I'd like a few opinions on a managed dedicated server please? Sorry if I am asking dumb questions but I don't know a great deal about servers! Here is my scenario- I am based in the UK and my main website is a .co.uk address. I have roughly 10 sites on shared windows hosting at the minute and I also have a Linux VPS Package. My main site www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk is on a windows server and has a forum that is installed on a MYSQL database. The vps package is for a PHP Link directory that is a sub directory of my main site, which is going to have over 10,000 categories and so it needs to be on a fast server. The other day I contacted my webhost regarding a question about the VPS and they replied with "VPS is not covered by our support" Obviously because I don't have a clue what I am doing some support would not go a miss! So then I thought perhaps I would be better off getting a managed dedicated server, but I am unsure if I could move the phpbb over to Linux ? Also there are large differences in the packages that I have been looking at, some have one IP address and others have five, does this make a big difference? Many of them seem to offer Plesk as the software, I have checked briefly and there seems to be quite a few flash tutorials on Plesk, which is perfect for me. I would like a server based in the UK as my site is aimed at the UK market, so far I have found - 2.8Ghz Pentium 4, 1GB DDR, 2x80GB, 2 IP addresses for £80 per month or Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz RAM 2Gb DDR2 Primary Hard Drive 160Gb 7200rpm SATA Secondary Hard Drive 160Gb 7200rpm SATA, 5 IP addresses for £160 per month+ £10 per month for Plesk Not sure if this makes a difference or not by my site is receiving roughly 8000-12000 page views per day and I am almost out of storage space on the shared hosting! So if anyone could please offer some input I would be grateful? Thanks in advance chez
No definite answers for you. With my experience level and yours sounds about the same as mine, I would only lease a managed server. Managed at it lowest level only means that they maintain the box to about the same security level as a shared hosting account, install OS updates and reboot as needed. If you install something and break the system. It is your problem. That does not sound like it is going to be a problem since you have a predetermined use in mind and won't be testing a lot of junkware. I would say that for your own use 2 IPs are enough. If you were reselling the large number migh be good to have.
I thinik you should go for managed dedicated.It is possible to transfer phpbb to linux i think you should try Servstra.com i had server from them they install everything you want just submit a ticket.They also perfom small tasks for free like generating backups etc.. No affiliate links btw Saad
Thanks for the replies, I have taken out dedicated managed hosting and will transfer my sites in the next few days
I have signed up for this package - 1 and 1 I'm on the £69 per month package+VAT (£81.00 inc.). These are on of the few hosts based in the UK that have 100 Mbit Data transfer. It comes with their own 1&1 control panel software. It will be a few days before it is ready for use, I signed up for the monthly package so that if it is rubbish or the software is too difficult to use I can move again Hopefully it will be OK
I think if you have cpanel/direct admin/plesk currently it's pretty hard to transfer sites you might have to manually transfer all sites Saad
I have a professional webmaster that moves the main site for me, he moved my main site last night and the forum, I must say that it is much faster on the new server- lightning fast I can move my other sites myself, I only struggle with mysql databases. From first impressions the 1 and 1 control panel seems very good and easy to use!
if you really need and love 1and1 INSTANT 30+ % traffic increase did u at least select the european version 1und1 all european based ?? or did you really chose 1and1.com US based ?? whgy i asked? i just moved away from 1and1.com US based comparing both verson US and EU EU has much better HW and SW ( OS ) than the US based sister company and EU based has better support as well. but i finally moved entirely away from 1and1 to another excellent EU based ( DE ) host which simply had best HW/SW with comparable prices and above all excellent references from truly happy years long professional customers I knew. I am now on root server at hetzner.de 2 sata drives 2x300 GB sw raid athlon 64 8 IPs ( /8-subnet ) a variety of OS - among many the most current suse linux version - exactly same i have on my laptop 2GB RAM and most of all - clean IPs 59 euro /m - monthly contracts there are smaller packages starting 39 euro / m another benefit over 1and1 was an INSTANT 30+ % traffic increase the very day I moved away from 1and1.com thanks to clean IPs vs 1and1.com USA !!
Yes Hans, I am based in the UK and so I thought that I would be using a server in London, but I have checked the IP address and it is on a server in Germany. So far I am very happy with the package, the 1 and 1 control panel is not over complicated but does everything that I need. I have not needed support yet, hopefully I will get by without it
1and1 europe / germany is far better than its US based sister I had no official support at all in US hosting and any request took average 2-3 days and was mostly negative ( no support/help0 available ) but fortunaltely I had a friend working at root server 1and1 DE during the one period I needed support. the other time i needed a backup - the newest one they offered me was 3 weeks old and worthless support addresses usually are hidden or none-available just in case you have NO direct support contact here a most direct support address by mail support @ 1and1 . co . uk that support was apparently for all 1and1 - US/EU and is UK based some of the hotlines appear to be PH based on Cebu island which explains why the support quality is rather poor ( here in PH we have NO qualified IT services country wide at all !!). Good luck
Thanks Hans My main website and forum was moved with virtually no downtime at all, but the guy that moved it is very good The directory is another story and I have had to submit a ticket with 1 and 1, hopefully they can fix this litle problem or else I may have to move servers again! Thanks again
Hi. You may be interested in ServerPronto. They're offering freesetup on all their dedciated server and hosting packages. serverpronto . com Hope this helps!