In order to understand what a managed dedicated server is, you should know what a server, and then a dedicated server is. For those of us who aren’t computer geeks and already know all the techie language and terms, a server sounds like someone who brings us our lunch at the local café. A server does in fact bring us something, but we don’t have to leave it a tip.

Servers

A server is a device that looks similar to your personal computer. This device connects to the internet, and connects anyone who is connected to it to the internet. The server you use is not necessarily in your home, although some high tech sorts choose to house their own personal servers. The server is kept at a remote location and you are connected to it through a device called a modem.

Now, if you have your own website, you are using a hosting server. This server connects your site to the internet so that others on the internet can see it. Hosting servers can be free or they can be paid for. Free hosting servers are typically paid for by advertisements that will show up on your website. The advertisements can be horrible for a website that needs to look professional, or they can be just plain annoying for people who are looking at your site. Alternatively you can choose to pay for your host server and get your website on the internet ad free.

Dedicated Servers

You can share a web hosting server with many other people who also have their websites on the internet through that same server. This is fine if all of the websites on the same server are small and don’t use up a lot of bandwidth. Bandwidth is the rate at which your data transfers over the internet. The more people who are visiting your site, or the sites of others, are using up the server’s bandwidth, and essentially slowing down the other sites on the server.

A dedicated server is one that only your site is using. You are not sharing it with any other website, and therefore you have your own bandwidth and you are able to handle more web pages and much more web traffic than you would have been able to handle using a shared server.

Managed Dedicated Servers

Once you have chosen a dedicated server and put your site on the internet, you will need to know if the site is up and running at all times. You will also need to know how to update your software on the server as needed, how to secure your website through the server, and how to back up your information. There is nothing worse than a server crash when you have pending orders on your website and the server has not been backed up to save those orders. It could be detrimental to your business.

A managed dedicated server is a service in which your servers are fully or partially managed by the professionals who offer the hosting service. You don’t have to worry about all of those things that can happen to your site by the fault of the server because there is someone who knows what they are doing managing the server for you. With a managed dedicated server you will save the time you would be spending managing your server issues and spend that time running your business and relaxing.

How do you choose between managed dedicated servers versus unmanaged dedicated servers?

When your website outgrows the value of a shared web hosting plan, you will need to upgrade to a dedicated server plan. A dedicated server is a server that you lease from a hosting company that no other website gets to use. You will then need to choose whether you need your dedicated server to be managed or unmanaged.

Decide how much your time is worth per hour and then multiply that by how many hours per day, week, month, and then year you will be spending managing your own dedicated server. Now look at the additional cost of going with a managed dedicated server plan. Which plan actually saves you money over the course of the year between managed dedicated servers and unmanaged dedicated servers? That is the plan you should choose.

When you choose a managed dedicated server plan, you will lease your own server, usually for a year, from a host company. The host company will then not only manage the routine maintenance of the server itself, but will also assist you in managing your software upgrades, backups, security, and everything else that goes along with the server side operations of your website.

What is not included with managed dedicated servers, which many new website owners are not aware of, is the actual website maintenance. This includes things like upgrading your website, adding details, optimizing your website, making changes to your site, and pulling orders from your site. It also doesn’t monitor your site in terms of the basic administrative duties that your site might require.

Managed dedicated servers cost more than unmanaged dedicated servers, but many people do not know how to maintain the server side applications and updates that are required for a dedicated server, and if they don’t go with a managed plan they will have to hire someone to do that type of work for them. This is likely to be quite a bit more expensive than the additional cost of managed dedicated servers versus unmanaged dedicated servers.

The hosting company will still be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the server hardware, as well as for the repair of the hardware. The hosting company will not be responsible for any of the other things that go along with the server side applications of your website. Instead you will be given remote access to your server and you will be expected to know how to do these things yourself.

Unmanaged dedicated servers are somewhat less expensive to lease than managed dedicated servers. If you know how to do the server side part of your website management then it may be worth it to spend the extra time in doing it instead of paying the extra for a managed dedicated server. Just keep in mind that time is money. If you are spending too much time managing your server side, you may end up neglecting the very important website upgrades and applications that you need to take care of.

If you take a look at the top dedicated server companies you will find that they are not all the same. In fact they are very different, not only in price, but in what services they offer. Also different are the types of dedicated servers that each of the top dedicated server companies’ offer.

Dedicated Server Prices

The prices of the top dedicated server companies vary greatly. Starting prices per month range from $29.95 per month up to $189 per month. The top shelf prices go all the way up to $669 per month for a dedicated server. So what’s the difference between a $29.95 and a $669 per month dedicated server? Aren’t they all the same?

Actually, no, they are all very different. Some of the companies offer the top of the line, most technologically advanced servers available on the market, and the price goes up if you have the company manage the server for you. That’s not to say that the $29.95 per month dedicated server can’t fit your needs, it might. But you will have to manage it yourself, and you can’t expect the technology from this server as you will get with a more expensive dedicated server. If you look at the differences you will find that you really do get what you pay for, in technology and in service.

Dedicated Server Services

As mentioned, some dedicated servers are managed and some are unmanaged. The services you decide you are willing to pay for will mean the difference between you spending time to manage the server side applications of your website and somebody doing it for you.

The managed dedicated servers vary in the services they offer for free. The lower priced managed dedicated servers will typically offer the same services as the higher priced ones, but with the lower priced options you will have to pay an additional fee for some of the management services. With the higher priced managed dedicated servers you will get all of your management included in the monthly lease of the server.

Dedicated Server Technology

As new dedicated servers are added to the market, the technology of the servers increase. They will have more space and more options that you can use for your website. The space is the big deal with the more expensive, newer dedicated servers. You will need to assess your website and determine how much space you actually need for now. Keep in mind that once your contract is up, usually in a year, you can upgrade to a higher priced, more advanced server if your needs are such.

List of top dedicated hosting providers

• LunarPages
• SecureData
• SteadFast
• HostGator
• LayeredTech
• Hostican
• inMotion
• aplus.net
• Gate.com
• Ubiquity
• StartLogic
• ServerPronto
• ServePath
• WebsiteSource
• ApolloHosting

Choosing your dedicated server will take some time if you want to compare all of the top dedicated server companies, but it will most certainly be worth the time you spend to find the dedicated server company that will best fit your needs and your budget.

Now there are more and more individuals setting up dedicated servers on their own or with limited assistance. What has changed to cause more people to host their own dedicated server? Companies offering bare bones dedicated server equipment and services at reasonable prices. So, whether you are interested in setting up a dedicated game server, dedicated linux server, or UK dedicated server, now is the time to get your start. One unfortunate aspect in the server business is the fact that dedicated server bankruptcy is a common occurrence. So, before you plunge in it is a good idea to know what you can expect.

Claiming Your Independence

One of the main reasons to consider dedicated server hosting over shared hosting is to be in control of what happens on the server. It may seem more convenient to have someone handle all of the tasks of dedicated servers for you, however, consider some of the general tasks that you would require. Technical support is inevitable, even with the most stable dedicated web servers. When you are hosting your own website and maybe those of other people, you have the ability to provide the type of service that you want. Including reliable technical support can help you obtain more business.

Footing the Bill

I previously mentioned that one of the unappealing aspects of using dedicated servers was the cost. There are ways to get out of having to spend a significant amount of money to set up your own server. One way to build a cheap dedicated server is to rent the equipment you need. There are companies available that will enable you to purchase the server and other equipment you need at a low cost; some as low as $99. These companies typically offer what is referred to as unmanaged dedicated servers. This essentially means that you are left to set up and manage the equipment on your own. If the news of lower prices excites you, but you fear having to set up a server on your own, you can locate a dedicated server reseller who will lease you space on their server. You are in charge of your particular section of the server, but any technical assistance you receive from the reseller. This is a particularly viable option if you are just getting into the dedicated servers market.

Extended Business Functions

If you don’t want to take the cheap path to dedicated servers yet you want to save money, you may consider using your web or graphic design skills. By using these skills you may be able to generate more business by using dedicated servers. Offering these additional services to your clients will prove invaluable. There are many people who are either not interested in creating their website or who lack the design skills or time to do it. In addition, you can save money by not having to hire a third-party company to do the design or graphic work for you.