) servers. The way that discounts are applied will depend on the host; some will charge you upfront for a reseller account and leave you to sell it on however you like, while others give you a discounted price for each standard plan they offer.

You should be aware that many hosts out there now resell Web space. While this may not be a problem, you should understand that the maintenance of the servers is often beyond the control of a reseller. It would be a good idea to check whether the company or person you rent the space from is a reseller -- then you'll know who is responsible should anything go wrong (and you may even wish to host directly with the host they're reselling, just to get more features or space).

Reseller accounts can also provide a handy alternative to anyone who has more than one site but can't afford a dedicated server of their own. Due to the nature of these reseller accounts, however, you should remember that the more advanced and busy sites who used these services would not be running as fast as they could on a more pricey hosting option.