{"id":401,"date":"2025-12-24T16:31:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T08:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/?p=401"},"modified":"2025-12-26T13:49:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T05:49:44","slug":"what-is-a-dedicated-server","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/tips-sharing\/what-is-a-dedicated-server","title":{"rendered":"What is a Dedicated Server?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5><strong>What is a Dedicated Server?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>A\u00a0dedicated server is a server dedicated entirely to your website and its needs. Unlike a shared server, all of the resources are yours alone and no other websites have access to them. This leads to increased speed, reliability and security. In addition, you have full control over how the server gets set up, including hardware configuration and custom software options.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Why Do You Need a Dedicated Server?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>A dedicated server is known as one of the highest performance hosting options. We like to think of a dedicated server like owning your own house. No one will bother you and you can do whatever you\u2019d like. Whereas a shared server is much like living in condo where you have to share everything.<\/p>\n<p>Dedicated servers allow for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>24\/7 uptime<\/li>\n<li>Faster connection speeds<\/li>\n<li>Less risk of virus attacks<\/li>\n<li>Maintenance on the fly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Dedicated servers aren\u2019t specifically designed for one purpose. They can be used to host websites, game servers, or anything that requires a place for multiple computers to store and read files.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>What Are the Benefits of a Dedicated Server?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<h6><strong>Security and Control<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>One of the first main benefits that a dedicated server takes care of is security. \u00a0If you are in a regulated industry and are charged with maintaining the privacy of customer\u2019s data and information, you absolutely cannot share a server with another company. \u00a0This is because you cannot allow for the possibility that one of these other companies might be able to access your server\u2019s data and customer information.<\/p>\n<p>If you are on the same server with a spammer or malicious website meant to spread viruses or other malware, this can open\u00a0<em>your<\/em>\u00a0website up to security issues. Your website may even be shut down indefinitely if the authorities seize the server hardware because of another malicious site on the same server. If your website handles credit card transactions or other data that needs to be encrypted and closely guarded, you are better off with a dedicated server.<\/p>\n<p>Each server has a unique IP address. Therefore, if you\u2019re on a dedicated server, your website has its own IP address. But if you are on a shared server, your website will share the IP address with the other sites hosted on the shared server. And if one of those other sites is known to be a source of spam, your website\u2019s\u00a0<strong>Search Engine Optimization (SEO)<\/strong>\u00a0ranking may be negatively impacted because of its connection with suspicious content. Your website may even be blocked from search engines.<\/p>\n<p>As a means of maintaining server security, you will be able to install the highest level of security available to you. \u00a0Not only will your data be secured, but also your applications and your customer database. One aspect that makes this so appealing for business owners is that you will have total control over your site, without having to bend to the needs of other businesses on your shared server or the configurations of your web hosting service.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>No Shared Resources<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>With a shared server, you are at the mercy of the limitations placed by having to share resources. This means that the CPU processing power and RAM are all distributed (and not evenly) with the other sites on the server.<\/p>\n<p>If a website on the server is running bad scripts that eat up lots of memory, then it can impact your website\u2019s performance. The same is true if your server neighbors have a spike in website traffic. This can eat up the bandwidth on the server and slow your website down significantly. Additionally, shoppers may associate slow load times with lower quality. If your website takes too long to load, consumers may seek out your competitors\u2019 sites instead.<\/p>\n<p>With a dedicated server, however, you don\u2019t have to share resources. The full capacity of the server is at your disposal and you won\u2019t have to worry about someone else slowing down your site.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>Increased Site Speed<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>With more resources available, elements can load faster. In addition to this, site speed yields several other benefits.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Improved SEO:<\/strong>\u00a0It is well-known that site speed is one of the ranking factors Google uses to determine search engine ranking. Further, research has shown that they may be using \u201ctime to\u00a0first byte\u201d as the official means of measurement. What does that mean? In simple terms: a fast website will help you show up higher in Google search results, while a slow website will likely make you show up lower.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your bottom line:<\/strong>\u00a0Site speed\u00a0has a direct impact on conversion rate, revenue, and user experience in the following ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A slow site is less likely to get a lot of return traffic<\/li>\n<li>Every additional second added onto your load time results in 7% fewer conversions<\/li>\n<li>A one-second delay in response time can result in 11% fewer page views and a 16% loss in customer satisfaction<\/li>\n<li>46% of people who abandon their shopping cart cite slow website speed as the reason<\/li>\n<li>Greater customization options: Having an entire server\u2019s worth of resources to yourself means that you can likely add a lot of custom features (like video streaming or MP3s) without impacting your site\u2019s speed. And your highly customized site will not only look great but will be memorable to visitors and create a great user experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h6><strong>Customization Possibilities<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>With a shared server, you have a \u201cone size fits all\u201d mentality when it comes to server configurations. But with a dedicated server, you can specifically configure your server to work best with your website. This can include configuration for a\u00a0<strong>Content Management System (CMS)<\/strong>\u00a0platform such as\u00a0WordPress, Drupal or Magento for eCommerce.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, as you rent your own dedicated server and do not buy one, it is easier to upgrade as your website outgrows your current home. You don\u2019t have to worry about paying for the server equipment, software, or for upgrades nor will you have to pay for IT to run the server.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>How Do You Set Up a Dedicated Server?<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>Dedicated servers can be set up by yourself or by a third party. They\u2019re typically more difficult to set up by yourself since they can require multiple downloads and a lot of preparation on your computer.<\/p>\n<p>By going through a third party, you\u2019ll receive dedicated server basics which typically include features like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Maintenance teams for your server<\/li>\n<li>The ability to customize it<\/li>\n<li>An online interface<\/li>\n<li>Stable uptime<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h6><strong>How To Choose the Right Dedicated Server Plan<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>When it comes to choosing the right hosting plan, you must first understand what your needs are and what you\u2019ll be using it for. For instance, a stand-alone blog would require far different resources than a thriving eCommerce store. Some reasons to choose a dedicated hosting plan include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your website experiences very high traffic levels<\/li>\n<li>You plan on using lots of custom features, like streaming video or high-resolution images<\/li>\n<li>You have an increased need for security<\/li>\n<li>You anticipate a lot of growth in the near future<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once you\u2019re certain you need a dedicated server, it\u2019s time to choose the right plan. Here are some of the factors you should take into consideration:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>How powerful do you need your processor to be?\u00a0<\/strong>In general, the more resources your site will need for features like custom applications or video-transcoding, the more powerful your processor should be.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How much bandwidth do you need?<\/strong>\u00a0If you anticipate a huge volume of traffic on a regular basis or you plan to use HD pictures or streaming multimedia files, you\u2019ll need more bandwidth.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How much memory do you need?\u00a0<\/strong>Even if you don\u2019t require a huge amount of memory for what you\u2019re currently doing with your website, you really can\u2019t have too much. In a nutshell, having more RAM helps your site load faster (and speed is always a good thing).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do you need a specific operating system?\u00a0<\/strong>Many website owners don\u2019t really care either way, but if you have a strong preference for either Windows or Linux, know that each one requires a different OS. You will also need a Windows dedicated server if you plan on hosting Microsoft IIS, MS, SQL, or ASP.NET.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><strong>Other Uses for Dedicated Servers<\/strong><\/h5>\n<h6><strong>Hosting A Podcast<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>The marketing effects of a successful podcast is very tempting. Imagine thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of listeners engaging with your content every week. The low production costs of creating regular audio recordings entices newbies and professionals alike to get their piece of the action.<\/p>\n<p>There are expensive podcast hosting solutions on the web that charge you a high fee for basically storing your audio files and syndicating your episodes. But you can do all of that for a fraction of the cost, and get all the bandwidth and space you need, on a dedicated server running WordPress. All you need to do is install a few\u00a0plugins and your WordPress\u00a0site will syndicate the episodes for you to whatever platform your listeners are using.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>Be Your Own Web Host<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>Every business needs a website. What if you could earn money by selling hosting space? As an agency you can manage thousands of clients\u2019 websites from within one dedicated server. Likewise, reselling hosting space is a great way for designers and developers to supplement their income and better manage their customers.<\/p>\n<h6><strong>Create a Private Git Repository<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>You might be thinking, I could just use GitHub\u2013it\u2019s free, and now you can create private repositories (repos). But, keep in mind GitHub recommends keeping repos under 1GB and enforces a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/help.github.com\/en\/articles\/what-is-my-disk-quota\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hard limit of 100GB<\/a>. The purpose of this hard limit is to avoid large files clogging up their servers. But what if your project has a lot of large media files?<\/p>\n<p>With your own dedicated server, space is not an issue. For example, InMotion Hosting\u2019s introductory dedicated hosting package starts out with a 500GB SSD drive. And if you fill that up you can easily upgrade to double that space.<\/p>\n<p>Before space even comes into account, security factors should take center stage. Even large-scale projects on Github have let a password slip and had to rush to mitigate possible security threats. Why risk it?<\/p>\n<h5><strong>How to Choose a Dedicated Server Hosting Provider<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Choosing the right dedicated hosting provider can be just as difficult as choosing the right dedicated server. Before making any decisions, you have to be sure that the services they offer fit your needs. Some factors to consider include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Server Stability:<\/strong> This is the measure of overall performance, accessibility, and usability. Bottom line? You want to go with a service that offers uptimes of at least 99.95% to minimize the chance of costly outages.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Customer Support:<\/strong> Look for a dedicated server host that offers 24\/7 customer support with a variety of contact options (such as telephone, email, and live chat). You will need someone to be available when you have a problem with your server (which you will) and the response time needs to be fast.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Customization:<\/strong> Does the hosting provider offer both Linux and Windows options? Can you partition hard drive space as you wish? What type of hardware options are available?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Security:<\/strong>\u00a0Dedicated servers are inherently much safer than any of the shared options, but that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re 100% safe from hackers. To help ensure your site\u2019s security, look for a provider that offers built-in security features.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To learn more and discover useful hosting and technology tips, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/\">our blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a Dedicated Server? A\u00a0dedicated server is a server dedicated entirely to your website and its needs. Unlike a shared server, all of the resources are yours alone and no other websites have access to them. This leads to increased speed, reliability and security. In addition, you have full control over how the server gets set up, including hardware&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[565],"class_list":["post-401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-sharing","tag-dedicated-server"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=401"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1754,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401\/revisions\/1754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.servergigabit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}