Dedicated Server Price Check
The price of dedicated hosting services has really come down in
the past couple of years. In fact, prices have dropped so much
for the "budget dedicated server" market. While competitive
conditions in both the hosting industry and the computer
hardware industry have contributed to the reduction in dedicated
hosting costs, don't think that prices were that inflated in the
first place. Budget servers are fantastic but it takes more than
a competitive market to offer services at such great prices.
Much thanks to the great overbuilds of networks, data centers
and computer hardware in the dot-com days, companies with a bit
of buying power can acquire the hard-resources it takes to
provide a good quality un-managed dedicated server for a great
price. Finding a dedicated server for $199 a month or less these
days is not that difficult. When shopping for your dedicated
server, consider more than just price.
Managed Services
Before just lining up the amount of ram, the processor speed,
the data transfer and the price ask yourself - what else can
this company do for me that I need now, or may need down the
road. While there are plenty that do it, a 1 person effort to
maintain a mission critical or high traffic server is no easy
task. It helps to have others helping look out for your
interests as well. Check to see if your host provides managed
services such as backups, monitoring, firewalls and intrusion
detection. Sometime they may be included in the plan but nearly
always can be negotiated in at a reasonable price and can be
well worth the investment.
Technical Support
The level of support received with your dedicated services is
important as well. Some dedicated hosts offer email only support
in order to keep costs down while others flat out charge a fee
for a support ticket. Your preferred method of receiving support
plus the level and frequency in which you will need it should
certainly be considered.
The Quality of Your Network
Most dedicated hosting providers these days have pretty
substantial internet connectivity. Nonetheless, it is something
you should be aware of. Look for a host that has redundant
connectivity via multiple providers insuring as much
connectivity uptime as possible. Some of the major connectivity
providers these days are Sprint, UUNet, Savvis, AT&T, Qwest and
Cogent.
Summary
A very cheap server deal does not simply mean you are dealing
with an overly generous hosting company or that another provider
is ripping you off at a higher rate. While some hosts do price
more competitively than others, there are associates costs that
must be covered. When shopping for your next dedicated server
just keeps in mind you may not always be comparing apples to
apples.