Cheap Dedicated Hosting Server

When choosing a cheap dedicated hosting server, one will want to pay attention to a number of items other than the price. Although there is a great degree of variability in pricing for what is essentially the same service, there is also a great degree of variability in the quality of the service. In addition to this, there are a number of different options in the world of cheap dedicated web hosting, and one will want to have one that best suits their needs.

The first consideration in choosing cheap dedicated web hosting is on what operating system the server should be based. In cases where there is a price difference, hosting on Linux based servers will be less expensive due to the lack of expense for either an operating system license or software licenses. However, if one needs a Windows server for such functionality as native support of Frontpage extensions, ASP technology, or access to an Access database, then one will need the Windows system by default. Conversely, users who require telnet access to their server, best-in-class Perl and CGI support or a PHP bridge to a MySQL database will want to choose Linux.

The next consideration is whether one truly needs a dedicated server. Thanks to advanced virtualization technology, it is now possible to rent a virtual private server. These servers appear to the end user to be their own physical computer but they are, in fact, just one of a number of server instances running on a given CPU. Even though they are shared, each server will have a unique login with root access and have its own instance of the web server application, OS, and any other applications or servers, all running at the same time. Virtual private servers tend to be quite cheap compared to traditional dedicated web hosting.

Finally, security is paramount when looking for a cheap dedicated hosting server. There are a number of different aspects of security to consider. One should look at where the server is physically located. It should be in a datacenter featuring, among other things, a generator system to ensure that it can withstand any power interruptions. Its connection to the internet should be secure from undue risks of downtime. Although it is unrealistic to expect a “five nines” up time guarantee from cheap dedicated hosting services, one can, at a minimum, expect that the provider will have redundant connections to different backbones to ensure that even if one goes down, the site will still be up. Finally, one should look at the security of the data on the computer. Most cheap hosts will not feature such data security enhancements as RAID 1 mirrored drives, but the provider should be providing secure tape backup at reasonable intervals at a minimum.

Finding a cheap dedicated hosting server requires both time and work. Given the importance of one’s website, though, the effort will be well-spent.