I’m looking to move one of my sites’ hosting from shared to dedicated. I need it to be managed, dedicated ideally as I want all the security patches, etc. pre-installed.
I currently use Pipex for one dedicated hosting package and pay approx. £90 monthly. Had a chat with Rackspace today and, whilst they impressed me, they’re looking for £250 monthly.
Any suggestions? I’m looking for a GOOD uptime record and ideally costs of no more than £150/$300 pcm.
Managed is such a abused term these days…I am guessing you want someone to handle things like software upgrades, security patching and so on or do you require more?
With any server provider you should get a fully installed server with the necessary security and software unless the provider specificly state its a “blank server”.
There are other aspects you should consider when getting a dedicated server based on your needs:
- Uptime – Should always be in the 98,5%+ and usually is closer to 99.7% for most DC’s
- Support – A good provider should not need to give you any support, it should all be working 24/7, but in case you want to ge in touch you need to figure out what level of support you need.
- Backups – What kind of backup system do need and how is it managed. Is it using RAID to mirror things on a second disc, or is another system in place. Find out how things work in case “worst-case-scenario” comes around and what solutions are available.
- Processor – What kind of processor do you need to handle your websites. Can a lower level machine handle it or do you require a dual core machine?
- Memory – how much memmory do you require from the start and how much does it cost to upgrade down the line?
- Established Data Center – where it is located , security facilities they use, and do they host high-risk clients like porn and IRC on the same network that can cause disruptions?
- Acceptable Use Policy(AUP) and Terms of Service (TOS) – whats permitted and what is not?
As you can see there are a lot of considerations to look at 