Dedicated server?

[sannie]

I currently have 3 small but high traffic sites set up with 3 hosts. I'm paying approx. $144 per month for 185 Gb of bandwidth total. I am considering getting a dedicated server from Rackshack for $99 per month and just put all my sites on it. What do U guys think?

• 1. is it easy to manage a dedicated server?
  2. Will it be worth the money?
  3. What about down time?
  4. What are the pros and cons of renting a dedicated server?

I have my own domains.

 

[YUPAPA]

Originally posted by sannie
I currently have 3 small but high traffic sites set up with 3 hosts. I'm paying approx. $144 per month for 185 Gb of bandwidth total. I am considering getting a dedicated server from Rackshack for $99 per month and just put all my sites on it. What do U guys think?

• 1. is it easy to manage a dedicated server?
  2. Will it be worth the money?
  3. What about down time?
  4. What are the pros and cons of renting a dedicated server?

I have my own domains.

1 => If you are new to dedicated server, yes.
2 => Yes
3 => less (cuz your host has more ppl on their servers so it may cause the machine slow down or explode and that may leads to downtimes... i can't say anything about network since your host doesn't have control over that unless they have their own data center)
4 => More disk space and you can install anything you want

 

[Haze]

1. is it easy to manage a dedicated server?
If you are new to linux, it can be quite difficult. Especially considering you have to take control of everything from software upgrades to patches to security, etc. Get a couple of books on linux, it won't turn you into a master, but its a good start. If you you are still worried, get a managed dedicated server.

2. Will it be worth the money?
I guess that depends on the server you get. If you go with rackshack, I would recomend there Compaq's, as that is the only server that has not given us trouble out off all the ones we have gotten from them.

3. What about down time?
What about it? We have been with rackshack since Sept of last year. Downtime has been very little compared to what we have experienced elsewhere ( *Cough* ..VDI.. *Cough* ..Flying-hosts.. )

4. What are the pros and cons of renting a dedicated server
Pro's:
1. More power over the content you can host.
2. You are in control

Con's:
1. Can't think of any.

 

[sannie]

Originally posted by Haze
1. is it easy to manage a dedicated server?
If you are new to linux, it can be quite difficult. Especially considering you have to take control of everything from software upgrades to patches to security, etc. Get a couple of books on linux, it won't turn you into a master, but its a good start. If you you are still worried, get a managed dedicated server.

Thanks for the response. What is a "managed" dedicated server? Is that what RackShack offers for $99 a month? :confused2

 

[YUPAPA]

Originally posted by sannie


Thanks for the response. What is a "managed" dedicated server? Is that what RackShack offers for $99 a month? :confused2

No. Managed dedicated server means your server will be taken care by the staff.

 

[Haze]

RackShack servers are unmanaged ( completely ). You really need to know what you are doing with rackshack, or you will end up hating them, and you will find yourself back here complaining about them ( when they really are quite a good serivice, but far from perfect ). You might want to contact rackspace.net or the all new nocster.com ( I hear they offer managed services ).

You could also try posting in the offers forum

 

[sannie]

Originally posted by YUPAPA


No. Managed dedicated server means your server will be taken care by the staff.

OK. Thank you. BUT, does RackShack offer this? And while I have you here - What does "set up" mean? If I'm paying a set up fee, isn't that "managed"? Am I expected to pay $99 a month and they give me a box and just go "here ya go"?

I'm lost. If RackShack does not provide support, what's the point in getting a dedicated server. I will only be saving $44.00 in the long run every month and if I pay Phenominet.com $600 for a year of Tier 3 service (100Gb transfer) that knocks $50/month off my bill.

Please clear this up for me cus I am confused. :confused2

 

[sannie]

Originally posted by Haze
RackShack servers are unmanaged ( completely ).

So what you're saying is, I pay $99.00 and they go, "here's your box, c-ya"? :confused2

 

[sannie]

I guess what I want is to sit on my own server with 400Gb of transfer at my disposal. I looked at one of Chicken's links ( 4Webspace.net? ) They offered 500Gb of transfer for $89/month. Great! but there was a footnote regarding adult content. It said if you have adult content, the price goes up and you are limited to 100Gb of transfer/month.

I don't have adult content on my sites. But why would that make a difference in the price and transfer? That sounds fishy to me. Like they are not really expecting all the servers to use the full 500Gb per month, only 100Gb. :confused2

 

[YUPAPA]

Originally posted by sannie


OK. Thank you. BUT, does RackShack offer this? And while I have you here - What does "set up" mean? If I'm paying a set up fee, isn't that "managed"? Am I expected to pay $99 a month and they give me a box and just go "here ya go"?

I'm lost. If RackShack does not provide support, what's the point in getting a dedicated server. I will only be saving $44.00 in the long run every month and if I pay Phenominet.com $600 for a year of Tier 3 service (100Gb transfer) that knocks $50/month off my bill.

Please clear this up for me cus I am confused. :confused2

"set up" means to setup your server! Like putting HDs, memory, etc into your machine. That will cost some fee for that...

And they do provide support. BUT the support they are providing isn't the same as the support of getting a managed dedicated server. I don't know how to explain this... I think managed dedicated server means they will look after your server 24 hours a day. However, Rackshack only provide support for the network, and server reboot. They don't take care of your server.

 

[Daniel]

Originally posted by sannie


OK. Thank you. BUT, does RackShack offer this? And while I have you here - What does "set up" mean? If I'm paying a set up fee, isn't that "managed"? Am I expected to pay $99 a month and they give me a box and just go "here ya go"?

Your really new to this arent you?

Rackshack charges a setup fee because it does cost money to actually get all the parts for the server and stick 'em up somewhere. Then you pay monthly.

I don't have adult content on my sites. But why would that make a difference in the price and transfer? That sounds fishy to me. Like they are not really expecting all the servers to use the full 500Gb per month, only 100Gb.

Because adult websites are sometimes illegal(in most cases) and because bandwidth(not transfer, bandwidth) for adult content is expensive(not all companies offer adult content bandwidth).

So what you're saying is, I pay $99.00 and they go, "here's your box, c-ya"?

Yep..

 

[Tazzman]

Cheapest managed solution would be NOCSTER, though Burstnet (NOCSTER is a service offered by burstnet) has had a very bad record with server downtime. They are getting some more connections in, so maybe that will change, but as yet the NOCSTER service hasn't got a long enough track record to make any kind of judgement about it.

Yes, rackshack basicly says 'Here's your box, good luck'. That's what unmanaged means. It cuts the cost of the server as it means no tech has to be payed for dealing with the customer.

With the amount of traffic your sites are generating I would definitly recommend going dedicated, but a good managed server would set you back about $300 or more a month.

You might want to look into these guys as they have a very good record with going above and beyond when it comes to customer support.

I'd volunteer to help you out as much as I could, but unfortunatly I'm going to be away for the Summer, so that's not really an option. And anyway, I'm not a webhosting guru, just somebody with a dedicated server of his own that likes to admin it as a hobby...

 

[sannie]

Thanks guys for the replies. You didn't have to take time out on this holiday weekend to answer dumb noobie questions, but ya did and I appreciate it.