Rent a Dedicated Server

Rent is not a word frequently seen in connection with web hosting. However to rent a dedicated server is actually what you’re doing when you sign up for web hosting with a dedicated server. Some webmasters may choose to actually buy a server right out but those that rent a dedicated server may find that it is preferable if they don’t have a place to keep the server and/or don’t have the time and resources to manage it and keep it secure. This article explains what it means to rent a dedicated server.

The Choice Is Yours

It is perfectly possible for a savvy business or individual to own a server and serve their own web pages, email, etc., and some do. To do so requires either an individual with an excellent working knowledge of IT or an IT department, as well as a secure, temperature-controlled environment, redundant power sources, and other site features that can be fairly costly. For one or the other or both of these reasons, many individuals choose to rent a dedicated server, otherwise known as pay a web hosting service that specialize in server upkeep, maintenance, optimization, and security.

Things to Decide Before You Start

Dedicated servers are typically offered in at least two plans: managed and unmanaged. In a managed plan, the web host undertakes to be responsible for all upgrades, updates, patches, reboots and computer maintenance. In an unmanaged plan, much of the upkeep of the computer, besides the physical care of the server, will fall to you. Most well-respected hosts also will allow you to hire their experts for special jobs, and/or offer plans that fall somewhere in between these two extremes, sometimes referred to as “semi-managed.” If you have a basic idea of what you need before you start your search, you may streamline your hunt for a host.

Another thing to consider is the server operating system you want to use. Generally, there is a choice of Windows and at least several Linux distributions. But if you happen to have a need for a particular set up, or prefer one or another Linux distribution for some reason, making this a criterion of your search will save you time by ruling out web hosts that don’t offer the set-up you need.

How to Find a Dedicated Server for Rent

First, you’ll do better if you drop the word rent. Do a search on dedicated server hosting for better results. However, we would recommend that as a first step, you search on dedicated server hosting reviews and get some up-to-date evaluations of the dedicated server hosts that are currently in business. Many sites have user reviews, but you may also want to seek out expert reviews and service awards to help you choose a host.

It’s also worth particularly seeking out reviews from others who are either a) in your line of business or b) use their dedicated servers in much the way you do. You will find that their opinions are the most valuable to you.

Some important things to look for as you review possible web hosts include both attributes of the servers themselves, as well as the service. You can use these lists to gain an idea of areas to check:

Server Set-up Attributes

  • Disk space
  • Memory
  • System software
  • Bandwidth
  • CPUs available
  • # of domains allowed
  • # of free IP addresses
  • Price
  • Available add-ons
  • Redundancy
  • Back-ups
  • User-friendly interfaces/control panel

Host Attributes

  • Discount for paying by year; by two years
  • Reliability guarantee
  • Actual uptime (versus advertised uptime)
  • Responsiveness to customer issues
  • Support options
  • Slow response
  • Good history

Other things to check for: set-up fees, which may be quite hefty for a dedicated server, and the ability to upgrade your service, should you find you need it. In regard to the latter, it is desirable to be able to upgrade immediately without being penalized if, say, your bandwidth use exceeds expectations. It’s also desirable to be able to grow into a larger server with as seamless a switchover as possible.

If you are already hosting a number of websites with a particular host that you have had a good experience with, you may want to inquire about dedicated server hosting. Even if they don’t advertise it as a separate service, they may offer it or at least consider offering it to dedicated customers that have a history with them. By staying with the same hosting company you already know policy and procedures, as well as the reliability of the host and how their customer service operates. Choosing to rent a dedicated server from your current host will also make it easier to transfer all your data from one of their shared servers over to a dedicated server.

If your current host does not offer any dedicated server plans, there are many well-known, dependable hosts that offer dedicated hosting options. BlueHost and HostMonster are two respectable hosts that we have had a lot of experience working with and would recommend for webmasters to look into. Don’t be afraid to ask questions ahead of time. Making the move to a dedicated server is a big decision and not one that should be taken lightly. If there is anything you are unsure about or don’t understand,  make sure you talk to the host ahead of time – many hosts can even arrange a tour of their datacenter so that you can see the exact conditions in which your server will be housed.

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