Dedicated Server

I’ve been considering a dedicated server for all of my sites. Below are a couple of options I have to choose from.

Option 1:
Processor: P4 3GHZ Dual Core
Memory: 1GB PC3200
2 X HD: 120GB 7200RPM SATA / 8MB Cache
1600GB Tier 1 Bandwidth
OS: Linux - CentOS 4
ControlPanel: CPanel / WHM
100% Fully Managed
24/7/365 Phone and Helpdesk Support
24/7/365 Pro-Active Service Monitoring
100% Network Uptime Guarantee
2 Hour Hardware Replacement SLA
SetupFee: $250 Setup Fee
Monthly: $150

Vs.

Option 2:
Processor: P4 3.4GHZ Dual Core
Memory: 2GB PC3200
2 X HD: 160GB 7200RPM SATA / 8MB Cache
1600GB Tier 1 Bandwidth
RemoteBackup: 50GB Remote Backup
OS: Linux - CentOS 4
ControlPanel: CPanel / WHM
100% Fully Managed
24/7/365 Phone and Helpdesk Support
24/7/365 Pro-Active Service Monitoring
100% Network Uptime Guarantee
2 Hour Hardware Replacement SLA
SetupFee: $350 Setup Fee
Monthly: $175


Option 2 adds:
3.4GHz CPU over a 3.0GHz CPU
1GB more RAM
160GB HDs over 120GB HDs
50GB Remote Backup

It appears for $100 more on the setup and $25 more per month, Option 2 is the way to go.


What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Sonnie

What are your current useage stats?

I would also take into consideration the host or the provider,

I have seen so many people just make there choice on price alone.

I think 24-7 top level support is #1 , then would be configuration specs , then price

You can have the best server in the world, but if or when it goes down, they have no support ....well then you will know what I mean,

This is my opinion only, I run some high traffic sites, and let me tell ya , if the server goes down at 3am on a holiday - Its a nice feeling knowing my host has 1 hour replacement for hardware.

Time is money , and so is traffic :)

Just my thoughts - Hope this helped :)

I would also take into consideration the host or the provider,

I have seen so many people just make there choice on price alone.

I think 24-7 top level support is #1 , then would be configuration specs , then price

You can have the best server in the world, but if or when it goes down, they have no support ....well then you will know what I mean,

This is my opinion only, I run some high traffic sites, and let me tell ya , if the server goes down at 3am on a holiday - Its a nice feeling knowing my host has 1 hour replacement for hardware.

Time is money , and so is traffic :)

Just my thoughts - Hope this helped :)

Definetly, don't go based on price alone. I was looking at a dedicated from managemybox.com but their reviews are seem to be 50/50. I'm not going to chance it. I'm happy on my VPS for now, just want to move before moving will be a really, really big PITA.

Actually this is through LiquidWeb... who is reviewed and rated very well from what I can find. They are probably one of the few 100% fully managed that own their own datacenter.

True fully managed is somewhat hard to find.

I didn't find too much good on managemybox.com either.

According to our host, our usage is about 18% CPU with memory about 8%. That's on a dual CPU with 2GB RAM. I think the bandwidth where we are at is cheap and thus our site is sometime sluggish.

I'm also considering a VPS at Softlayer Datacenter in Texas... they come very highly rated. Of course I will have to pay someone to manage it since they don't.

Check out Servint. (http://servint.com) Email their sales department tell them your stats and they will fix you up. I've been with them almost 3 months on a Signature VPS plan. I have absolutely no complaints. In fact I just canceled my shared hosting account on other server and moved all my sites over.

My sites have only been down twice:

The first time was my fault, I boinked the DNS config. I emailed the NOC they fixed it before I checked my email for a reply.

The second time was 3 minutes for network maintenance which I was notified of a week in advance.

Support is top notch, I've asked a couple of really stupid questions (surprise surprise :p ) and they didn't treat me like an idiot.

I actually did check out Servint and considered them heavily for VPS, and they appear to be top notch. For dedicated servers they are a little more than we can afford. Basically the same package we are getting would run $230-250 per month with them.

We ended up landing the dedicated server, option 2, for $156 per month with a negotiated discount. We felt like this was too good to pass up for what all we get. We don't need near this much right now, but we'll have it for when we do need it.

Who is the provider for option #2?

Its always cheaper if you buy the server and then pay for hosting / management. At the same time, you can configure the server how you want, to be as strong as you like so it will last. When / if you outgrow the server, you can always resell hosting.

The option #2 is with LiquidWeb (http://www.liquidweb.com/?RID=htshack).

And I am tickled with their service thus far, as they have been wonderful. Their tech support seems to really know their stuff.

This is in the very wee beginning stages, but maybe, just maybe, we will continue to experience top notch support. I have a feeling we won't need much after we get everything going.

I hope it works out for you Sonnie. I know a couple of people who have dedicated hosting with Liquidweb who aren't too happy with them. I hope it turns out different for you :)

Thanks OSH... they are highly regarded for their superior support and uptime, especially with dedicated servers. I was unable to find anyone unhappy and I chatted with over a dozen at random who are using their dedicated servers.

They have really babysat me thus far and things are great. Again, it's early on, but everything is lovely so far. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Do any of the options in the original post allow you to keep the server after X months?

Some providers will give you the server if you sign a long enough contract.

-Raymond

I don't think LW offers this, but I cannot be 100% sure. I may have missed something.