Web Hosting Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated servers?

I'm looking to host a site that allows users to upload videos. I was told I need a dedicated server for this. I've looked at some hosting companies and the costs are crazy! Most start from $100/mo. and require me to have a server administrator of my own. So, I'm thinking it would be better to get my own server and host the site. I'm wondering what I would need to do this... Any insights?

Public Comments

1. hosting it is going to cost you a lot more. $100 per month is way too much. check out www.ixwebhosting.com They are one of the best and not even close to $100 per month. To do this yourself you are going to need a server with plenty of disk space. I would say at least $1500, then you are going to have to license software. Go with Linux if you are familiar with it, or you are going to have to deal with costs for Windows Server 2003. then depending on the bandwidth, you might have to upgrade your internet service to allow inbound access. Plus server administration, server backups, UPS to keep the server running in case of power outages, etc.
2. You don't need a dedicated server unless the site gets very popular, however if you are planning to reencode videos so they integrate with flash player, you will be consuming a pretty hefty amount of CPU power. Add to this the fact that videos are bandwidth intensive and you will have to end up paying for that and you can see why shared hosting isnt ideal. I'd recommend starting on a VPS (Virtual Private Server) which is a kind of halfway house to dedicated servers and if you site grows you can always get a dedicated server later. You should definately not get your own server, as colocation is expensive and your home internet line won't be fast enough. VPSs start at around $15 a month. http://www.vpslink.com and www.provps.com are lowend VPS companies in USA, and yes, they do require some technical knowledge. Maybe you could share a VPS with someone else (like me) to split the costs and get them to do all the administrating stuff. yahoo! maniacmartinuk msn martin@maniacmartin.com
3. You definitely need to get a dedicated server with a reputable web hosting company. Forget about hosting the site on your own, the cost will be at least five times as much as if you would do it through a web hosting company. Doing it yourself will require you to have your own admin, your own generator, your own connection to the intenret, and then theres the costs of electricity etc. This is just to set up something comparable to what you can get online for about $100 a month. If you were doing simple web hosting you would be able to get away with a DSL line or a cable connection to the net, But video requires a lot more bandwidth. Feel free to contact me if you need additional help.
4. Try HQ Host http://hqhost.info