What type of web hosting do I need?

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The web hosting thread below was started by SwarmHost on 2010-02-26 10:54:26:

This is general overview for people confused about what type of web hosting to purchase.

• Shared Hosting - This is geared toward personal websites, small businesses, or any website just starting out.
• VPS (Virtual Private Server) - This is for the the website that is on their way up, which means you usually have spikes of traffic, but the server demand is not consistent or extreme enough for a dedicated server. These packages also give one more control over your web hosting.
• Basic or Low End Dedicated Server - If you have recently established a web presence that demands consistent resources, this is probably the best place for you. These servers work very well for most basic web services. Do not purchase these if you have a large amount of back end processing.
• Intermediate or Mid-Grade Dedicated Server - These servers can handle more back end processing, and they can handle a heavier load than the starter dedicated servers. These servers can run most medium to high demand websites.
• Enterprise Dedicated Servers - These servers can handle anything that doesn’t require a server farm. This is what you need before you have to establish your own data center to keep up with the demands of your website. They are tough, and should handle just about any job.
• Collocation - If you live near colocation services and you own your own server, this is a great way to get lightning fast internet speeds and have a nice cool place to store your server at hopefully a reasonable price. Your mileage may vary.

There is obviously some gray area between the different types of services, but this should give most people a general idea. For example, you can find some VPS ’s that are as tough as some dedicated servers. Also, you should always consider the important specs that are important to your website or project, e.g. bandwidth, hd space, memory, etc.

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