Your Private Server Web Hosting

Shared hosting allows thousands of people to host their own sites at a very reasonable cost. It has some drawbacks, however. Since hundreds of sites can be hosted on a single server resources such as CPU, disk space, and bandwidth have to be shared with your virtual neighbours.

Shared resources are usually not a problem for small to medium sized sites. Your main limitation is the lack of control over system level software – http servers, mail servers etc. You don’t have any choice of operating system and you cannot compile programs or do administrative tasks such as setting up Spam filters or firewalls.

Many people would say ‘So what? I don’t want to do that stuff anyway!’ It’s true that the majority of website owners have no interest or ability to handle this kind of work and are happy to leave it to the hosting company. Those who desire more control over their server environment or wish to experiment with new software, however, can get access to this level of management with a Virtual Private Server.

A virtual private server (VPS) is a physical server that has been divided (using software) into several virtual machines, each acting as an independent dedicated server. The physical resources such as RAM, CPU and disk space are still shared, but each VPS acts independently of the others. Each VPS can have a different operating system and can be configured in any way possible.

The key advantage of VPS is allowing each VPS administrator access to the root level of his virtual server. This kind of access allows the administrator to install and delete software, set permissions, create accounts – in short, do everything that the administrator of a ‘real’ sever can.

As well as providing more control over your hosting environment, a VPS Web Hosting is more secure than shared hosting. Websites on a shared server all have the same operating system, so if a hacker were to find access to the root of the server he could damage any or all of the websites on that server. A VPS, on the other hand, is divided in such a way that even if a hacker were to gain entry through one account, there is no way to access the others. Each VPS is invisible to the others and there is no way to set up root level access from one VPS to another.

Virtual Private Servers can be set up in various ways so be sure to understand how the hosting company has allocated resources. The most common configuration is to divide all the physical resources evenly by the number of accounts. Thus, if there are 10 virtual servers, each would receive 10% of the total bandwidth, CPU, memory and disk space.

The disadvantages of VPS are almost the same as the advantages. The control that a VPS account provides can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. You have the ability to delete files, set permissions improperly, allow virus-laden software on the system and, in general, really screw things up. If you don’t have the knowledge to administer a server, or are not willing to learn, VPS is not for you.

If your website has outgrown shared hosting, however, VPS offers an affordable alternative to dedicated hosting. When shopping for a VPS host, be sure to find out how system resources are divided up, the number of VPS accounts on each physical server, the method for upgrading, and the choices of operating systems.

what is colocating hosting

Colocation

Colocation is accentually where you lease space from a professional datacenter. This is option to use for people they need physical access to the hardware. Usually collocation is a more expensive option however you do have more control over your server.

Colocation Facility

Also, make sure that you are getting your moneys worth. Looking for the right colocation facility to host your servers or sites? First off, colocation is great if and only if you have a strong, working relationship with the facility. You need to know that at 2AM when your mission critical online application goes down, that you will be able to get into the facility (either you or your technician) to make the necessary changes. Many colocation facilities over-charge for bandwidth because, frankly, thats all that they really sell you. Make sure that it wouldnt be cheaper and easier for you to run fiber to another location on your own. If you can get a managed colo option, you should definitely do it.

Dedicated Colocation Server

In the strange world of web hosting, you actually pay more for uncertainty. There is certainly a premium on dedicated colocation servers, but if that is what your company needs - go for it. Getting a dedicated colocation server? Be careful, as costs can be high and uncertainty can be even higher. In return, you are getting customization and control. With a dedicated server on colo, you have (almost) complete control over your server and its applications. Alternatively, you can get shared hosting with almost no customization for a handful of change every month. Just make sure you find a reliable, accessible provider that can handle your specific colo needs.

Colocation Hosting Provider

So, what makes a colocation hosting provider better than another? Unlike many other organizations in the hosting industry - location matters. While colocation facilities can provide you with a managed network and guaranteed connectivity, they will not be able to updated and edit your mission critical software. For most businesses lookinginto colocation hosting, the provider that is located nearest you or your tech staff is the best option. Of course, reputation matters to. Ask the colocation hosting provider to give you some of their clients names and contact their tech staff to get the low-down on exactly how good that colo hosting provider is. Having a colocation hosting provider in your area is the best solution.

Colocation Hosting

Colocation has its charms, but it is especially useful for mission-critical online applications and data-serving, not just sending out web pages. Using your colocation facility to host your website might be overkill. If you are really interested in simply serving pages, look into a simple dedicated server provider or a VPS system. Either one of these will allow you to have the control and processor needed to accomplish the majority of your web hosting needs, without paying the expensive bandwidth and managing costs normally associated with colocation hosting.

Colocation Discount Web Hosting

Colocation discount web hosting is a growing trend in America. Purchasinga colo server allows you to keep your data behind a professional infrastructure. We recommend several colo offerings here, but if you dont go with them,make sure that you direct access to your server and the colocation facilitiesat every minute of the day. The last thing you want is your colocation serverto go down in the middle of the night and not have access. Getting this at a discount is not as easy though, as colocation is more expensiveand gives you a lot more space and bandwidth than your average shared hosting. Colocation discountweb hosting can be very useful, but make sure the discount doesnt mean cheap!

Server Colocation

There are a lot of good reasons to pursue server colocation. Most server colocation providers give you access to network specialists who are familiar with their running technology and keeping you connected - yet another added benefit of server colocation. Colocation gives you added control over your web presence without actually paying the expensive bandwidth and infrastructure costs of developing your own datacenter. Colocation is quickly becoming a method of lowering IT costs. If your server colocation facility provides current, reliable technology and services, you can save significantly on all of your server needs.

Colocation Services

When running through the array of colocation services, make sure that they can actually host your particular set up - whether it needs a 1U rack mount, a horizontal cage, vertical cage, quarter cage or half cage. Ask the colocation services exactly how long their systems can run on generators. Make sure that they have redundant connections, gigabit ethernet or OC-12 connectivity, multiple HVAC systems and repeated back up power systems. Generators are also extremely important, given the comonality of natural disasters and power outages. If they cant give you a solid answer about this and all of their colocation services, find another colocation provider.

You can Start Your Own Web Hosting Business

Rather than use the services of a web hosting company to host your web site you could start your own web hosting company. If your business is successful this could provide secondary income and lower the hosting costs for your own site(s).

Basically, there are two ways to start selling web hosting. The first way involves leasing business space, buying equipment, setting up servers, leasing T1 or T3 lines to connect to the Internet, finding clients, and hiring staff to provide 24 hour support. Quite complicated and not recommended for anyone without the technical know-how.

The second way is to become a re-seller for an established host. For a monthly fee you can have an allotment of disk space and bandwidth which can be used to sell to other people. Re-selling is usually anonymous – there is no visible connection to the parent host and you are free to set your own prices and develop your own ‘brand’.

All that is needed to become a re-seller is the ability to pay the monthly fee. All the technical details are handled by the parent company. The re-seller package usually includes everything – even name servers under your own name. All you have to do is to sign up customers and watch the money roll in. Easy – right?

Signing up customers, though, may not be as easy as you imagine. There are literally thousands of hosting companies competing for customers, and making your web hosting business stand out from the crowd is no mean feat. Just think about the process you went through in choosing your own web host. You probably visited several hosting web sites, maybe asked for personal references from your friends or business acquaintances, and then after narrowing down your choices, perhaps did more in-depth research on each of the companies. Or perhaps you just signed up with the first host you saw.

So, in order for your own hosting company to be successful it has to build up a good reputation or be easy to find. Advertising can make your company more visible, but advertising is expensive – especially in a competitive market like web hosting.

A re-seller account, however, may be ideal for certain situations. If you already have several websites of your own, your monthly costs may be similar to a re-selling account. For the same amount of money you could switch all your accounts to your own hosting company. Sign up a few friends or associates and you are ahead of the game.

If this sounds attractive, make sure you are going with a reputable hosting company. You will be entirely dependent on them for technical support. This relieves you of many of the headaches of running a hosting company but you are still responsible to your clients if their sites go down.

There are many types of re-seller packages. Some require you to operate under the name of the hosting company while others allow you to set up a shop under your own business name. Pay attention to the billing aspect of the package. Some re-seller accounts have everything you need to get started immediately, while others require you to set up your own billing gateway.