Linux VPS Hosting

If you are using dedicated hosting for the first time then your chosen form of web hosting is likely to be a Linux VPS server because it provides you with a low cost web hosting package that can provide you with the necessary resources. Linux VPS servers are fairly low cost because Linux is an open source operating system meaning that you don’t have to pay for a license to use the operating system, and the lower the resources that you are purchasing, the cheaper your Linux VPS server is going to be. A Linux VPS server can still provide you with a fully fledged dedicated hosting environment when using a cheap VPS server, although you will be limited with as to what you are able to use your Linux VPS server for if you have fairly low resource assignments. You can add resources as you need with a Linux VPS server meaning that if you need extra RAM, disk space or bandwidth then you can purchase the additional amount that you require from your web hosting company at an extra cost. Other optional extras available with most Linux VPS servers include control panels such as cPanel and Webmin.

What are the main benefits of using Linux VPS hosting?

There are several different benefits to using Linux VPS server hosting. Although Linux hosting may not meet everyone’s requirements, for those whose requirements it does meet it can be highly beneficial with benefits including:

  • Low cost dedicated hosting – a Linux VPS server is probably going to be the cheapest form of dedicated web hosting available from most web hosting companies, so if you want to have a go with dedicated hosting prior to purchasing a more powerful VPS server or dedicated server then a low end Linux VPS server provides you with the perfect opportunity to do so – a dedicated web hosting environment can provide you with many benefits so getting one for a fairly low price will provide you with not only an affordable web hosting package, but also one that represents very good value for money
  • Dedicated hosting environment – when you are provided with access to your Linux VPS server, your main method of access and management is going to be through SSH which will offer you direct access to your VPS server’s command line interface – SSH will allow you to install new applications on your Linux VPS server as you see as well as to modify any settings or files that are stored on your Linux server – as no-one else will be able to use your guaranteed resources, you can be sure that your server will experience a high level of uptime and that it won’t be too important for you to monitor your resource usage closely unless you are running a website that receives a large number of visitors
  • Uptime – you can be assured that a Linux VPS server will be able to offer you a good level of uptime when compared to what you may be use to with your Linux shared hosting package or any other lower end form of web hosting – if you are going to be using a Linux VPS server for the purpose of hosting a business website then you can appreciate the importance of ensuring that your website is available all the time because downtime can cost you money and you don’t want to be losing revenue if it can be avoided – the uptime guarantees offered will vary between different web hosting companies, although the stability of a server is usually down to how you manage it.

The benefits of Linux VPS hosting make it a worthy investment if you feel that a Linux shared or reseller hosting package is now becoming too restrictive for you. Although the jump from shared hosting to server hosting is a big one, it is one that will allow you to expand your website and add functionality.

What are the disadvantages of using Linux VPS hosting?

As with any form of web hosting, there can be disadvantages to using Linux VPS servers and so you should be aware of these prior to purchasing a Linux VPS server in case you find that another web hosting service will be more suiting to your needs. The main disadvantages of Linux VPS hosting include:

  • Pricing – if you choose to go for a high end Linux VPS server then you may find the pricing of your server hosting service to be questionable and fairly high and this could prove to be a disadvantage if you don’t have the budget to cover this – however, the lower the specification of your Linux VPS server the less you will have to pay meaning that if you can get away with using a slightly lower end VPS server then you should if you feel that money is going to be an issue
  • SSH management – in order for you to be effective in managing your Linux VPS server over SSH, you need to be fluent in the various commands that can be carried out over SSH – if you are unsure of which commands to use in certain situations then you could end up harming your VPS server which could lead to data loss or your entire server crashing, neither of which are events that you’ll want to experience when using your first Linux dedicated hosting package.

In conclusion, a Linux VPS is an affordable way of getting started with dedicated web hosting because it will allow you to make the most of dedicated hosting on a low budget. Linux VPS servers can be customized as per your requirements so that you are only using the resource assignments that you need – nothing more, nothing less. It is a good idea to review different web hosting providers because there will always be differing levels of support on offer as well as varying resources for the same prices because some web hosting companies are going to be more generous with what they offer than other.

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