Probably the biggest barrier to having your own dedicated gaming server is the cost. On the low end of the scale, you'll pay in the range of about $100 per month, plus whatever plug-ins and security add-ons you want. On the high end, with all the bells and whistles and maximum bandwidth to support hundreds of players, you could be looking at $1000 per month or more.
Additionally, if you're running a physical server, get ready for your energy bills to spike. If you're running the server 24/7, it's going to take a lot of resources to maintain your uptime. This is one of the reasons why most people seeking a dedicated gaming server will "rent" one from a hosting provider. Renting a dedicated server takes all the back-end tasks off your plate, but certain aspects, like security, are generally a-la-carte. Plus, if you've got a core group that you play with, you might want to consider sharing the cost to make it affordable.
In a gaming environment, security is essential. There is a high prevalence of DDoS attacks in gaming, primarily sparked by ruthless competition. Even if you're meticulously selective about who you allow into your game, you'll need to secure the perimeter and be hyper-vigilant about updating. If you're running your own server, you could be at even higher risk as what you don't know will definitely hurt you.
When you purchase a gaming system, it comes with a server. It's pretty much plug-and-play; you just connect to the internet, set it up, and have at it. However, there are a lot of drawbacks to this approach, as no doubt you've experienced.
Primarily, you'll be logging onto a server that you share with thousands or even millions of others. Connectivity issues, outages, and individual player ping times will impact the quality of your gameplay. You have zero control over what happens, and that pertains to security issues as well. If the hosting server is under attack, you might be vulnerable to the point where it impacts not only your game but also your local network.
And then there's the issue of competency. Every gamer has to start somewhere, but it is frustrating to have to deal with inept laggards and novices. If you have high standards, if you like to be challenged (in a good way, not by newbies), an out-of-the-box gaming server is just going to get your goat – if not right away, then eventually, and probably sooner than later.
You also won't have many options to customize your game, which maybe you care about, and maybe you don't. Ultimately, it all comes down to what matters most to you.
In this guide, we’ll dive into the ins and outs of VPS hosting. What is it? How does it compare to shared or dedicated hosting? We’ll also look at the factors indicating it may be time to upgrade. To sum up, learn how to choose the best VPS hosting plan for your growing business.
Server: A server is a powerful computer that stores all the data and files for a website. When you type a domain name into your browser, that server delivers the site to your screen.
Virtual: Virtualization technology splits one full server into multiple virtual machines. It’s still one physical piece of hardware, but it operates like several separate servers.
Private: The word private is just what it sounds like. Your virtual server and all its virtual resources are reserved just for you, giving you a high-performance hosting environment where the RAM, CPU power, or any data will not be shared with other users.
Well, your hosting provider installs a virtual layer on top of the server’s operating system. This virtual layer separates the server into individual compartments for each user, creating individual virtual machines or VMs.
Within each compartment, you can install your preferred operating system, software, and other required tools to host your website. For example, Linux, MySQL, and a control panel like cPanel.
cPanel is a web-based hosting control panel that provides users with a graphical interface to manage their websites. With cPanel, users can create email accounts, upload files, and change website settings. cPanel is the most popular hosting control panel globally and is used by millions of websites.
These virtual machines ensure that you get guaranteed resources. And unlike shared hosting, your server’s performance does not depend on how much of the resources other websites on the same server use.
In a nutshell, VPS gives you the experience of having your own dedicated environment through virtualization. Your site lives in a private, isolated container with allocated resources just for you.
A virtual private server provides dedicated resources and greater control over server configuration compared to shared hosting, at a lower cost than dedicated hosting. VPS strikes an optimal balance of affordability, customization, and guaranteed performance for many growing websites and web applications.
Cost-effectiveness: VPS costs less than dedicated hosting but delivers better performance than shared hosting. VPS is a budget-friendly option for sites outgrowing shared servers.
Customization and control: VPS users can fully optimize and customize server settings, and install software. This level of control is ideal for sites with specific configuration needs.
Custom RO ServerScalability: It’s easy to scale VPS resources like CPU cores, RAM, and storage as site traffic increases. Sites can upgrade their VPS plan as needed to accommodate growth.
Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data that can be transferred via an internet connection within a specific path and during a specific time. Bandwidth is usually expressed in Megabits per second (Mbps or Mb/s).
When selecting a web hosting plan, there are three main options: shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and VPS hosting. Let’s examine the key differences between shared, dedicated, and VPS hosting.
Shared hosting is the most common and the most cost-effective form of web hosting and works well for most new website owners. When you purchase a shared hosting plan, you’re sharing resources like CPU, RAM, and hard drive space with other website owners on that same server.
Consider shared hosting as multiple websites renting a single apartment in the same building. Each of you gets your own private bed, but you share the apartment with common spaces like the lobby, elevators, and utilities. In the case of websites, it’s CPU, RAM, and storage.
This offers multiple benefits, including lower costs, as the server costs are split among all the website owners. If one of the websites on your shared server has a huge spike in traffic, that could affect your website’s performance as well.
But when you’re just getting started, you are unlikely to notice the impact—and if you need help starting out, you may want to read this web hosting guide.
Dedicated hosting allocates an entire server to just your site. You have full control over resources and can customize them to meet your needs.
