Sunday, April 12, 2009

Shared Server vs. Dedicated Server " The Best Type of Server for Your Business Needs

By Jeffrey Fang

Individuals and companies are now resorting to the Internet to expand their marketing campaigns. In order to do this, they need to have their own websites to promote their products and services. It is to this effect that a web hosting company becomes useful.

The two basic types of web hosting servers are called shared servers and dedicated servers. Although having a number of differences, the main difference between these two kinds of servers is the total control a webmaster has over the operation of his websites.

Shared Server. When different users host their websites on a single server, it can be said that they are using a shared server web hosting service. This particular kind of service is perfect for individuals, small businesses, and novice website owners as they only expect a small amount of traffic directed to their website. A shared server, likewise, provides a small amount of bandwidth and web space at a relatively low price making it a cost-efficient solution for businesses that are just starting out.

Shared servers are cost-efficient solutions for small business owners, individuals, and greenhorn webmasters because it does not come with a steep price to pay. With a small amount of web space and bandwidth, the coverage is just enough for those who arent really expecting a large amount of traffic directed to their site.

Both Windows and Linux are supported by a shared server service, however, full facilities of Windows cannot be provided just yet by all web hosting services. To remedy this, two methods can be used, namely IP based and name-based web hosting. With IP based web hosting, each of a webmasters website gets a unique IP address, whereas a name-based web hosting allows the use of a single IP address for various site names.

In contrast, dedicated servers give a webmaster an entire server solely for his use. With this, he will be able to create different websites and host it in his server. This kind of server is beneficial to large companies like Wal-Mart because of the expanse of traffic going to their website. They need to have a server all to themselves so that their site will continue to work smoothly. A dedicated is also need by big online commercial companies because of the secure payment information their customers input in their site.

Another advantage of availing of a dedicated server is the fact that having total control will allow you to monitor how the website is doing and thus, fix errors in real time. Big companies can make the most out of this fact by hiring a professional to oversee their entire website.

The difference between a shared server and a dedicated server is one that can cost your business. Choosing the incorrect one will lead you to either pay more (going for a dedicated server without fully needing it) or lose customers (going for a shared server despite a large amount of traffic - this can make your site inaccessible). Therefore, before signing up for any web hosting service, be familiar with the inclusions to make the most out of your subscription.

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