When Is The Time To Think About A Dedicated Server

By Ricardo d Argence | July 17, 2008

by Ricardo d Argence

Having a popular website is a great thing, especially if that website is related to your business. However, you’ve probably never thought popularity could cost you money. If you use a shared web service, you’re allotted a certain amount of bandwidth every month. Each host has a different way of dealing with the situation if you go over that amount of traffic.

Some will suddenly shut your site down, which means your visitors will see only a page telling them you’ve exceeded your allotment. Others will allow your page to keep running, and will charge you for the extra bandwidth. If your site gets popular quickly, you could find yourself facing hundreds or thousands of dollars of extra charges for that usage.

It is for this reason that it is critical to keep a careful watch on your daily bandwidth usage and site traffic statistics. If you think you may exceed the allotment you were assigned for your bandwidth, now is the time to look at whether getting a dedicated server may be right for you.It might be tempting to use one of the shared hosting servers that claims to offer “unlimited” bandwidth. Be aware that the fine print probably contains limits.

A server that is running only your applicaitons will function with fewer break downs than a shared host. By upgrading, you will increase the percentage of the time that your site is available, which should eventually result in an increase in visitors. You can take total control of your site and have better performance and reliability when you have your own server.

Mysterious outages and script restrictions will become a thing of the past. You can also run more sites on one server - as much as a few hundred. However, keep in mind that you may have to pay additional charges. Although a dedicated server should pay for itself in the long run with the customers that it will attract, prepare to be shocked by the initial investment.

A dedicated server can possibly cost up to $200 a month and there is a setup fee involved. Just give it a bit of thought and you will quickly see how saving a small amount every month is not worth it when it comes down to the poor reliability you may receive and the potential for occasional large charges for bandwidth overage.

Find out what you can do with a dedicated server and your shared hosting troubles may be over. You won’t have to deal with problems from scripts other users are running, downtime, or extra charges just because you’ve become popular. If your current provider is one that you are satisfied with, inquire about their options for dedicated servers. On the other hand, if you’ve had poor customer service experiences and other problems, you might have better luck elsewhere.

If the number of hits to your site is increasing, monitor how much bandwidth is being used by those visiting it. If you fail to closely monitor your site, its popularity could result in expensive charges. A dedicated server will eliminate unexpected fees and extra downtime and you will not have to be concerned with exceeding your monthly allotment.

Overall, a dedicated server will be well worth the investment, despite the increased cost. A reliable server for a low price can obtained by having control, reliability and all the bandwidth you need to take care of your website’s visitors.

About the Author:

The Bored IT team is suffering from lack of excitement because of their Dedicated Server Provider. Find out more in their site.

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