Dedicated Server Hosting » Apache

Top 5 Important Dedicated Hosting Features

Server Junkie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:01:13 +0000

When it comes to dedicated hosting, and getting your first dedicated web hosting server, you have to watch out for a lot of various things. Here is our list of the top ten important dedicated hosting features to look for.

Free Setup – Setup costs can sometimes be a hidden catch, check to see if you can get the setup to be done for free.
Managed Hosting Options – If you need help, be sure to check and see if it can be provided.
Processing Power – Ask to see if the processor on the server can be upgraded down the road if more power is needed.
RAM Usage – Be sure you know how much RAM usage is acceptable, and what will happen if you run short.
Enough Disk Space and Bandwidth – Absolutely check to see what your limitations are in disk space and bandwidth and what they can be upgraded to if needed.

Know of any more? Feel free to share them in the comments. Dedicated web hosting can often be a confusing mess, so it is always best to come to the situation fully prepared and know what you should be looking for as far as features go.

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How to Disable Direct Root Logins

Server Junkie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:06:06 +0000

Allowing the root user to login directly is a major security issue, we’ll show you how to disable it so you can still login as root but just not directly, reducing the security issue.

This will force a hacker to have to guess 2 separate passwords to gain root access.(you do have 2 separate passwords for admin and root right?) What happens is you’ll first need to login as your admin user in SSH, then switch to the super user with the su command to get root.

We also will be forcing the use of SSH protocol 2, which is a newer, more secure SSH protocol. Just a couple more ways to help your server stay safe from the bad guys. If you’re using cPanel make sure you add your admin user to the ‘wheel’ group so that you will be able to ‘su -’ to root, otherwise you may lock yourself out of root.

1. SSH into your server as ‘admin’ and gain root access by su

2. Copy and paste this line to edit the file for SSH logins
pico -w /etc/ssh/sshd_config

3. Find the line
Protocol 2, 1

4. Uncomment it and change it to look like
Protocol 2

5. Next, find the line
PermitRootLogin yes

6. Uncomment it and make it look like PermitRootLogin no

7. Save the file Ctrl+X then Y then enter

8. Now you can restart SSH
/etc/rc.d/init.d/sshd restart

Now, no one will be able to login to root with out first loggin in as admin and ‘su -’ to root, and you will be forcing the use of a more secure protocol. Just make sure you remember both passwords!

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Expensive Dedicated Hosting Upgrades

Server Junkie — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:00:09 +0000

What is the benefit of paying more for dedicated web hosting? Well, for one – you get bang for your buck. These days, dedicated hosting solutions are becoming more and more upgradable, so it might be time to start looking at what services you can add to get better performance from your dedicated hosting server.

Now, what is there to upgrade? I thought you might ask that. First things first, you have to look at giving yourself:

More RAM
Better CPU

Many dedicated hosts offer tiered systems too, to help match you up with a bigger better plan, rather than adding thing one by one. This might be more expensive up front, and less in the long term picture of things. Why? The reason is, is because you get more performance, which is well worth spending the money – if you can bring more people on to the dedicated hosting account.

So when push comes to shove, looking at extra features or paid for upgrades is never a bad thing.

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CentOS 101

Server Junkie — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:08:24 +0000

One popular choice when it comes to Linux-based operating systems out there on your dedicated hosting server is CentOS.

What is it? CentOS is well known for being an enterprise level Linux distribution and this freely provided across the Web. The entire thing is managed by a network of developers, system administrators, network administrators, and core Linux contributors and enthusiasts from around the globe.

Where can you go for CentOS support?

CentOS 2, 3, 4 and 5 are built from publicly available open source SRPMS provided by a prominent North American Enterprise Linux vendor. CentOS conforms fully with the upstream vendors redistribution policies and aims to be 100% binary compatible. (CentOS mainly changes packages to remove upstream vendor branding and artwork).

Hope this look into CentOS is helpful!

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Dedicated Hosting Quotes

Server Junkie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:26:33 +0000

Remember when you are out looking for a dedicated web host, be sure to check and see if they provide a “quote” option.

Sometimes it is best to request a quote from a dedicated hosting provider, because this way you can be sure you get the hosting you need. Now with shared hosting, this might not be an option because it is like treating McDonalds like a 5 star dinning establishment.

It is just a service your not going to get, even if you ask for it.

However, with dedicated hosting – there is a lot more customization that can be given. There are often several different ways the RAM and disk space can be configured. There might be additional management services that you do or do not need. The possibilities here are endless.

So next time your talking with your dedicated hosting provider (or a soon to be dedicated hosting provider) don’t forget about the dedicated web hosting quote!

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Dedicated Server Error Log Issues

Server Junkie — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:51:50 +0000

Having troubleshooting problems with your dedicated hosting account? Checking over the server’s error logs might be a good way to help you find the solution to your problem. Inside, error logs can often contain helpful ‘bits of information about any problems that might have recently happened.

Where do I find the server error logs on a dedicated server?

There are multiple logs on the server, you need to specify what type of service you are talking about to get the exact reply. The common place for logs is /var/log usually.

Now, next time you have a dedicated server issue – you know exactly where the error logs should be that you need to check.

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Remote Access key in WHM

Server Junkie — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:55:15 +0000

This is how you would setup a remote access key in Web Host Manager (WHM).

The first thing you would need to do is login to WHM. From the front page, click on "Cluster/Remote Access". Next, click on "Setup Remote Access Key".

If you are incorporating an external script that automates account creation and management, it will ask you for a remote access key. WHM automatically creates the encrypted code for you. Simply generate the key, copy and paste into your script. To generate the new key, hit the button marked "Generate New Key" button.

After doing so, you will be able to setup a remote access key in WHM.

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5 Good Server Monitoring Tools

Server Junkie — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:44:06 +0000

Need a good monitoring tool for your server? There are several services online out there today that will give you the best in performance monitoring, availability monitoring, and traffic monitoring.

My personal favorite out of these selections would have to be mon.itor.us. It has the most tools, and it is totally free to use.

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What Are SSI

Dedicated Diva — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:49:58 +0000

Dedicatedserverhosting.com was designed to give you an in-depth look at managing your dedicated server, along with helpful resources to purchase servers, upgrade, or decide what kind of server is right for you. That often includes defining lesser known dedicated server terminology that you are probably unfamiliar with.

One such term in the server realm is “SSI”, which stands for Server Side Includes.

What are SSI?

SSI are directives that are placed inside normal HTML webpages and which can be evaluated on the physical server as your website loads and serves the pages.

What can SSI Do For Me?

SSI can add another layer of dynamic content to your existing HTML pages without having to go through the serving process via CGI or other dynamic website technology. This eases the strain on your website, allowing for faster loads and more dynamic retrieval.

One word of warning about SSI, though – it is best used for loading small pieces of your site, like the current time, etc. However, if you are looking for a solution that will assist with larger portions or applications, SSI will not really do the trick.

Overall, SSI can help balance your dedicated server hosting by easing the load of running small parts of your site.

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LAMP Setup on Your Dedicated Server – Step 2 of 3 – Configuring PHP

Dedicated Diva — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:07:59 +0000

By now you have already installed Apache onto your dedicated server. Now, let’s configure Apache to run with PHP4 or PHP5, whichever is your preference in scripting.

For PHP4, it’s as simple as apt-get:

apt-get install apache2 php4 libapache2-mod-php4

Since PHP5 can be automatically installed if you don’t specify the package ‘4’, you can do that or apt-get:

apt-get install apache2 php5 libapache2-mod-php5

To test and ensure that you are now hosting with PHP4 or PHP5, create a test file called test.php in /var/www folder with phpinfo() function as follows:

nano /var/www/test.php

# test.php

php phpinfo();

Now, just point your web browser to http://ip.address/test.php and you’ll be able to see your php config and default settings. If you don’t, check with your dedicated server administrators or web hosting provider.

From there, you can also edit necessary values or setup virtual domains, enable CAPTCHA, and more.