Archive for May, 2010

If you are new to the concept of VPS then you might not even know that it means ‘Virtual Private Server’ but that particular definition doesn’t really help a whole lot if you’re wanting to know what exactly VPS Hosting is all about. The simple explanation is that instead of using a method of the popular alternative Shared Hosting where multiple website customers are all using the same server for their data, a VPS solution divides the server into wholly separate and independent sections that allow each customer to have their own part of the server. This form of Website Hosting allows more control over your account and the resources that you are using to serve your content over the web. That’s because each person with a VPS account is given ‘superuser’ access so that they can have root access to their own server. This gives you greater control over how the software you use is installed and lets you customize things until your heart’s content. It also allows your host to completely reboot your server, should you ever need that, without interrupting service to other users whom they service. Good tech support can take care of this for you very quickly and get your site functioning again very quickly if you ever experience downtime.

Since a dedicated server costs so much, a VPS is a great solution, especially if you plan to do high end Video Hosting or other heavy bandwidth applications that you will need freedom and flexibility in order to run efficiently. You leverage the power of this solution to build the site of your dreams because your limitations are far fewer than in a shared situation. Basically, VPS is in between shared and dedicated servers so it can be perfect for a site that’s got a bit heavier traffic load than a small site, but not so much that it needs a full on dedicated server. You will be the one who decides if a VPS works for you, but when you need power and the ability to fine tune your server to meet your own needs, there aren’t many solutions that beat VPS from a quality hosting provider.

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The internet has long been a hot bed of urban legends. The fact that you can read things without having to see the person who is giving you the information means that you lose a lot of the key factors that help you determine whether they are telling the truth or not, such as eye contact, tone of voice, body language and other visual or audial cues that humans have been raised to recognize. Because of these limitations, outrageously dramatized tales and even downright hoaxes have been able to spread like wild fire across the net in rapid time. This has swung the doors wide open for con men and women of all types and even those practical jokers who wanted to get a good laugh at the gullible public’s expense.

When it comes to web hosting, there are plenty of grand promises and crazy assertions that you don’t want to get fooled about. For starters, it is good to keep in mind that if something looks too good to be true then it probably is and will require some research. There are plenty of blogs and forums online where you can check the validity of crazy claims, but keep in mind that trolls love to go into public places and tell their own looney stories, too.

For starters, if you hear about a service that guarantees 100% uptime then you might want to coat yourself in a level of skepticism. All web hosts have to perform maintenance and no one can gauge the future. Chances are good that if your host is trying to claim that they’ve never, ever experienced down time then they might be full of fertilizing excrement. If the host claims that they don’t employ many tech support people and therefore can hardly ever be reached because they “rarely have problems” you might want to watch out because the last thing you need is being put on hold forever or getting only automated email responses when you have a serious problem because the company is so wonderful it only needs two tech support people who primarily play Wii instead of responding to the customers.

Hosts that try to maintain that they give you all the bandwidth you could ever want are also bound to be lying. If you reach any serious level of success with your website or even more likely, a network of popular sites, then you are going to pay for bandwidth. Don’t buy into the hopes of free bandwidth because when you exceed it, you are going to have to pay for going over the amount your account has been allowed. If you go too far, then you might find your service terminated. Read that Terms of Service document carefully and you will often find that big promises can be overridden with little text – the so-called fine print. Pay attention to the details, grasshopper, and you will be far more likely to succeed in the online world.

Remember, when it looks as if you might be dealing with a fairy tale web host, check the backstory and find out if these folks are for real first!

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