[lug] Hosting Question

[dio2002 at indra.com]

i'm getting ready to turn a couple (2-4) personal websites live and will
be adding a few more over the next year.  i don't expect lots of sustained
traffic (in terms of being bombarded by big numbers of individuals).  at
least initially.  however, when someone does arrive, i would like the
download/response time to be snappy.  some sites will contain flash and
photo galleries.  in sum, my overall load will probably be low but i want
the experience to be responsive.  i will need php/mysql support as well.

i'm wondering how feasible it is to host a *responsive* 24x7 server from
home versus colocating or going with a host provider.  i do have linux
admin experience.  but i've been focusing on other projects lately.  i
imagine lots of folks are diy-selfers here.  any thoughts are welcome,
including but not limited to.

- did you purchase additional bandwith or are you using vanilla dsl/cable?
- do you run a separate mail server or on the same box?
- do you run a separate dns server or on the same box?
- firewall setup/config (same box - i know not the best approach vs
separate box/device)?
- once it's setup and locked down, how much admin is involved on a regular
basis?
- what distribution you use & possibly why?
- mimimum hardware requirments?
- where you see the most return in terms of performance and hw component -
ram, disk, etc..
- backup / restore strategy

on the other hand, maybe it's just easier/better to host with an ISP.  if
you host with an ISP, any recommendations are welcomed (good and bad
experiences).  i'd prefer someone local.

my thoughts for doing this on my own are that
1) I can do it (just a matter of whether i want to)
2) i will be updating and adding more sites/functionality over the course
of a year so i have more flexibility in what i can do in my sandbox versus
having to haggle with an isp all the time to change configs etc
3) my sense is that administering multiple domains with an ISP on a box i
don't own is likely to be more challenging than me just owning my own box

sorry for the long post..
i'm sure many threads could be spun off this one topic alone (and probably
will be)..
thanks much
bobby