Virtual server hosting offers clients a cost-effective option for hosting their websites in a way that appears to be dedicated, yet does not have the high price of dedicated hosting. In a virtual server hosting environment, the host company sets up multiple virtual machines on one physical machine, allowing several clients to host their websites without being impacted by the other sites that share the server. Those who are in the market for this type of virtual private hosting have three operating system options: FreeBSD, Windows or Linux based hosting. For many, the debate comes down to which operating system they prefer.
Not sure if you need a Virtual server hosting account, shared hosting account, or a dedicated server? Then check out our web hosting comparison to give you an idea of what type of hosting may suit you best.
Linux is an open source operating system, which means that most people and hosting companies use it for free. For this reason, choosing a Linux virtual server hosting option may be slightly more affordable than choosing one based on Windows. However, if there is any difference in cost, it is based on the server license for windows and the corresponding software such as SQL, the main deciding factor will be your initial requirements. Do your applications require a Windows environment or a Unix based environment such as FreeBSD or Linux.
Website owners who have Windows on their PCs may think that they have to use a Windows virtual server. Again, this is not true. Your account will be accessed through a control panel that will work on both operating systems, as long as your operating system supports using a normal web browser.
Of the three options, Linux virtual servers and FreeBSD VPS perform faster. For those who need performance over any other feature, Linux/FreeBSD is the best choice. This happens because the Linux operating system is extendable, whereas Windows tries to include everything someone would possibly need at the beginning, which slows things down slightly. The average user will not notice this performance difference when purchasing a virtual server hosting package.
The Windows virtual server is a reliable option. While it may be slightly slower, the difference is rarely noticeable. Some report that Windows is an insecure operating system because of many reported hacks into Windows-based computers. However, security of a hosting server has more to do with the system administrator and updating the OS and software to make sure it is safe against the latest threats, than the operating system. Windows may be hacked more frequently, but this is likely only because it is operating on more computers than Linux, and Linux has been successfully hacked in the past as well. FreeBSD on the other hand is a more secure operating system since it was designed from the ground up with security being one of the main concerns. FreeBSD is very similar to a Linux machine and a system administrator that is used to running Linux will easily be able to run FreeBSD.
There are a few situations when a Windows virtual server is the better option. Those who want to use Microsoft technologies to create their websites, such as FrontPage, Streaming Medial, MSSQL, or ASP, may find that their sites function better on a server that uses Windows. Other common options, such as POP3 and MySQL, run fine on both operating systems.
If the different OS hosting options are similar in price, features, and security, how is the website owner to choose? The bottom line is that choosing a virtual server hosting package should be made based on the company offering the virtual private hosting rather than the operating system they use. Is the company stable and security minded? Do they have the features you need on their virtual machines? Do you get plenty of bandwidth and CPU space for the money? These are the questions to ask when shopping for a virtual dedicated server package. Remember that some virtual dedicated server packages are more expensive than dedicated hosting services such as renting your own server.
Website owners who are looking for hosting for their pages have three basic options. They can choose to use a shared server, a dedicated server, or virtual server hosting. Shared and dedicated servers are fairly self-explanatory, but virtual dedicated servers are a bit more ambiguous. Understanding how virtual server web hosting works begins with a little history lesson...
Just what is virtual server hosting? In a shared server situation, many users share the same server (very easily over a hundred users) and the performance of your website is affected by the resources used by all of the other ser accounts and websites on the same server, while a dedicated server is a devoted server to just one user account and only that users websites. A virtual dedicated server is a combination of the two. It takes one server and breaks it into several virtual machines. While technically the user is sharing the server with other users, it sets up what appears to be a dedicated unit. The physical machine is shared, but the users are not affected by the actions of the other users. Want to know more information then check out what is a virtual server.
Virtual web server hosting offers two main benefits. First, it is much cheaper than dedicated hosting, because the owner can split the cost of the server machine between several users. Second, because there is a virtual barrier between each user on the host machine, the actions of one user do not impact the performance of another client's website as frequently as they do in a shared server environment. Read more information about the various [Pros and Cons] of virtual server hosting.
Before you buy a Virtual Private Server hosting account you need to read the following article on what to look for when selecting a VPS account.
The article details the important parts of a web server and how you and your websites have control over them and how they affect your websites based on the different web hosting options available to. This goes into detail comparing a standard shared hosting account, a Virtual private server hosting account and a dedicated server hosting account. We strongly recommend you read Getting the Best Web Hosting Service before selecting your hosting.
...Did you know that when you buy a cheap shared hosting account you could be sharing a webserver with 20,000 or more other websites all on the same server? These servers no mater how fast only have a set amount of resources that any of those 20,000 websites can hog up if they get busy...A Virtual Private Server hosting plan in comparison gives you a dedicated amount of select server resources to use as your very own, insuring that your site will be less likely to get bogged down because of some other persons website(s). You also get your very own dedicated IP address which means that what other website owners do does not negatively impact your website reputation both in the search engines and in the eyes of clients and security programs...The best answer by far even though it is more expensive is to purchase a dedicated server hosting package guaranteeing yourself your very own resources. Should you not be able to afford one right away you can always by a VPS package and once you earn enough money upgrade then.
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