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.

1. Free Setup – Setup costs can sometimes be a hidden catch, check to see if you can get the setup to be done for free.
2. Managed Hosting Options – If you need help, be sure to check and see if it can be provided.
3. Processing Power – Ask to see if the processor on the server can be upgraded down the road if more power is needed.
4. RAM Usage – Be sure you know how much RAM usage is acceptable, and what will happen if you run short.
5. 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.

Many people might want to know, when is it the right time to take that next step into high performance dedicated hosting. 

This type of web hosting setup is perfect for the enterprise level customer who needs a higher performing server. Heavy MySQL/MSSQL users, multi-user systems, and gaming sites are preferred for these servers, which utilize more CPU and disk space for better performance overall.

Don’t accept anything less than:

• Dual Dual Core Intel? 5130 Xeon? 2.0Ghz
• 4 GB Included (at least) for Backup Storage
• 4 x 1024 MB of RAM
• 4 x 146GB SCSI Hard Drives – Hardware Raid 5, 10

I hope that helps you decide if you need high performance dedicated hosting and what you might want to start looking for (or at least adding to your shopping list). 

What are you do do, when you have a dedicated hosting plan and you don’t seem to have your bandwidth in sync?  I read about a problem recently where somebody was having their web host’s number and the numbers cPanel were giving them fighting each other and being different.  That is no fun for any dedicated web hosting client.

Could it be cPanel’s Fault?

Since cPanel is not able to calculate all the traffic passed from or to your server,  as a first step, I would recommend installing a 3rd party script (simple one working via iptables can be helpful) or program to gather the bandwidth stats to check whose calculations are indeed wrong. For example, exploits running on the server might be the cause of excessive bandwidth consumption being invisible for cPanel. So let that be a quick little lesson for you.

Final word on it is, get a second opinion.

I hope that little dedicated hosting ‘bit of knowledge is helpful for all who might learn from it.

How can you find out if your dedicated web host you have you heart set on is going to allow for media streaming?  When you are talking about dedicated hosting, streaming media should be no problem.

There should be no problem with live streaming on dedicated servers. You just need to ensure the hardware in your server meets the needed resources to serve the amount of video clients you expecting.

So if there is a script or program you had your eye on to manage the digital media, be sure to run the requirements by your dedicated hosting provider.  This way you can be sure that all of your media streaming “i’s” are dotted and “t’s” are crossed.

The question is one that many web hosting customers have.  If you get dugg or slashdotted (in other words get hit up with an enormous amount of traffic, how will a dedicated hosting setup help in that process?

It is very hard to give a definite answer to your question because a dedicated server is not the only thing that is required for a very popular site. The server settings as well as the site itself should be highly optimized to meet critical demands.

For example, 1 query to DB per request doesn’t seem too much, but  providing 1000 concurrent request at any time, this results in 1000 simultaneous DB queries per each moment of time. It is a serious load even for a super-duper server with 4 CPUs, Gigs of RAM and SCSI hard drives assuming that the server also has to handle web requests at the same time and maybe it requires a some type of caching of query results or script outputs.

However, an upgrade to the dedicated server would be a strong requirement for site expecting a popularity increase since it makes all server resources available for the site to use as well as gives the site owner the control under all settings of the server.

It is important to keep your eye on your resources when you have a dedicated hosting plan so that you know when and if something is about to or has gotten out of hand.  Here I hope to give you a few handy tips when it comes to monitoring your site resources and statistics in Plesk.

First thing you need to do is login to your Plesk control panel, and click on Limits.  As you can see Limits displays the resource limits allocated to your account.  It lists such details as:

• Maximum Number of Subdomains
• Disk Space
• Bandwidth
• Maximum Amount of Traffic
• Maximum Number of Web Users
• and more…

Now click on Up Level at the top of the Limits window for your domain, and click on Report.  The Report will show you all account resource limits & usage, as well as users and a full list of all available scripts, utilities and resources.

FTP Stats will show you a history of FTP activity on your site – both in upload as well as download. 

Traffic History will display information on traffic usage by Months and Years on your dedicated hosting account.  To view the detailed traffic statistics used by various services at the domain, click on the Traffic button.  The page will open displaying the traffic usage table.  You can send a copy of the report to an e-mail address you specify too at the bottom of the Report screen.  You can also set up a schedule for automatic delivery of the reports. 

The last detail about monitoring dedicated resources inside of Plesk is the Web Statistics Preferences screen.  From here you can set some of the preferences that will dictate the display of refers in your stats.

Now you should be a little more handy when it comes to stats and resources inside of your Plesk control panel via your dedicated web hosting account.

Many webmasters who utilize dedicated server hosting use it for media servers or, more exactly, for streaming video servers. It might be helpful for those of you in the market to run the next YouTube.com to be aware of what you’ll need to accomplish this.

Firstly, you may be wondering what the heck streaming servers or streaming video is! A streaming video server is just a dedicated web server setup to stream videos on demand. Your dedicated server needs to be configured to stream media effectively, by offering a compressed file version that can be easily viewed and listened to by your customers, fans, or regular surfers at the same time that it’s being delivered and processed on the server.

Methods of Streaming Media

You can use a true streaming method, which means your video is almost constantly streamed exactly while it’s being downloaded. Think of YouTube.com for this example. In true media streaming, the dedicated server and streaming video software does all the work, which produces a great end result for the user but which can also be very costly for management! Oftentimes, adding streaming media software to an already existing dedicated server is the most affordable option.

The other option is downloading, which we’re all pretty familiar with. This is far cheaper because the entire video file is downloaded and saved as a temporary file on the computer. However, this method is not suitable for a YouTube.com type dedicated server.

There is a plethora of free streaming media software available on the internet for your perusal and use.

Why Stream Media Live?

If you are running any of the following server types on your dedicated server, your visitors will appreciate live streaming of video or audio for their convenience:

* A YouTube.com clone
* An adult website (make sure you choose an adult web host)
* A video-sharing website
* A podcasting server
* Silverlight media server

What kind of dedicated server do I need?

Go with something BIG because you will need it! I would recommend the following features:

* Dual or Quad Core Xeon Processor
* at least 2 x 1024 MB RAM
* at least 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Drives
* Raid 4 or 5
* at least 3,000GB bandwidth

Please take a look at our dedicated hosting coupons for the best dedicated server deals you can find, which are sure to knock down the primarily steep price for you!

Do you want to keep yourself updated to know what you’re using on your dedicated server and when? This kind of information can be especially helpful if you are allotting a certain amount of disk space, bandwidth, or email accounts to specific clients on your dedicated server. Plus, knowing what you are using and how often will assist you in keeping your server up to date and if you need to upgrade, you will know before any issues arise.

In Plesk, via Windows or Linux hosting, you can find this information easily.

First, click on Limits

Limits displays the resource limits allocated to your account. For example, it shows you the maximum number of subdomains allowed, disk space, maximum traffic or bandwidth, maximum number of web users, maximum number of databases, maximum number of mailboxes, mailbox quota, maximum number of mail redirects, maximum number of mail groups, maximum number of mail autoresponders, maximum number of mailing lists, and a ton more.

To see account resources limits and usage, click on Report.

Report options will display all resource limits and usages, as well as users and a full list of all available scripts, utilities, and resources. For example, you’ll see Web Statistics, Web Stats, Web Stats SSL, FTP Stats, Traffic History, and can manage Report Delivery.

If you click on FTP Stats, this will show you a history of FTP activity in your website, both in upload as well as download.

If you click on Traffic History, this will display information on traffic usage by Months and Years.

To view detailed traffic statistics used by various services at the domain, click on the Traffic button.

If you’d like to keep yourself updated, you can also choose to send a copy of the report to any email you specify.

Or, you can setup a schedule for automatic delivery of reports by clicking on Report Delivery.

Accessing this information can assist you in self-managing your dedicated web hosting.

When purchasing a dedicated server, you are going to ask a lot of questions to your potential dedicated web host. Sometimes, though, you can find answers to the most common pre-sales questions via the dedicated web hosting company’s website, and this can help you make your decision or at least narrow down the options. Remember that dedicated hosting is different than shared web hosting in many ways, one of which includes the fact that dedicated servers can have customized setups. So even if the answer on their website is “no”, you should still ask, as most dedicated hosts will likely work with you if you are going to purchase with them or will help you find a way around your hosting dilemma.

And now for some helpful Dedicated Server Hosting FAQs and pre-sales answers!

How many websites can I host on my Dedicated Server?

The best dedicated web hosts will say “unlimited website hosting” is okay! This is because it is YOUR server! You own and control almost all aspects of it, except maintenance and storage.

Can I resell space on my Dedicated Server?

If your web host says anything but “yes”, you’re in trouble! Qualified dedicated server hosting providers will allow you to resell your dedicated server space to clients, friends, family, and even strangers. For example, if you wanted to run a “free web hosting” site, where you give thousands of customers small websites to host for free, you can do this easily by purchasing a dedicated server.

I don’t like the control panels offered – can I install my own or just work through SSH?

Yes and yes! Some web hosting providers will install control panels for you at a nominal charge, while all of them will allow you to install yourself or just use SSH/shell commands to cut down on costs or for simplicity.

How long does it take to get my Dedicated Server setup?

No longer than 24-48 hours, unless you have asked for something that is more difficult to setup. If you want your account setup ASAP, we always recommend calling the dedicated hosting provider so they can verify your information immediately for a faster setup.

There is no doubt that after a while, the prices can really add up when it deals with a dedicated hosting server.  It is probably the most expensive thing you will ever buy that you will never get to touch or look at in person.  With that in mind always be a smart shopper when it comes to picking the best deal for you.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about prices.  If something costs a ‘bit more one place than the other go ahead and let them know and ask them why this is so.  There may be a good reason for it.  Also it is always smart to do some comparison shopping before you get started, so you have a ballpark figure you think you should spend before you really do.  You can also often get caught up in addons and additional services so much that you aren’t sure what your getting or why your getting it – you just want it because it is an additional check box on the order form.

We live in a world where you can do endless amounts of research, so why not do so?  You wouldn’t rush into buying a car or a house, so dedicated hosting should be treated no differently.