Shared, Virtual and Dedicated Servers Explained
With the introduction of the internet and it’s massive growth that continues to build everyday, having a website today is pretty common. Whether your website is personal, a blog about a specific niche, an online ecommerce business or promoting your offline business, harnessing the power of the internet can expose you to millions of people. To start a site you need web hosting and for that you need a server. There are 3 types of servers available; shared, virtual and dedicated.
Shared Server Web Hosting
A shared server hosts multiple websites and is by far the most common web hosting plan on the internet. Depending upon the server and the size of the web hosting provider, there could be anywhere in the range of a few to a few thousand web sites being hosted.
Why is shared server web hosting so popular? Because it is cheap! Some web hosts offer a shared server plan for as little as $5 a month. A shared server is also easy to use and requires far less technical knowledge compared to virtual and dedicated servers. It is pretty much a buy and go situation. Most web hosting providers will provide scripts and software to aid you in creating a website, publishing a blog, hosting a forum and many other services. Because shared server web hosting is so popular you can usually find a few different hosting plans to suit your needs.
So whats the catch then? Well unfortunately there are a few. Probably the biggest is that you could potentially be located on a server with a few thousand other websites. Why is this bad? Because your site along with all the others share the server’s resources. The CPU, RAM, hard disk, bandwidth and other hardware. If all of a sudden a site on the server starts taking up server resources, guess what? Your site is going to slow down, act weird or may not even work altogether. Bad news if you rely on your site as a money maker.
You also have very limited configuration options, if any at all. Because you are sharing resources with other websites, a web host cannot afford to provide you with access to the server. Doing this could allow you ( or another person ) access to other web site’s files and data. As you can imagine, this poses a major security risk and one that a web host will not take. This leaves you with some very limited options usually consisting of setting permissions and settings inside of a file. Some web hosts will provide a wider range of settings to be adjusted then others, so a good idea before you decide to buy is to contact their support team and ask about details. For the average user looking to host a personal site or a blog, there is no real need to tweak settings.
Another potential threat is a hacker or a virus. If the server your site is being hosted is becomes compromised, your data is no longer safe. Once the hacker has access to the server, it is just a matter of time before they come across your site and exploit it. Luckily, this does not happen all that often, at least a lot less then you would think and some hosts may provide a backup file for you just in case.
So it seems that shared server web hosting has more risk then reward. That is true, but you have to realize that you get what you pay for. While the above mentioned issues aren’t common, they are far more commonplace on a shared server then a virtual or dedicated server.
Lets take a quick glance at the pros and cons of shared server web hosting.
Pros
Cheapest and most affordable web hosting available
Easy to use
Requires very little technical knowledge (if any) to get your site up and running, very little to configure
Access to various scripts and software to make your site more dynamic
Cons
Very limited configuration options
Shares server resources with potentially thousands of other sites
Your site will suffer if another on the server is using too many resources
Limited on the amount of resources you many use
No access to the server whatsoever
Virtual Server Web Hosting
A virtual server is a step-up from shared server web hosting. One of the biggest changes is that your site will share a server with far fewer sites. What makes it different is that each virtual server acts like it’s owner server even though it is one main server. A virtual server is meant to mimic the functionality that a dedicated server provides.
A virtual server can have it’s own operating system and has the option to be independently rebooted. With these features, you have the ability to install software on the server instead of just your web space. There are some software such as anti-virus and firewalls that do not work well on a virtual server. Some web hosts may even limit what software you are allowed to install. A virtual server still provides far greater control compared to a shared server.
With a virtual server you can expect to see an increase in disk space, bandwidth, memory, programming languages and so on with the only downside being an increase in cost. Since you have your own server on the main server, you are shielded from an attack if the main server is compromised. Not only does a hacker have to break into the main server, they have an added obstacle of figuring out your password to your server.
If you find your web site reaching it’s limits while under a shared server hosting plan, you should consider looking into a virtual server. It allows far greater control of your web site and can be a great way to submerge yourself into a more professional web hosting experience.
A quick recap of some pros and cons of a virtual server.
Pros
More control over your server
Far fewer websites sharing server resources
Access to the operating system and system folder/directories
Cons
Increased cost
Still limited access with no access to the real server
Resources are still being shared between sites, although not as much
Typically does not provide the services and software of a shared server
Dedicated Server Web Hosting
This is it, you are now in the big leagues. A dedicated server is at the top of the food chain. A dedicated server is just that, dedicated. All of the server’s resources are fully available to the website being hosted. Complete access to the real server is granted and you have full control.
A dedicated server receives far more attention and special treatment then a shared or virtual server. While you have full access to the server and how it runs, some web hosting companies provide a manager server solution. That is, they will look over the physical server itself, although you can find companies that will provide this service for you as well. Depending on your situation, you may or may not need something like this.
Your site is allowed to use as many resources as it can, your only limit is the limits that the web host sets. Although there are still limits you can be assured that dedicated server hosting plans provide far more bandwidth, disk space, memory and other services. You have sole access to the networking connections and do not have to share them with anybody else.
All of this comes at a price of course. A very big price I may add. You can end up spending anywhere from $200 and up depending on which dedicated server plan that you choose. Dedicated servers are meant for large, high traffic websites.
A few pros and cons to hosting on a dedicated server.
Pros
Full control over server
No sharing of server resources
No limitations on software installs
Cons
Most expensive hosting option
Access to server provides a larger margin for errors/mistakes
Must know your way around a computer or find somebody who does and hire them
Hopefully this guide has given you a better explanation of each of the various web hosting servers available today. Still have questions or are you confused? You can head on over to our contact form, fill it out and send us your questions.
Check out our lists of hosts who provide shared server web hosting, virtual server web hosting and dedicated server web hosting.
