[lug] Hosting Question

[Chris Brotherton]

On Fri, Sep 29, 2006 at 01:29:27PM -0600, dio2002 at indra.com wrote:
> 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
> 
One thing to consider is a Virtual Private Server (VPS).  With a VPS, you have
control over your own server located in a data center, but at a fraction of
the cost of a dedicated server.

Chris.