Choosing Between a Reseller Package, VPS Server and a Dedicated Server
Reseller Package, VPS Server and a Dedicated Server
The great question which many resellers face when setting up, or when the time comes to upgrade is which type of platform they should be upgrading to; for some resellers it might just be convenient to upgrade their current reseller package, but for larger resellers it may be high time that they upgraded to a VPS Server or Dedicated Server since they have outgrown Reseller Hosting packages. Reseller Hosting packages are hosted in more or less the same environment that normal shared hosting packages are, which is not always the best thing for resellers as they are restricted to what they can control; with VPS servers and dedicated servers the reseller has full access to the root of the system and control any aspect of their hosting they want – the difference between the two being that a VPS is virtual and hosted on a node with several other VPS, whereas a dedicated server is a completely single physical server.
Reseller Hosting Packages
Reseller accounts are accounts which allow resellers to create accounts meaning that they have the ability to host multiple domains and clients. As mentioned previously, they are normally hosted within a shared environment meaning that they are open to the elements that can cause downtime within a normal shared environment – this puts reseller accounts at a disadvantage when compared to a VPS server or a dedicated server. However, unlike VPS and dedicated servers, reseller accounts are relatively cheap meaning that anyone can become a web hosting these days – this fact is also what is fueling something which is known as the ‘kiddie host market’.
Reseller Hosting is perfect for you if you are new to the concept of web hosting and don’t require custom server modifications or if you only want to start out small and grow from there. With most hosts you have the option to upgrade your reseller package to a VPS or dedicated server at any time without any downtime which ensures if you grow out of your reseller account then you can upgrade to a dedicated environment without causing yourself or your customers any trouble.
VPS Servers
VPS Hosting stands for ‘Virtual Private Server’ hosting and is seen as a separate server by you and any other computer on the internet, but in reality it is actually a virtual environment hosted on a node (main) server with several other VPS. They are seen by many as the step in between a cheap reseller account and a costly dedicated server – however, costs for VPS can vary greatly. By having a VPS you have your own server, more or less, meaning that you can add programs and features as you like within your own environment without being at the mercy of other users; this can prove to be an advantage for some resellers since they might require special security settings which they’d never be able to get set on a reseller account – but which they will be able to set in a VPS environment.
A VPS is perfect for you if you require a dedicated environment but are not able to afford a dedicated server or if you have outgrown your standard reseller account and have no choice but to upgrade to a dedicated environment. If you are using a control panel such as cPanel then you should be able to get all your data and websites moved over without causing any downtime or hassle to your customers.
Dedicated Server
A Dedicated Server is the last step within the reseller ladder, as it is at the top of the chain. A dedicated server is actually a physical server and the resources of the machine are not shared with anyone else – the opposite being the case for both reseller accounts and VPS servers. Bring a physical server allows dedicated servers to have their hardware upgraded at anytime without any limits, whereas with VPS servers you can only upgrade the system resources by a certain amount since you are limited by the resources of the node. By having a dedicated server you have greater flexibility in all areas since you are able to do things such as overselling – something which you’d not really be able to achieve within a VPS environment or on a reseller package; the bandwidth allocation is also much greater than anything you’d receive on a lower-level package.
You should only really buy a Dedicated Server if needs be since they can be either very expensive or very cheap. If you need the assurance that your system resources are not going to be shared with anyone then by all means go with a dedicated server, but if you are only a small company or are not hosting sites in a serious way then you should consider either a reseller hosting package or a VPS server.
