Hosting Your Own Web Server: Things to Consider

The Pre-Guide to Hosting Your Own Web Server

Are you disgusted or disappointed with your current web host? Have you switched web hosting companies too many times? Have you thought of hosting your own website(s)? Do you have the ambition to control and manage your own web server?

If you answered 'yes' to the questions above, then you may be ready to host your own sites. This article will give you things to consider while making the switch. 

When being your own web host you should be technically inclined and have basic knowledge of operating systems, understand technical terms, understand how to setup a server environment (such as: DNS, IIS, Apache, etc.) have basic knowledge of scripting languages and databases (PHP, Perl, MySQL, etc.), be familiar with current technologies, and have a basic understanding of hardware and server components.

You should realize the pros & cons. It is one thing to say, you want to host your own web server and it is another thing to actually do it.

Pros:

* Own sense of responsibility

* Awareness level raised (you are at the frontline of all server happenings)

* No monthly hosting fees/accounts

* Incompetence no longer exist

* Non-shared environment (dedicated server)

* Unlimited websites, databases, content, storage, etc.

* More bandwidth

* No more waiting on someone else time

* Complete control

Cons:

* Exhausting at times

* Faced with server/hardware problems

* ISP business account (monthly business/broadband expense)

* If server goes down then the website is offline

* No technical support team

* Software, hardware, and network expenses