In reviewing web site hosting plans, many web site owners are faced at some point with the decision of whether or not to invest in a dedicated server. A dedicated server is one which hosts your site(s) exclusively. It's not shared with anyother sites. You then have the choice to put one web site or several on that piece of hardware.
But the decision is never easy. There are several considerations to take into account, far beyond just the larger investment outlay that inevitably accompanies a dedicated server.
Performance is (or should be) your first factor for most web site owners. Studies show that when a page doesn't load within about 10 seconds or less, almost everyone will give up and go elsewhere. The delay may be caused at any of a hundred different points in the chain between the server and the user. But often, it's the server itself.
In any case, it's critical to eliminate the server as a potential bottleneck, since it's one of the few factors over which the web site owner can exercise some control over.
That need for control extends beyond just performance, though. Other aspects of the user experience can benefit or suffer from server behavior. Security is a prime example. With the continuing prevalence of spam and viruses, a server could easily get infected. Hosting only your own web site on your own single server makes that issue much less probable. Also, because you will place a greater value on security than someone else, it's easier to keep your dedicated server clean and your web site well protected. You can use best practices in security to fortify your site. When other sites are on a server that you don't control, it raises the odds that your efforts will have noeffect.
One way your security measures are diluted with shared hosting is through IP address sharing. Less effective hosting services will often give a single IP address to a server that hosts multiple sites. That means your web site is sharing the same IP address with many (hundreds or thousands) of other web site. That leaves you vulnerable in several ways.
Virus or spam attacks may target a particular IP address. If you share one with another web site, one that is more likely to attract these type of attacked, you will suffer because of someone else.
In other cases an IP address range is given to the server, with each site receiving its own address from within that range. Though better than the one IP:server scenario, this still presents a vulnerability. Many attacks target a range of IP addresses, not just a single one.
But even legitimate sources can give you trouble when you share an IP address or a range. If another site engages in behavior that gets it flagged, you can suffer the same consequences if they ban the address or range. If the miscreant that shares your server/IP address or range is a spammer for example, and gets blacklisted, you can inadvertently be banned along with him. Using a dedicated server can help to avoid that problem.
There's a certain comfort level in knowing precisely what is installed on your server, and knowing that you alone put it there. But a dedicated server option may require additional administration on your part. If you're not prepared to deal with that, you may have to invest still more to have your dedicated server managed by someone else.
All of these details have to be weighed thoroughly when considering a dedicated server account.
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