Your website is small to start. As it grows, it demands more resources. It may require a server that isn't affected by other sites on the same server.

Is a dedicated server or co-location the next step? Perhaps. But a VPS, or virtual private server, might meet your needs just as well while costing less.

How does a VPS work?

A VPS, also called VDS (virtual dedicated server) is part of a server that has been partitioned. Each partition has a separate operating system and a guaranteed share of hardware resources (CPU, RAM, disk space). While the server has multiple operating systems and partitions, each partition behaves the same as a dedicated server ; but at a much lower cost.

When you have a VPS account, you have server root access for your partition, and the configurations you make don't affect other websites on the same server. You choose the programs that you want to install, and you can install them yourself.

Shared hosting versus VPS hosting

Shared hosting is like living in an apartment building and sharing your neighbors' problems. You hear their music through the wall. If one of them leaves the main door open, your security is at risk.

On a shared server, all the sites share the operating system and resources. Problems with your neighbors' sites can slow down the server performance or require it to be shut down while the problem is being fixed. Or slowdowns may result from having too many sites on a server. Your site security depends in part on decisions that your web host and perhaps your neighbors make.

Depending on your neighbors and, to a larger extent, your web host, you may have few or no problems with a shared hosting account. By sharing the resources, the cost is more economical than for a VPS. And for a basic website, you require little or no technical knowledge to maintain your site.

The majority of websites are on shared servers.

VPS hosting is more like living in a townhouse with your own private yard, and without ever hearing your neighbors. The only common area you share is the parking area and entrance; all traffic goes through one network port. In contrast to apartments or shared hosting accounts, you pay more for a VPS, but you can do what you want with the space, and your neighbors' problems aren't your problems.

Advantages of VPS hosting

Compared to shared hosting, VPS hosting offers these advantages:

• You have greater control. With root server access, you can install the programs you want and configure them for your needs. You can reboot and back up and restore your VPS yourself.
• You have most of the advantages of a dedicated server at a significantly lower cost.
• You can host multiple websites and add the domains yourself.
• You have increased security by being autonomous.
• Only you and whoever you give permission to can access your accounts, databases, and files.
• Your site isn't affected by problems with other sites on the same server (outside of your VPS) or by other VPSes.
• You can host clients' sites and even offer private label reseller accounts.

Disadvantages of VPS hosting

• You are responsible for maintaining the server, including security and updates. When problems develop, you need to find their cause yourself and fix them. However, with a fully managed VPS, you can leave the maintenance to someone else.
• If you choose to manage the VPS yourself, the work takes a lot of time.
• While you have your allotted amount of hardware resources, you still share these resources with other VPSes on the same server.
• Compared to shared hosting accounts, VPSes are more expensive.

Making the choice

Should you move your website from a shared hosting account to a VPS hosting account? If your site has no problems on a shared server, the answer is probably no. On the other hand, if your site is stretching the resources allotted to it, if the server it's on is performing less than optimally, or if increased control and performance are concerns, a VPS may be the next step for your website.

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Established in 1998, U.S. website hosting company Website Source, Inc. provides a weekly website hosting news column for webmasters. Website Source offers many quality, cheap web hosting options for individuals, personal home pages, dating, blogs, family pages, ecommerce hosting, vps hosting and reseller or dedicated server plans for personal or small business websites. Each plan comes with free ready-made websites that make it easy to setup professional looking pages within minutes! In an era of out-sourcing, we are proud of our in-house, Texas based customer support personnel who stand guard ready to assist you at any time, twenty-four hours a day. Give us a try and you will see just how easy, convenient and affordable it is to get started with Website Source. The hosting order form is easy to complete and you can be online in minutes.

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