A dedicated server or co-located server could be the answer to your problems if you find that you are having issues with your existing web hosting package, whether that be a shared web hosting package or a VPS server. By choosing a dedicated server or co-located server you are able to make use of benefits that no other forms of web hosting are able to offer you; such benefits include access to your own dedicated hosting environment as well as resources that you can only dream of when using any other forms of web hosting. The principles of dedicated hosting and co-location services are very different, although to the untrained eye both may seem to offer the same features to an extent; with a dedicated server you never own the server you are using and are just renting it from the web hosting provider that you are using, whilst with co-location you are required to own your own server to begin with as it will be this that you co-locate in a data centre.
Is dedicated server hosting right for me?
If you are a small business or an individual requiring hosting services then your best bet is to consider dedicated server over co-location server, mainly because of the costs that are involved. A dedicated web server can be customized during the order process so that you are able to have a server which contains the right resources for your requirements, and no more; this also helps to make dedicated server good value for money in most circumstances. Most web hosting providers won’t tie you into long contracts with dedicated web servers, and only require that you notify them within a given time frame if you wish to cancel your dedicated server hosting service; as some people don’t always know if dedicated server is for them, this can be helpful – larger dedicated hosting providers may also be willing to offer a money back guarantee in some cases. If you feel that the management of a server is too big a task for you to take on for the time being but that no other form of web hosting is suitable for your needs then managed dedicated hosting services are available; if you choose a managed dedicated web server then the management of your dedicated server will be taken care of by your web hosting provider.
Is co-location server hosting right for me?
Co-location server hosting is only really the right option for you if you feel that having physical access to your own servers is important, and that you require a large number of servers in order for your requirements to be met in full. Co-location hosting is only effective for large businesses for the most part because of the costs involved with purchasing your own servers and then having them shipped to the relevant data centre where they will be co-located. Co-location also requires that you be able to manage servers correctly because data centres are unable to offer an option for server management, as is offered by web hosting providers who offer their own dedicated server services. Depending on how much rack space you purchase and where you decide to co-locate your servers, you may find that you are able to have physical access to your server which can be useful if something goes wrong; if for example your server needs an OS reload, then you can easily get physical access to this so that you can carry it out.
In conclusion, dedicated hosting service and co-location hosting services are both able to offer users who require dedicated web hosting services affordable web hosting solutions that should be able to meet the requirements of those who they are aimed at. Although dedicated web server may be the cheaper alternative, you can still get a lot for your money when compared to the other forms of web hosting available; however, as a large business you may find it more beneficial to have your own servers so that you don’t have to worry about dedicated server contracts or data loss.
