The Ultimate Dedicated Server Hosting Guide

As a beginner, you have probably started your hosting journey with shared hosting. It’s the cheapest option, providing lots of features for a start-up. However, as your business grows, you’ll come to realize that you need an upgrade. And none can match the versatility and level of control you’ll get with a dedicated server.

In this guide, you can find all you need to know about dedicated servers. What is dedicated hosting, and why would you need to consider it as an option? Furthermore, you can learn about the different types, providers, and components of dedicated servers. At last, you can determine whether dedicated servers are worth it? Should you get one for your business? And last but not least, how to pick the best-dedicated server for your needs.

Introduction to Dedicated Servers

In this section, you can learn the basics of a dedicated server – how it works, its different types, pros, and cons. Furthermore, you find a complete comparison table among different types of hosting and decide whether you need a dedicated server. Finally, you can access the differences between buying and renting a dedicated server and the qualities to look for in a dedicated server provider.

What Is A Dedicated Server?

A dedicated server or dedicated hosting service is a type of Internet service. It grants you exclusive access to a physical server, not sharing the resources, such as CPU or RAM, with other clients. Your website gets a server all to itself, accounting for immense power and flexibility.

A dedicated server doesn’t limit the number of websites you will host on it. Instead, this number depends on the amount of resources required for hosting the sites. And if you need more, you can always upgrade and do so quickly.

Now, since you won’t be sharing computing power or connectivity, dedicated servers grant you limitless use cases, including web hosting, email hosting, database operations, and so on. You can further capitalize upon them by resellers, but more on that later.

Dedicated hosting differs from shared hosting and VPS, as the latter allows for shared resources among users on the same server.

Here’s a comparison table to better grasp these three concepts.

As much as I am experienced in the niche, some things are happening behind the scenes. Due to this, I decided to bring in several experts/vendors to validate what I have said. In turn, in this guide, you will have a chance to get exclusive information straight from the source.

Types Of Dedicated Servers

In general, the web hosting providers offer two types of dedicated servers, managed and unmanaged. The first and foremost difference you will notice between the two is the cost. Still, your decision should be based on the core differences of the solutions, not rushed to save a few bucks.

Unmanaged dedicated servers are the cheaper alternative. However, if you go for this option, you must have enough human resources and expertise on hand. Your in-house team will manage the server, including installing scripts, performing updates, handling compatibility issues, security risk mitigation, and attack containment. In turn, the web host will ensure that the infrastructure runs smoothly only from a hardware perspective.

On the contrary, the web hosting provider will take full responsibility for getting a managed dedicated server. They will assign engineers to continually monitor and configure your server, handling all operation-related aspects. Furthermore, managed dedicated server solutions also come with strong security features, such as DDoS protection, regular updates, monitoring malware detection, automated data backups, and operating system hardening.

Due to all this, managed dedicated servers deliver the highest performance and uptime levels. Furthermore, when someone else takes on the daily server administration, your team will have more time for other tasks. So, naturally, it comes at a price.

As you probably noticed by now, dedicated servers have both their advantages and disadvantages. So, it’s up to you to weigh it out.

Pros And Cons Of Dedicated Servers

Here are several significant indicators when the pros outweigh the cons to facilitate your decision.

When Is The Right Time To Consider Dedicated Hosting?

The first and foremost question you need to consider at this point is ‘How much traffic do I expect?’ However, that’s not where it ends.

As mentioned, shared hosting might be a good option for a start-up. For instance, you might have a personal blog or a small business. In this case, you might find a shared server as a sufficient alternative. But even then, you will be limited in terms of performance, flexibility, and configuration options.

Then, you might upgrade to a Virtual Private Server (VPS). As explained earlier, a VPS delivers enhanced flexibility and customization options. With a VPS, you get a better say in your resource limits and security add-on. But still, you are sharing the physical server with other users.

Now, say you have decided to scale up once again, this time – to a dedicated server. This option is primarily beneficial for larger sites, including high-traffic sites or eCommerce businesses.

In general, there are two directions in which you might go.

First, you might be facing sudden spikes in traffic due to some viral content or a trending product. Dedicated hosting might not be the best alternative in this case since it comes with fixed resources that don’t scale up as your traffic increases. In other words, if you reach the upper limit of your resource consumption, your site visitors will start seeing error pages. Well, at least until you upgrade your plan. So, a better choice in this regard is cloud hosting.

Second, your site might be gradually growing and needs to handle increased traffic on a daily basis. Dedicated servers are ideal if you anticipate growth soon or highly depend on your website or web application. They can help you dominate the online space by reducing bounce rates with improved uptime and enhancing the overall user experience.

The third alternative at this point is a virtual dedicated server (VDS). It’s the middle ground, combining features of cloud and dedicated servers. A virtual dedicated server is a composite of complete server hardware, operating system (OS), and remote access layer, allowing you to access your server via the Internet globally.

It provides you an isolated server with dedicated resources (CPU, RAM) on the Internet. As the user, you will get the functionality of an in-house server. Still, the cloud service provider manages the environment on a rental basis. In other words, you can develop, deploy, and host web applications on the leased managed environment as the user. Since you will not share the server with other customers, you will not get multi-tenancy.

Here are several indicators that you need to consider dedicated hosting. If you have found yourself thinking about these issues, you might as well prepare for a change.

• Problem #1: Your website speed is slowing down

Is your website or application slowing down during periods of high-volume traffic?

See, if your website is growing and getting more traffic, it’s only natural for your performance to start decreasing. The rule of thumb is the more traffic you get, the slower your site and the worse your site performance. Worst case scenario, your site can ultimately crash.

There’s yet another reason behind this. When your website encounters traffic spikes, your visitors might not be able to access it. In turn, this leads to higher bounce rates and loss of revenue. If you want to use your site for promotions and special events, you should be prepared for it. In general, it means it should be able to handle spikes of up to 30 times your regular daily traffic.

Dedicated servers solve this issue, as they provide extra resources. They can handle significantly more traffic, allowing for smooth operation. Better yet, they guarantee maximum uptime 24/7.

• Problem #2: You are facing lots of security threats

In general, shared hosting exposes your site or app to many potential security threats. This issue highly depends on the web hosting provider you choose. Sure, many shared hosting providers are on the market, allowing for diverse portfolios of security features.

Still, the problem is the following. Say one of the sites on the same server as your website gets hacked. You will also be exposed to the threat. Other worthy mentions at this point are DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks, sharing the server with hackers, or other malicious activities.

With a dedicated server, it’s far different. You are fully responsible for your security, meaning you can choose to set up any security system you might prefer. In general, dedicated servers include firewalls, network monitoring, and strict access control. Better yet, you can go for a managed dedicated server with pre-installed security-enhancing features. The point is, other websites don’t affect your site’s privacy and security.

• Problem #3: You want to differ from neighbor sites

Shared web hosts provide a single IP address to all websites or applications on the same server. Now, say one of these sites (your neighbor sites) contains spam content. It means search engines can potentially spot the problem and penalize the IP, including your website, as you share the address.

Yet again, here’s where dedicated servers kick in. Dedicated hosts provide you exclusive access to a dedicated IP, meaning you (and only you) can be responsible if it gets penalized. Furthermore, the dedicated IP can significantly boost your SEO. In turn, you can generate more organic traffic, leads, and ultimately revenue.

• Problem #4: Your resource needs are continually growing

Imagine the following – you have a web hosting plan, but your traffic needs are still growing.

Dedicated servers grant you complete control regarding customization or configuration. Therefore, you can quickly expand your resources. All you need to do is request a hardware upgrade from your hosting provider. At this point, you can add more RAM or disk space. Either way, it will not require you much effort nor time.

• Problem #5: You would like better control over your operations

As explained earlier, shared hosting providers set up everything and manage the environment. In turn, you, as the client, don’t get much of a say in how things work. You get what the provider gives.

If you want more control over your operation, a dedicated server is a proper solution for you. With it, you determine all variables regarding web hosting. For instance, you can select an operating and server software, adjust hardware specifications, or any other specific requirements. That’s what makes dedicated hosting perfect for advanced web developers.

Potential Use-Cases For Dedicated Servers

There are several types of dedicated servers based on their application and functionality.

• Type #1: Web Server

Dedicated servers for websites are essentially what we have talked about until now. It is also the most common application of dedicated servers.

Clients worldwide use dedicated servers to host their websites, software, and data. Most of all, people deploy this solution due to its reliability, security, and speed, accounting for a pleasant user experience.

Web servers accept requests from web browsers running on the client computers. They deliver requested resources, such as web pages, software, or any other data. Thus, a web server caters to client requests from the Internet.

• Type #2: File Server

When clients use dedicated servers for web hosting, they also host the subsequent files needed to keep their websites up and running on it. However, you can also use a dedicated server to only store and distribute files.

With a file server, multiple users can simultaneously remotely access the same files, convenient for backups and maintaining data integrity. As file servers provide centralized data and permission management capabilities, they also allow users better control over users.

• Type #3: Email Server

Using a dedicated server for email hosting allows you to keep a close eye on the communication. For instance, you can impose files and attachment upload limits or provide each employee with a personal email address. Due to this, email servers are becoming increasingly popular.

Email servers also come in handy if you share confidential information. They keep your internal and external business communication private, thus providing better security than third-party email providers.

You can customize applications, track connections and authentication requests using the log. Better yet, if it spots any suspicious activity on your network, it will instantly notify you. Therefore, configuring a dedicated server to send and receive emails will do a much better job than a regular provider.

• Type #4: Gaming Server

Gaming requires lots of resources for smooth operation and minimal latency. That’s what makes dedicated servers perfect for games, such as Minecraft. Minecraft dedicated server hosting even allows players to create and manage their own worlds, controlling every detail. For instance, as the client, you can control who has access to your server or a particular game on it.

So, it’s safe to say; gaming servers take things to a whole other level.

• Type #5: Application Server

Similar to games, apps are becoming more resource-hungry over time. A dedicated server might be suitable for hosting your applications, especially if the number of users accessing them grows over time. These applications vary depending on your industry. Many entities use dedicated servers to run in-house applications, such as a custom mail portal or a custom-built CRM.

Application servers provide code and data integrity, streamline the authentication process, and provide clients an enhanced centralized data management control. In turn, developers can easily perform updates on app servers. Due to this, clients usually choose dedicated servers to host their SaaS web apps and mobile apps.

As they solve the lag or speed issue, app servers can provide the best user experience on a SaaS site. In other words, the app server can give smooth operation of both web and mobile apps, even with a large number of concurrent users.

Dedicated servers provide excellent performance, high reliability, fast speed, and high security and data protection levels. In turn, they are also the perfect solution for testing applications or developing any software.

• Type #6: Database Server

Clients collect, store, and manage enormous amounts of data on a daily basis. As a business, you might find data management a challenging task, especially if you need to quickly handle large volumes of data.

The main issue with data management is that hundreds of people need to access it simultaneously. In turn, this uses up lots of resources, eventually slowing down the server. If you choose to migrate to a dedicated server, you can speed up the process and solve the issue.

At last, you can use the dedicated server to perform backups, using options such as RAID, off-site, application, or R1Soft backups. The best way is to run automatic backups often and keep the backup server as close to the production environment as possible.

• Type #7: Trading Server

As odd as it might sound, you can use a dedicated server for foreign exchange (FOREX) trading on the global market. Mainly, clients deploy dedicated servers for this cause due to their high levels of security. However, keep in mind, you need excellent developer skills to perform the customization required to run the FOREX apps.

Introducing Home Servers

Dedicated servers don’t always refer to big enterprise-grade servers. Instead, the term can indicate a home server – any computing device used for storage, backups, serving media files, surveillance, or any other action in a home setting.

Use Cases Of Home Servers

A home server is an excellent addition to your home network. Here are the most common use cases of it.

• Idea #1: Host Your Website
  First things first, you can use your home server to host your own blog or website. The most important requirement at this point is a solid and fast Internet connection.

• Idea #2: Run Your Gaming Server
  Some online games today allow you to host your gaming server. Using your home server will enable you to increase performance and stability. Better yet, you can customize the gameplay according to your preferences.Once again, your internet connection and bandwidth play crucial roles. So, make sure you have stable and fast ones.

• Idea #3: Automation And Security Systems
  A dedicated server in a home setting can help you create a smart home as a central place to manage all of your devices. Apart from automation, you can use the home server as a security tool. For instance, you can set up cameras, connect and track everything from a single point – the server.Going on, your server will be running 24/7. So, you can use it to monitor your network or smart home. If you monitor your network, the home server will trace variables, such as disk space, bandwidth, CPU/memory usages, etc. In turn, if you use it to monitor your home, it can measure power consumption, temperature, humidity, and so on.A home server is also a great alternative for a password manager, making it available to all household members.

• Idea #4: Centralized Storage And Backups
  In the past, people kept images in albums and videos on CDs. However, as time goes by, we are transferring all of this on the web. Still, we want to keep this data as efficiently and as long as possible. Here’s where home servers kick in.It makes perfect sense for all household members to store their files centrally on a single device. This way, everyone can easily access the photos, videos, or any other format you have in store.Furthermore, you can stream media, such as music or movies, from your home server. The files are from your own library, and you can stream them on all devices, including your mobile phone, smart TV, laptop, or computer.However, at this point, you must understand the importance of backups. Even dedicated servers might fail or become the subject of a ransomware attack. Furthermore, you can accidentally delete it. It can happen to anyone.As all your data is stored on a single device, you must implement backups. More importantly, it would be best if you went for an automated solution instead of a manual. See, the latter takes both time and effort. You can also forget to perform one, leading to a loss of important information.

• Idea #5: Learning New IT Skills
  If you have a home server, you can test new programs, learn how to install VM’s, or manage the server without any risks of data loss.

Home Server Components

Setting up a home server might not be the most straightforward process in the world. Even so, it might be fun for you to find another use for your hardware. One thing is for sure – you will indeed develop your IT skills further.

First, here’s what you will need:

• A computer

You might go for a desktop or a laptop, both of which are great ways to get started. However, another option is to buy an old enterprise-grade server from an online site, such as eBay.

In general, 64MB of RAM and a 300MHz processor are sufficient for your machine. See, your home server will not use much processing power since you won’t have a graphical interface to worry about. If you further increase these numbers, you can expect even better results. In other words, your home server will handle anything you throw at it.

You don’t have to worry much about the type of computer since Linux and BSD, the preferable server operating systems, are compatible with almost any architecture you install them on.

Going on, you will need as much RAM and storage as possible. The rule of thumb is, the bigger, the better. Also, you might go for a single hard drive or have a few. Think of it like this; the hard drive is the “heart” of the server. If everything around it fails, you can transfer it to another compatible device, and continue your operation, like nothing ever happened.

Finally, your machine will be running at all times. So, you must set a cooling mechanism in place. If the computer exhibits some unpredictable behavior or crashes unexpectedly, it’s an indicator it’s getting hot. At this point, you can install software to monitor your server’s temperature and notify you in case things get to an alarming point.

• A broadband network connection

Next, you will need a broadband network connection or high-speed Internet access faster than the traditional dial-up access and always online for the optimal experience.

You won’t even need a static IP or a business-class connection. All that matters at this point is to keep your server connected to the router.

You can go for a wireless router. Still, connecting the router and server with an old-fashioned cable is the most optimal choice for reliability. Today, you can go for a variety of routers, some of which feature extra add-ons. But even if you select the basics, you will be good to go.

• A network router with Ethernet (CAT5/6/7/8) cable

In addition to speed and stability, you will also need an Ethernet card (network interface card or NIC) for your server. However, make sure it’s compatible with your operating system. Essentially, you cannot go wrong with most cards. Still, it would be best to check the web for reviews before you spend your money.

• A monitor and keyboard

Most probably, you have a spare monitor and keyboard tucked away somewhere in your home. After all, who doesn’t?

• A CD/DVD drive/burner (if you plan to use the server for media)

Here’s an example of what you will need to build your home server:

• CPU: Intel Core i3-9100
• Motherboard: Fujitsu D3643-H
• Memory: Samsung M391A2K43BB1-CTD
• PSU: Mini-box PicoPSU-160-XT
• External PSU: LEDwholesalers 12V 20A 240W AC/DC Power
• Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB
• SSD: Intel 660p NVMe
• HDD: Seagate BarraCuda 2TB

Essentially, this is a low-power home server. So, it will not use up many resources. You can expect somewhere around 10 watts in idle. However, if you increase the hard drives, consumption will increase since they consume the most power.

Top Benefits Of Home Servers

As mentioned, you can do some cool things with a home server. Here are the top ways in which you can benefit from having one.

• First things first – you will be in control

Who doesn’t like being in control? While a third-party cloud service cannot provide you this advantage, a home server sure can.

Fortunately, a home server can eliminate all these security and privacy threats. It provides on-the-go file storage benefits, but with it, you are the one in control. You can manage your files or grant others access to do so if you wish.

• As odd as it sounds, it’s an inexpensive solution

Price is always a subjective matter. What one finds cheap, another might consider pretty expensive. The point is, with home servers, it all depends on the equipment you choose.

First, you might go for an advanced solution and spend thousands of dollars on market-leading equipment. But it doesn’t end there. Apart from the upfront costs, you will need to pay quite a bit on ongoing electricity costs for the units and cooling equipment.

On the other hand, you can make your home server using your old laptop or mobile device. It’s the cheaper alternative. Still, it comes with a sacrifice – performance. It can help you access a few files remotely. However, it’s not sufficient for hosting a home server for the whole household or, worse yet, an entire business.

• An indeed better gaming experience

As mentioned, you can control and customize your home server according to your needs and preferences. Furthermore, you can update your game servers when you want, instead of waiting for the third-party provider to release the latest version.

Say your gaming machine needs to reboot while playing. With a home server, you reduce this risk. In turn, you improve the stability of the game and overall experience.

• Incredible simplicity and ease of use

As explained before, backups are essential in case of accidents. Without them, you can quickly lose years’ worth of data, regardless of whether it’s pictures, videos, or any other information in this regard.

In general, you should retain one on-site and one off-site backup. In turn, a home server allows you to manage everything from a single. Better yet, it’s highly customizable.

Should You Rent Or Buy A Dedicated Server?

Now that you get the overall idea of what a dedicated server can do for you, we get to another issue. The question is, should you buy or rent a dedicated server? Fast forward, both options come with their pros and cons.

If you decide to buy a dedicated server, you will spend several thousands of dollars as a setup fee. On the good side of things, you will not have recurring expenses except for electricity.

It’s the complete opposite when it comes to renting. At first, you don’t pay anything. However, you have to pay the dedicated hosting provider, which accounts for approximately $100 per month.

If you buy a dedicated server, you need to have a highly experienced team. After all, you need to handle all aspects of server deployment and maintenance.

Fortunately, if you are not a tech giant or a knowledgeable in-house team, a dedicated server provider can take this work out of your hands. They handle all server maintenance, ensuring the maximum website uptime possible.

Say you have decided to rent a web hosting provider. What comes next?

What To Look For In A Dedicated Hosting Provider Offerings?

The dedicated hosting provider you choose can ultimately determine your experience. You can choose from thousands of dedicated servers on the market. However, different hosts provide various features and overall quality.

There’s no right or wrong approach. Ultimately, your choice depends on your needs, preferences, and budget. Still, it would be best if you considered the following qualities before you make a decision.

• Factor #1: Performance

First, you need to consider the server stability, meaning overall performance, accessibility, and usability. At this point, you need to determine your unique performance requirements. See, a personal blog and an eCommerce store don’t imply the exact resource requirements.

Some questions you need to consider are how many users do you expect to have? Furthermore, are you looking for a memory, CPU, or disk-intensive service?

Your dedicated server’s performance mainly depends on its hardware specifications, including:

• The gigahertz of the CPU
• The threads and cores of the CPU
• Type of RAM
• The GBs of the RAM
• Storage space
• Type of storage device
• The storage device’s read/write speeds
• Datacenter setup

For instance, you might need a powerful processor, fast loading speeds (SSD), or high storage capacity (HDD). You also might also need to transfer lots of data, which is where the bandwidth kicks in. Going on, storage compliance is vital for handling sensitive data, and so on.

As a general rule, an uptime of at least 99.95% can minimize the chances of costly outages for your business. Here, it would help if you also determined the potential downtime you are willing to risk.

Furthermore, it would be best if you went for a provider with multiple data centers. This way, you can initially select a location that’s close to you, ensuring the fastest connections or the least-latency network. In case of a calamity, the hosting provider will switch you to another data center, providing continuity of operations.

• Factor #2: Security

Security is the second most common reason customers go for a dedicated server instead of other types of web hosting. Inherently, dedicated servers are much safer than any other option on the market. Still, they are not 100% safe from hackers.

Here, you need to consider multi-factor authentication (MFA), intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS & IPS), data encryption protocols, enterprise-grade firewalls, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

• Factor #3: Customization Options

Shared hosting providers allow for “one size fits all” solutions regarding server configurations. However, it’s quite the opposite when it comes to dedicated servers – you can configure it to work best with your website. The rule of thumb is the more customization options, the better.

For instance, the web hosting provider might offer several Content Management System (CMS) platforms, such as WordPress, Drupal, or Magento for eCommerce.

You might also have a strong preference for an operating system, such as Windows or Linux. For instance, if you plan on hosting Microsoft IIS, MS, SQL, or ASP.NET, you will need a Windows dedicated server.

For instance, if you need more CPU, RAM, or disk space, you should be able to contact your dedicated server hosting provider to upgrade your server’s resources easily. In short, you should be able to customize your server as you wish.

• Factor #4: Support

Customer support is essential for web hosting, but especially for dedicated servers. As explained, even as a client, you need some technical knowledge to operate this server. And naturally, you might stumble upon an issue (or more) in the process.

So, it would be best to go for a dedicated server host with 24/7/365 available customer support. It would be best if you also aimed towards various contact options, such as live chat, ticketing system, and phone support. Still, the most crucial factor is the team’s response time.

Someone should always be available to assist you when you encounter an issue with your server. As mentioned, this will come for free with managed dedicated servers. You might have to pay some fee when it comes to unmanaged dedicated. Still, it’s good to have the option.

• Factor #5: Pricing

After you have considered everything else, it comes down to the price. If two providers offer the same features and quality, you let the price decide. It’s as simple as that.

Furthermore, you can take advantage of some discounts. For instance, hosting providers sometimes allow for a flash sale, other times for bulk discounts. And almost always, you can get a discount if you purchase a longer-term plan.

Configuring a Dedicated Server

The next part of the complete guide, configuring a dedicated server, refers to actions after choosing a dedicated server. Here, you can learn what you need to do after you have selected a web hosting provider. First, you will learn about the components of a dedicated server. Once you get the overall idea, we’ll get into more details. You can find a step-by-step guide on configuring your dedicated server, along with expert opinions and tips.

The Parts Of A Dedicated Server

Most hosting providers on the market allow you to build your own server, which is incredibly fun. See, you don’t get to build it physically. Instead, you get to pick the parts you want or make the machine from your dreams from scratch.

• Part #1: Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU, often called the processor, is the portion of a computer that retrieves and executes instructions. It consists of an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), a control unit, and various registers.

Since it handles all the processing tasks, the CPU directly influences the server’s performance. It can also delegate the requests between storage devices, RAM, and other components.

In general, you can choose from a single-core, dual-core, or quad-core processor. The name suggests that the dual-core processor is a CPU with two processors, while the quad-core has four.

With more processors, you can expect better speed and performance, more superior and high-quality graphics. For instance, the quad-core can handle more tasks simultaneously than the dual-core, not to mention the single-core. However, there is also a downside to it. More processors mean more power/energy consumption and a more significant deal of heat.

Here’s a recommended use of the three:

• Single-core processors are ideal for small web applications, simple email servers, and other low-traffic websites. Entry-level dedicated servers can comfortably run on them.
• Dual-core processors are intended for medium-to-high-traffic websites and database applications.
• Quad-core and other higher core processors are perfect for powerful servers intended for large-scale databases, virtual environments, gaming, big data processing, mission-critical applications, and more.

• Part #2: Random-Access Memory (RAM)

RAM refers to your server memory. It processes data from HDDs/SSDs (long-term memory) to the CPU. In other words, RAM modules are short-term memory, featuring a pretty volatile form. In case you power off your server memory, you will lose all information held on it.

Short-term memory is much faster than long-term memory. It eliminates the need for the CPU to search for data or instructions within the hard drives. Thus, it allows the CPU to bypass slower storage and go straight to the server memory, enabling better read times in the server.

Still, you need to choose the proper amount of RAM for your server so that it can reach its maximum potential. At this point, you need several factors.

First, you need to consider the number of users. You will need to add 1-2 GB of RAM to every five additional users if you have over 15 concurrent users.

Second, think of the size of your database(s). It’s the most important consideration since it directly impacts the processing needed to populate a data warehouse. Say you have a database of under 50 GB. You will be good to go with 16 GB of RAM. It would help if you also considered execution packages, your rate of growth, and operating system requirements.

See, some operating systems and applications require more RAM than others. So, the RAM amount depends on the recommended specifications of the OS/app. For instance, Windows Server OS requires more RAM than Linux. Keep in mind; you need to consider the operating system’s maximum memory limit.

Furthermore, high-traffic websites require more RAM. In turn, dynamic websites where several processes need to run simultaneously require the maximum RAM you can provide.

However, if there is caching, the server can run on lower RAM capacity.

• Part #3: Bandwidth

Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data you can transmit to and from your server per second. When opting for a dedicated server, you need to consider several things regarding bandwidth. See, different service providers grant different offers.

For instance, some hosts provide unlimited bandwidth. Still, you need to consider whether it’s truly unlimited? Or will you need to pay for the extra bandwidth you don’t actually need? Make sure to read and understand the requirements carefully.

As these two variables increase, so should your server bandwidth. What you need is a provider that provides scalability. It would help if you could increase your bandwidth with time to meet these increasing requirements. Not to say, it’s a necessity!

See, some providers have burst options that can handle the isolated traffic peaks. With one such offer, you won’t need to subscribe to a high bandwidth monthly. Instead, you can go for a cheaper alternative, still, get the most optimal experience on your dedicated server.

• Part #4: The Control Panel

The control panel is how you will be interacting with the server. Since you, as the client, have an ultimate say regarding all dedicated server configurations and management, the control panel is of incredible importance. It allows even non-technical staff to perform tasks that would otherwise require an experienced administrator quickly.

In general, different control panels will have the same functionalities and support most dedicated servers. So, at this point, you need to determine what you want to achieve using the control panel.

You can choose whichever control panel you prefer, depending on your needs and preferences. Here are several things to keep in mind.

First, your control panel must be compatible with the operating system in the dedicated server. In turn, your hosting choice depends on your products. For instance, if your business relies on Microsoft-based products, you should go for dedicated Windows hosting and one of the panels mentioned above.

Also, you need to find out the resources that the control panel will use on the server. cPanel requires a minimum of 256MB but runs better at 515 MB, for example.

Recommended Set Of Metrics

In general, there’s no minimum set of metrics that one requires to get an accurate status of the dedicated server. However, some of the main ones that you need to keep in mind include:

• CPU utilization – shows the percentage of processor capacity at any given time. When the CPU usage is at 100%, it indicates a problem with the processor or inadequate machine capacity.
• Memory Utilization – shows the percentage of memory in use against the total installed memory.
• Hard Disk Space – shows the percentage of space being used.
• Requests Per Second (RPS) – shows the number of requests the server receives per second. RPS is calculated by dividing the number of requests over a monitoring period between 1 and 5 minutes.
• Error Rates – shows the percentage of failed requests when compared to the total number of requests. An error rate of less than 1% is acceptable in many situations; however, eliminating them is preferable.
• Uptime – displays the time the server has been up for and how long it has been functioning correctly.

Now that you understand the background let’s see how all of it works.

Upgrading To A Dedicated Server

If you have a shared hosting plan, you can always upgrade to a dedicated server. In this case, you will need to migrate the website. At this point, you need to configure the new server, install the applications, recreate the accounts, including the email addresses, and transfer the data from the old server to the new dedicated web hosting solution.

Server monitoring is a critical step when it comes to upgrading to a dedicated server. It establishes the status of the server and provides in-depth information regarding resource utilization. In turn, the administrator(s) get broader visibility of the server’s performance and health. These include native agents for Linux, Windows, or both, and monitors for the CPU, RAM, storage, network bandwidth, processes, and so on.

How To Configure A Dedicated Server? (Step-By-Step)

I have decided to purchase a dedicated server from

Let’s get right to work!

Choose A Dedicated Server

Dedicated server plans differ in the type and number of cores and threads. You can further spot differences in the RAM, SSD Storage, and Bandwidth.

Select IPv4 Amount

IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) refers to the underlying technology that enables us to connect our devices to the web. When you access the Internet, you get a unique, numerical IPv4 address. Essentially, it’s a 32-bit number that uniquely identifies a network interface on a machine, or in this case, your server.

All dedicated servers provide you with at least one unique IP address. After all, it’s what makes this hosting different from shared or VPS. If someone types in your IP, it will lead them to your website. So, you can think of it as the address to your home. The interesting part is, you can have more than one.

Choose From Unmanaged Or Managed Dedicated Server

As explained in this guide’s first section, you can go for a managed or an unmanaged dedicated server. Both alternatives have their respective pros and cons. So, once again, it all depends on your business needs, preferences, and ultimately budget.

Pick The Parts

Now, we come to the exciting part. Building your server is an easy job. Well, as long as you know what options you need for your dedicated solution.

Different dedicated server providers offer various options regarding CPU. Some of which even take things to another level, offering their clients several options to choose from. For instance, you can go for:

• Intel Core i3 (4 cores – 4 threads @ 3.6GHz)
• AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6 cores – 12 threads @ 3.6 GHz)
• AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (8 cores 3.60 GHz)
• AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (12 cores – 24 threads @ 3.8 GHz)
• AMD Ryzen 9 3950X (16 cores – 32 threads @ 3.6 GHz)
• 2x AMD Epyc 7282 (32 cores – 64 threads @ 2.8 GHz)

• Intel Xeon E-2224 4.6GHz Turbo
• Intel Xeon Silver 4210R 2nd Gen Scalable Processor 10-Core 2.4GHz
• AMD Rome 2nd Gen EPYC 7232 3.2 GHz Turbo

• AMD RYZEN 3600X (6 cores)
• Xeon E3-1230 (4 cores)
• 2 x Six-Core E5-2620 (12 cores)
• AMD RYZEN 3900X (12 cores)
• Xeon E3-1230v2 (4 cores)
• Xeon E3-1230v3 (4 cores)
• Xeon E3-1230v5 (4 cores)
• Xeon E3-1230 v6 (4 cores)
• 2 x Xeon E5-2678v3 8SFF (24 cores)
• 2 x Xeon E5-2678v3 4LFF (24 cores)
• AMD EPYC 7402P (24 cores)
• 2 x Xeon E5-2680v4 8SFF (28 cores)
• 2 x Xeon E5-2678v3 (Storage) (24 cores)
• 2 x Xeon Gold 6230R 8SFF (52 cores)

• Intel Xeon Platinum/Cascade Lake processors, 2.7GHz+

• AMD EPYC 7501 Cores

The Intel Core i3 chips are suitable for everyday computing, such as web browsers, office applications, media software, and low-end games. However, if you intend to handle content creation, serious photo-editing, or video work, you will need a more advanced solution.

Xeon chips are more powerful and power-hungry. They offer more cores than mainstream PCs. Still, they usually underperform their Core i7 and i9 counterparts when it comes to clock speeds. In turn, these are primarily used at business workstations.

As a general rule of thumb, AMD Ryzen processors are better at multitasking than Intel Core CPUs. Still, there are lots of options in this regard. At the core, the AMD Ryzen processors differ in terms of cores/threads, base frequency, max turbo GHz, L3 lache, and TDP.

Finally, EPYC is yet another AMD brand of x86-64 microprocessors, based on the company’s Zen microarchitecture. It’s the perfect choice for the server and embedded system markets.

Next, you need to determine your dedicated server storage. At this point, you need to understand the differences between hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). The difference lies in how data is stored and accessed. HDD uses mechanical platters and a moving read/write head to access data, while SSD stores data on instantly accessible memory chips.

Naturally, businesses go for SSDs due to the incredible speed advantage. However, here are two different types of SSDs:

• Serial Advanced Technology Attachment SSDs (SATA)
• Non-Volatile Memory express SSDs (PCIe/NVMe/PCIe-NVMe)

SATA SSDs tend to be the slower of the two. Still, they are much faster than traditional HDDs. On the other hand, PCIe SSDs have more bandwidth. Furthermore, they can 3-4 times the speed and performance than SATA SSDs, making them the fastest SSDs on the market. For obvious reasons, they are also the most expensive alternative.

NVMe SSDs transfer data at a high-performance speed. You can expect around 3,000-3,500 Mbps or 3-3.5 Gbps. In other words, you can transfer a 30 GB file to your computer in about 15 seconds or less.

Now, here’s a tricky issue. See, dedicated server providers usually allow for additional disk space. For instance, you can have the primary disk space with predetermined storage space. Then, you can choose to upgrade from 1TB to 4TB or get several disks that total to 4TB. Let’s see what the expert has to say.

Gbps (GigaBits or GigaBytes per Second) measure peripheral data transfer or network transmission speed if you aren’t familiar with the term.

Add-On Services For Dedicated Servers

You are the one that selects all variables for your dedicated server environment. It’s pretty straightforward – you get what you pay for, meaning there is a wide range of available add ons for robust performance. Once you select all the necessary components, you can take things further with add-ons for dedicated servers.

Control Panel

First things first, let’s check the control panel. Essentially, this add-on determines your ease of use. You can go for:

• None
• cPanel Premier Metal 100
• cPanel Premier Metal 150
• cPanel Premier Metal 200
• cPanel Premier Metal

• cPanel
• Webuzo

• InterWorx Unlimited
• Plesk
• WHM/cPanel

• cPanel/WHM/Softaculous

• cPanel & WHM

Operating System

Next, we come to the operating systems.

Security Add-Ons

Dedicated servers hold sensitive information. Thus, your server security should be your primary concern as a business, regardless of what it requires – extensive time, effort, or resources.

Cybercriminals frequently target dedicated servers, aiming to exploit weaknesses for financial gain. Unfortunately, that’s not all there is.

Nowadays, you can face a whole variety of server security issues, such as:

• Weak passwords: Third parties can easily use their respective tools and knowledge to hack weak passwords due to poor security controls. Furthermore, they can sell stolen passwords on the dark web, being the worst-case scenario.
• Outdated software/operating systems: Old systems increase your exposure, thus represent a weakness in software. Third parties can quickly identify and exploit this opportunity. To fix this vulnerability, you can use patches or get a managed solution.
• Open network ports: Misconfigured servers are yet another easy target for cybercriminals.
• Unnecessary accounts: Each account act as an access point for hackers. The more accounts you have, the easier it is for them to get in. You might as well delete what you don’t need.
• Poor physical security: Physical security is just as crucial as the virtual one. As the user, you cannot affect this issue. However, your choice of a service provider certainly does.

The key to success is the proper combination of primary and advanced security measures for attaining the ultimate server security hardening.

SSH (Secure Shell) is an excellent alternative for password-based authentication when it comes to strong passwords. SSH keys consist of a pair of cryptographically secure keys – one public and one private. The public is available and can be shared freely. However, as the user, you keep the latter to yourself. It encrypts all exchanged data.

When you hold a private key, you are essentially making their work more difficult, not to say impossible.

Next, you can go for a proxy or a VPN.

The proxy server acts as the intermediary server, firewall, and web filter. It also provides shared network connections and speeds up common requests by caching. It provides another IP address for all users on your server, hiding them from undesired third parties.

VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) take things to a whole new level with private IP addresses. With a VPN, your server will appear in another virtual location. VPNs also come with solid encryption, further protecting your website and visitors.

An SSL certificate is also a must. The Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology can help you secure online transactions and keep your customer information private and secure. It encrypts the connection between the web host and user, meaning third parties, such as cybercriminals, cannot read or modify information transferred between the two systems.

Nowadays, online users understand the importance of an SSL and can instantly detect whether you have one or not. If your site has an SSL certificate, it will have the ‘HTTPS’ prefix instead of the increasingly outdated ‘HTTP.’

Essentially, your choice of an SSL certificate depends on the purpose of your website, the traffic, and the scale of data it receives. Say you have an international eCommerce store. In this case, your business highly depends on online transactions. Your site will generate thousands of hits and conversions per day. So, it’s only natural to go for more advanced or expensive solutions.

Different dedicated server providers allow for different options.

However, apart from Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), you can also go for its successor, Transport Layer Security (TLS). The TLS provides encryption for all data sent over the web, especially useful for sensitive or private info, such as personal credentials, payment details, or passwords.

You also must consider Antivirus & Anti-Malware Software when it comes to security, especially if you have a popular CMS. There are at least a hundred new viruses spread over the web each day. This malware significantly comprises your website security and might even delete months of your team’s hard work or client data. Luckily, this type of software periodically scans your sites and notifies you of any issues. Better yet, it can detect and eliminate potential threats, even before you know they have occurred.

Now, keep in mind, you will receive some basic protection with any plan you purchase. However, that’s not the point. It would help if you always considered professional solutions, such as SiteLock, Sucuri Security, or Wordfence Security. Some solutions include Application Firewall (WAF) detecting top known threats, such as XSS or CSRF.

Another vital security component is off-site backups. It’s somewhat of a defense mechanism for when the worst happens. Say your website gets hacked. The best thing you can do to minimize the loss is to revert to a previous clean version of your website. So, you need a malware-free and updated version of your site. If you don’t have one, you’ll lose your work – it’s as simple as that.

At this point, it’s best to consider automated backup services, taking regular snapshots of your site. Dedicated hosting providers usually allow for backups within their offers. Still, some service providers are offering this option as a paid add-on.

Today, maintaining your server security is easier than ever. If you still don’t feel confident about it, here’s a comprehensive checklist to ensure you have covered everything:

1. Record server details, such as the server identification number and the MAC address
2. Check the service provider’s physical safeguards
3. Set up server logging to follow up on all activities
4. Ensure you have the most up-to-date versions (patching and updates)
5. Keep only necessary software or operating system components
6. Monitor hardware (regular hardware maintenance and routine inspections)
7. Ensure system integrity and robust authentication methods
8. Set up backup procedures (use automation)

Speed Add-Ons

Once you set the security in place, the next thing you should focus on is performance. At this point, you need to consider your website’s uptime and speed.

When it comes to uptime, the process is pretty much straightforward. You need to check your dedicated server provider’s server infrastructure and uptime guarantee if it has one. If not, you should skip it.

However, there are many speed-enhancing features worth mentioning.

One practical example is Cloudflare CDN. With its free CDN services, you can get caching services, while the paid alternative allows you to customize the way it caches your content. Cloudflare caches content from whichever data center is closest to the site visitor, with locations all around the globe.

Say you host your website in the US but mostly have site visitors from the UK. If you have Cloudflare CDN, it will eliminate costly delays since it will serve your site from a UK server. Apart from faster load times, the tool also reduces bandwidth consumption on your origin web servers.

How to Connect to A Dedicated Server?

Once you have set up everything to your liking, you can purchase the dedicated server. As mentioned, I got one from

Once you get the credentials, you can log in to the Client Area.

First, you need to choose an operating system. Whichever you prefer (CentOS, Fedora, Ubuntu, Windows OS), make sure you are familiar with it. Also, keep in mind, you get to choose an operating system (OS) during the order process. However, dedicated server providers also allow you to reinstall your server with another OS from the Client Area.

Using Linux, you can connect to your server using a command terminal or a third-party client by using SSH. For instance, if you go with root, you will need to enter ‘ssh root@IPv4_of_your_server.’ Here, you need to replace the information with the data you have received via email. In turn, if you go for a pre-configured user, you should insert ‘ssh ubuntu@reference_name_of_your_server.’

If, however, you are on Windows, you should connect to the server using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

Once you choose and install an operating system, the next steps are to install a webserver, a database server, a scripting language, and a DNS Server. Then, you can secure the dedicated server and finalize the process by installing or migrating your website content.

Apache (HTTP) is the most popular, free, and open-source web server software. Nginx (engine x) is an HTTP and reverse proxy server, a mail proxy server, and a generic TCP/UDP proxy server. In turn, it is yet another great alternative that you can use for high performance.

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system. You can use it to store and retrieve data for your site. However, keep in mind, the dedicated server provider you choose might not offer MySQL but one of its alternatives, such as Microsoft SQL, IBM Db2, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and so on.

Next, you will need a scripting language to develop dynamic and interactive websites. One of the best choices is PHP since it adds functionality to web pages without the need to call external files for data. The top PHP alternatives include Java, JS. Node, Python, Ruby, etc.

Based on their structure and functionality, we can separate the Database services into two – SQL databases and No SQL databases. With our Dedicated Servers, our customers can have nearly every Linux-compatible database service installed and managed by us.

The SQL Database service that we can install and maintain is MySQL. It is widely used, and probably everyone is familiar with it. We fully support MySQL 5.7 and MySQL 8, so we can answer any demand.

The No SQL databases or the so-called document databases are created for storing large volumes of data in a manner that keeps the data integrity and offers vastly better performance in comparison to the traditional relational databases like MySQL. The most used No SQL database by our customers is MongoDB, and we can fully install and manage it on demand.

In terms of scripting languages, we can install and manage nearly every one of those if it is compatible with Linux. With the default setup, we offer PHP (the entire 5 branch, the 7 branch, and even PHP 8), Python, Bash, Ruby, and Perl. If needed, we can also install and manage the famous NodeJS and even GO.

Furthermore, you will need to set up a DNS server. At this point, you can go for Bind, Unbound, PowerDNS, DNSAgent, djbdns, Knot DNS, MaraDNS, dnsmasq, or dhcpcd, depending on your dedicated server provider.

Now, when it comes to dedicated servers, you are the administrator, meaning you are responsible for your data and its security. So, it’s essential to take some measures to harden the operating system of your dedicated server.

For instance, you can install a host-based firewall (open only a specific port in your firewall) to protect against unauthorized access and use strong passwords. Furthermore, it’s best to disable any unnecessary processes, services, and daemon, such as bluetooth, GMP, cups, yum-updatesd, ypbind, hidd, snmpd, saslauthd, nfs, netfs, pcmcia, and sendmail).

Finally, you can start to migrate your website content to your dedicated server.

Now, the question is, what can you find in the Client Area? First, you can check your server status, reboot, shut down, or reset your dedicated server.

When it comes to server management, you can activate Rescue Mode, BMC Reset, or review the Traffic Graphs.

Going on, the Client Area displays all server details (Service Status, Hostname, Primary IP, Username, and Password), Billing Overview, IP-Management (IP-Address, Gateway, Reverse DNS), and Additional Information.

When it comes to IP addresses, usually, you get to associate two or more IPs to the same network interface. Also known as IP aliasing, this process allows your dedicated server to establish several simultaneous connections to a network. In other words, different members of your team get to perform different tasks at the same time.

Also, if you wish to use IP addresses in a /64 IPv6 block, you will have to make some network configuration changes.

Dedicated server providers generally provide server graphs so that you can track your server performance. In this section, you can usually check your bandwidth in/out and whether you exceed the limited data throughput.

As a user, you have several additional options in the Client Area. For instance, you can install RTM (Real Time Monitoring) or an SSH key. If you enable monitoring on your dedicated server, the provider will notify you each time it spots some unpredicted behaviors on your server.

Some providers also allow for on-site interventions. With this option, data center technicians will supervise your server. Then, say your server stops responding to pings. The technicians will check the hardware and take care of the issue.

Finally, the Client Area provides backup storage. In case your server suffers data loss, you can easily perform this complimentary backup option from there.

Cost Vs. Value Of Dedicated Servers

The price of the dedicated server depends on your business’ hardware requirements. For instance, if you need more CPU, RAM, HDD, or SSD, you will have to pay for the extra resources. Essentially, these four variables are the main drivers of a higher price. Furthermore, if you go for a managed solution, you will have to pay more than the unmanaged solution due to the monthly maintenance and updates, as mentioned earlier.

We can classify dedicated servers into four categories:

• Cheap/Inexpensive Dedicated Servers
• Standard Dedicated Servers
• Enterprise Dedicated Servers
• High-Performance Dedicated Servers

Cheap Dedicated Servers

If you are an individual, start-up, developer, or small or medium-sized business looking for more excellent reliability and performance, you can go for a cheap dedicated server.

Here are the usual properties of a cheap dedicated server.

• 4 cores at 3.6GHz
• 500GB NVMe SSD Storage
• 32GB DDR4 RAM
• 25TB Bandwidth

• 2 cores at 4,000 Mbps network out
• 80 GB SSD Space
• 4 GB RAM
• 4 TB Bandwidth

• 4 Cores at 2.30 GHz
• 500GB (Mirrored) Storage
• 4 GB RAM
• 5 TB Bandwidth
• 3 IP Addresses

Standard Dedicated Servers

Standard dedicated servers are of slightly better quality than the cheap ones. It’s the perfect solution for SMBs looking for better performance and dedicated resources for their site launching.

Here are the usual properties of a standard dedicated server.

• 10 cores/20 threads at 2.4 GHz
• 32 GB DDR4 ECC RAM
• 2X1 TB RAID-1 SSD Storage
• 10 TB Transfer

• 8 cores at 6000 Mbps network out
• 16 GB RAM
• 320 GB SSD Space
• 6 TB Bandwidth

• 8 cores at 3.60 GHz
• 64GB DDR4 RAM
• 1TB NVMe SSD Storage
• 50TB Bandwidth

Enterprise Dedicated Servers

Say you are a large global company. An enterprise dedicated server is the go-to solution for you. Still, it can be a suitable option for small and medium-sized businesses. In general, enterprise dedicated servers operate top manufacturers’ latest versions.

Here are the usual properties of an enterprise dedicated server.

• Intel® Xeon® Silver 4214
• 128GB ECC DDR4 RAM
• 2x1TB NVMe SSD m.2
• 25TB Data Transfer

• 16 cores/32 threads at 3.6 GHz
• 128GB DDR4 RAM
• 1TB NVMe SSD Storage
• 50TB Bandwidth

• 16 cores (40 Gbps Speed In, 2000 Mbps Speed Out)
• 32 GB RAM
• 640 GB SSD Storage
• 7 TB Bandwidth

High-Performance Dedicated Servers

The most advanced solution, high-performance dedicated servers, are the best alternative for big data analytics. The service comes with special configured GPU hardware, which makes it superior to the previous three options.

Here are the usual properties of a high performance dedicated server.

• Dual Intel® Xeon® Silver 4214
• 192GB ECC DDR4 RAM
• 2x2TB NVMe SSD m.2
• 25TB Data Transfer

• 32 cores at 2.9 GHz (3.9 Max Turbo)
• 64 GB RAM
• 2 x 480 GB SSD Primary Disk
• 1 x 2 TB SATA Backup Disk
• 8 TB Bandwidth

• 32 cores/64 threads at 2.8 GHz
• 256GB DDR4 RAM
• 1TB NVMe SSD Storage
• Unlimited Bandwidth

Key Takeaways

A dedicated server grants you exclusive access to a physical server and its resources, including RAM, CPU, and bandwidth. However, this increased power and flexibility comes at a higher price, making dedicated servers the most expensive type of hosting service. Thus, dedicated servers pay off only if you operate multi-user apps, databases of any kind, SaaS, virtualization, resellers, high traffic sites, and multiple websites.

Dedicated servers are ideal if you anticipate growth soon or highly depend on your website or web application. Your site might be slowing down, or you might be facing many security threats. Either way, it means it’s time to upgrade. Other indicators include continually growing resource needs, the need to control your site or get a dedicated IP.

Since you will get dedicated resources, you can count on improved speeds, performance, and overall reliability. Your security will not depend on other users within the same server environment. So, you can expect a smoother customer experience, mainly depending on you and the hosting provider.

As a customer, you can choose from two types of dedicated servers – managed and unmanaged, both of which have their respective pros and cons. If you go for the managed solution, the hosting provider will manage, maintain, and monitor your server. In turn, if you select the unmanaged dedicated server, you will have to take on these responsibilities.

Keep in mind, operating a dedicated server requires at least some technical knowledge. This is especially true if you go for the unmanaged solution, where you should configure and manage everything by yourself or your in-house team.

Then, you can deploy your dedicated user for various uses, such as web, file, email, gaming, application, database, trading server, and so on. Better yet, you can build your own home server using a computing device from your home setting.

See, choosing to buy or rent a dedicated server is not a straightforward decision. However, if you decide to rent, you will need to select the proper hosting service next. At this point, you will need to consider the performance, security, customization options, support, and pricing of the dedicated server provider.

Say you have chosen the provider. In other words, you have come to the fun part – building your dedicated server. You get to choose the parts of the server, such as CPU (single-core, dual-core, quad-core, and other higher core processors), RAM, bandwidth, or control panel (cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, or MSPControl).

In the dedicated server configuration process, you also need to select the number of IP addresses, operating system, security add-ons, speed add-ons, etc. This step primarily depends on your business needs, preferences, and budget.

So, before you upgrade to a dedicated server or buy one, it would be best to consider your organization’s current state and future potential. Then, you can determine your hardware and software specifications. When you know what you are looking for, building a dedicated server is a “piece of cake.”