Moving from Shared Hosting to a Dedicated Server

Choosing to move from shared to a dedicated server?

Moving from a shared hosting environment to a dedicated server can seem daunting, and there certainly is a lot to think about. But taken step by step, you can decide if it's right for your website, when the best time is to make the transition, and how to set up your new dedicated server to meet your website's needs.

Clearly there are many benefits to having your site hosted on its own server. You will have a far more tailored and responsive website, and you can install whatever technologies you need. The downsides include increased lease costs, and there is a need for more technical expertise or, perhaps, support.

That said, someone with a reasonable amount of technical confidence can learn to set up a dedicated server, especially now that most hosting companies provide user-friendly software that makes common server tasks easily achievable through web interfaces. Setting the server up is only part of the process, though, as the ongoing maintenance needs to be taken in to consideration when deciding to move to a dedicated server.

This article runs through the most important of dedicated server considerations, but first lets look at the reasons why you might want to move away from shared hosting.

The Trouble With Sharing »

Last Update: Tue Aug 1st 2006