The Pros and Cons of a Cheap Dedicated Server

A cheap dedicated server is all the rage among modern businesses. In today’s fast paced economy companies are constantly being pressured to produce products that are faster, stronger, better and (you guessed it) cheaper. It seems as though every time a new product is released onto the market it is almost immediately followed by its virtual clone at a lower price at the hands of another company, which puts pressure on those at the top to keep ahead of the bargain game.

This fact is extremely obvious when you are talking about web hosting; with the mass launch of business out onto the Internet there are millions of people who are looking for site hosts, and companies that own the servers that power the Internet are at each other’s throats to come out on top in the battle for clientele. It seems as though every day solutions are hitting the Web that offer to give people the opportunity to purchase space on a cheap dedicated server for next to nothing in an attempt to corner the market on cheap web hosting.

Obviously you want to take advantage of these opportunities; only a fool would allow the opportunity to obtain such a fundamental piece of their future success at a price that was going to leave room in their budget for the important things (like the celebratory party when their business goes live out into cyberspace). On the other hand, when you are shopping for a cheap server (particularly a cheap dedicated server) you want to be extraordinarily careful. As much as we would like to deny it, there are many individuals out there that would piece together a piece of junk server out of scrap metal and allow you access to it “cheap” in the interests of lining their own pockets.

Obviously you do not want to find yourself stuck in that situation; the future of your business is going to depend upon the reliability of your sites, and if your server is inefficient you are going to be paying the consequences in dissatisfied visitors for a long time to come. This is especially true if you are attempting to launch your own hosting service and have decided to employ a cheap, dedicated server to meet your needs; if you cannot offer your users reliable web hosting you are going to quickly find yourself sinking in the quicksand as they jump ship for other options.

What is a Dedicated Server?

Before we go into the why’s and wherefore’s of choosing a cheap dedicated server let’s take a moment to discuss what a dedicated server really does (after all, you can’t really be sure that you want to lease a cheap one if you don’t even know what one is.) A dedicated server is one that you have solely to yourself; you are not required to share it with other users, as you would be with a shared or VPS hosting service. There are a number of advantages to leasing a dedicated server over a shared or VPS; first and foremost, you are going to have complete and total control over your system. Since your business is going to be the only one affected by any changes made to the server you can rest easy choosing your own software, hardware and security settings.

The other major benefit of a dedicated server is the fact that you are going to have the full resources of your server at your disposal. When you are working on a shared server, even if it is a VPS (Virtual Private Server - a shared server that acts in much the same manner as a dedicated server with the help of Virtuozzo, allowing its users to enjoy independence and control while still sharing the expenses of operating the server), you are going to be forced to share the memory available to you-all of it. With a dedicated server you do not have to worry about sharing; you have the full memory available at your disposal, a valuable thing if you are running large applications, multi-media laden websites or require information to be backed up continuously.

The two major cons of a dedicated server to date are the fact that they tend to be extremely expensive, since you have no one to share the operating costs with, and they require a great deal of knowledge on your part (a prime example of why the cheap dedicated server has become so very popular). Dedicated servers are not for amateurs; since you are essentially stating that you want to have complete control over your server the company that leases you the server is going to assume you know what you are doing. If this is not the case don’t lie about it; this will only come back to bite you in the end in the form of massive failures when it comes time to get the virtual aspect of your business off the ground. Instead, bring in a friend and/or colleague to help or make use of the less expensive option of a VPS or shared server which has an administrative team looking over it at all times ready to help those users who suddenly find themselves in unfamiliar territory.

The Pros of Leasing a Cheap Dedicated Server

The pros of leasing a cheap dedicated server are obvious; you will be able to preserve your profit margin and redirect it into areas where it will be able to yield long term results and help your business to grow, such as marketing and product development. Regardless of how large your petty cash fund is, finding new ways to decrease spending is always a smart business move. In addition to this increased spending capital you will be able to enjoy the benefits that having a dedicated server all to yourself can provide for you and your business.

The Cons of Leasing a Cheap Dedicated Server

Ah, there’s always a catch isn’t there. A cheap dedicated server is not always your best option; there are factors than finances that you need to consider before signing on the dotted line. First and foremost, bear in mind that the less expensive your server is, the less power it is likely to have. If you are merely running a personally owned business and looking for a way to support a small website that runs small applications this isn’t a problem; on the other hand, if you need a powerhorse you are probably going to have to suck up the additional expense and lease a top of the line server that will be more suited to your needs.

Additionally, the issue of support and responsibility arise. The less expensive the lease on your cheap dedicated server is, the less technological support you are likely to receive from the hosting company. While this may be a good thing (after all, the intention behind a dedicated server is to give you one that you are completely in control of) if web hosting and server management are new to you you may find yourself wandering in a quagmire of new information and sinking fast without someone there to pull you out, even with the multitudes of tools that accompany all dedicated servers in an attempt to make the process as simple as possible. Again, in this instance you would be better served by leasing a shared or VPS server that would alleviate some of the responsibility that rests on your shoulders and will help you to learn the ropes of the business.

The bottom line? The choice is yours. You are going to have to think this through carefully and make your own decision; there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to deciding whether you should lease a cheap dedicated server or take the leap and find something more expensive. Judge what your business needs and go get it; if a cheap dedicated server happens to fall into those parameters you can rest assured that you have made the right choice.