Tip #1 Managed Dedicated Server
When you have your own dedicated server someone has to manage it. So, you have two options. You can either choose a managed server and have a hosting company handle all of the details, maintenance, and updating that must take place. Or, you can hire an administrator to handle this maintenance for you. The last option is you can manage it yourself, that is, if you are skilled in those kinds of things. Basically, if you hire an administrator it will cost you extra money as well. Regardless, if you have a managed dedicated server installed you should know beforehand who will be handling the maintenance and other details to keep everything running smoothly with as little downtime as possible.

Tip #2 Know the Details
You always need to know all the details regarding your dedicated server as well as your web host. When you know all of the details you know what to expect when a situation occurs and how it will be handled. If you do not know the details when you involve yourself in a contract with a dedicated web host then you will be asking for trouble. Save yourself from this and make sure you know everything there is to know about your equipment, who is responsible for what, and the game plan if any problems arise.

Tip #3 Support
Another key element you need to know that will save you time when problems arise is the kind of support you have from your web host. You want to have a web host that provides support 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 365 days per year. If your web host is not offering this then you might prefer to find one that does because for some reason problems seem to arise after hours and not weekends or holidays.

Now that you know these timesaving tips you will be better prepared to choose a dedicated web host that meets your businesses needs. Also, since you are already aware of everything in advance you will not have any problems dealing with situations that arise due to your web host because you are already prepared for anything!

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Why is dedicated hosting such a big hit on the business web hosting market? If you look at the costs it involves, usually ranging from $150 – $1000 per month, another question comes into your mind: Does it even worth it?

When you have one single web server is rented to a single customer by the web hosting provider, you have dedicated web hosting. There are two similar solutions quite common too in the web hosting industry: virtual dedicated servers and co-location web hosting.

To make it easier to grasp the concepts, a virtual dedicated server shares the resources of a web server computer with other customers of the web hosting provider. You don’t get an entire computer just for you in virtual dedicated server hosting plans.

Co-locating web hosting also shares some similarities with dedicated web hosting. The main difference is that while in dedicated web hosting the web server computer belongs to the web-hosting provider and is only rented by the customer, in co-locating web hosting the customer owns the web server computer. The web-hosting provider only houses the web server computer and sells bandwidth to the customer.

Real dedicated web hosting a single web server is rented to a single customer.

Dedicated web hosting is the ideal solution for businesses that work with high traffic. The functionalities of your web site as well as the application required for its operation will fall under your precise control.

But with dedicated web hosting there are even more advantages.

Your hosting provider handles all concerns regarding the maintenance, the security, and the reliability of your web server. As your rent the computer, not purchasing it you don’t have to bother yourself with maintaining the hardware and the connectivity of the computer. This frees you from replacing the component or solving the problem, as all these fall into the provider’s responsibility. Many web hosting providers will even offer you compensations as part of the Service Level Agreement (SLA). Usually, in the event of such failure you will be reimbursed with the cost of your hosting plan for a month or a fraction of it, depending of the severity of the failure. Looks quite good compared to having to pay for the component and for the technical support required for actually replacing the component, all this while your web site in not online. At the end of the day you will only pay for functional hardware.

Think what your business could do with all the resources you have just saved on the above maintenance issues.

As the costs of administering and maintaining the web server you have rented vary depending on your web hosting provider, you can choose between “managed” or “unmanaged” service levels.

Should you feel uncomfortable with the technical expertise required by the management of a web server computer, you could opt for “managed” dedicated hosting. This means that you will have available a “control panel”. The control panel allows you to perform all the essential tasks required by the proper functioning of your web server via a simply point-and-click user-friendly interface. This way you won’t need to know or type any command lines, or poses no in depth knowledge of the operating system, while still being able to setup, administer and maintain all the web sites on your web server.

The “unmanaged” option is recommended only for those with great degree of technical expertise in mastering a web server as it provides root access to the server. This in turn, offers complete server administration, thus the possibility to configure every service on your web server. Of course, not having the necessary services are configured properly, may result in serious system failure. These are the reasons that make unmanaged dedicated hosting only recommendable for people with solid server administration background or for web developers that need custom applications for their web sites, or a customized environment.

Having a dedicated server means that the stability of the computer will not be prone to the plagues affecting shared web hosting solutions. Just think at overload, server being crowded with applications and components required by the other customers, or even errors in programming usually made by the beginners. Add to that the fact that on a shared web server the processor time and the installed memory is shared with the software applications needed by the other users.

Managed or unmanaged, dedicated web hosting makes it easier for you to provide instant support to your own customers when it is required. This would not be possible on a shared hosting plan or you will be faced with delays and possible additional technical support fees. Needless to say a prompt support service on your side also means happy customers and business growth.

For those running a business in web design for example, the advantages of having their own dedicated web server are invaluable. This is true not because his studio will be able to offer pure hosting services, but because he will able to offer them packaged with the web design activity. Modifying a web site for a customer or uploading a new one is a matter of minutes when you have around-the-clock access to your web server. Another advantage comes from the fact that once a complete web presence solution, design and hosting, is offered by the studio to a customer, there is a higher chance for having that customer become a regular.

The benefits of a good dedicated web hosting solution for businesses translate into sales growth, better customer relationship, improved company image, reduced cost compared with in-house web hosting solution, and the list could go on. A dedicated web server means that you can run a better business and better business reads profit.

Calin Indre is editor at HostPinPin (http://www.hostpinpin.com ), a Cheap Web Hosting Directory. HostPinPin.com is a resource for webmasters and consumers looking to find a web hosting company. Providing web hosting articles, tips, web hosting reviews, compare web hosting plans, free web hosting guide, free hosting quote, web hosting glossary and more.

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