I have about 20 websites that I run, and most are fairly active (100 - 1500uniques or more) ...I am considering switching to a dedicated server, right now theu are hosted from a bunch of different places, but it is still hard to keep up with billing and logins and such...I am also thinking that one of my sites is being penalized by being on a shared server that may have a spammer too close... What are your opinions on the move? Am I better off on a dedicated server or staying spread out? Some of the sites do link to eachother as they are often related...What about going to resellerspanel and buying a service that has it's own IP address for cheap?? Thanks for any of your advice
I use a dedicated box because I like the option to control ALL aspects of the server/website. This also makes it really easy for websites to share files and databases. Plus, if you often like to experiment with new websites, having a dedicated server saves you the time and money of having to get a hosting account for each site. I'm fairly proficient in administering the server. I wouldn't suggest a dedicated server unless you either know your stuff or use a company that can help you manager the server.
it depends on how many uniqs you have and what kind of script are. I think you can buy a resseller package and you can have all the website under one cpanel / WHM
A VPS is another option, enabling you to manage all aspects of your sites, cutting down cost in comparison to dedicated servers.
As majohnst pointed out, one big thing to consider with a dedicated server is whether you'd go for a managed or unmanaged dedicated server. Unmanaged dedicated servers end up costing less, but you're left in charge of software updates and system security, which can often be a pain in the lower back area.