High Bandwidth Servers: Not the Same as Dedicated Hosting

A great many IT terms get thrown around, often interchangeably: servers and hosting, high speed, high bandwidth, and dedicated.  No matter how they are used in the common vernacular, each term has its own specific meaning. Knowing the difference can save time and money, and improve end user experiences. In an industry based on specialized knowledge, and in which knowledge is power, the correct verbiage is critical.

Dedicated hosting

Also known as a dedicated server, dedicated hosting involves a server devoted to a sole purpose, company, or product, like a website. This can be done on-site or through an IT service provider, or via cloud computing. There are numerous benefits to dedicated hosting, including:

•      Custom setup. With a dedicated server, the client can decide what settings best suit their needs, rather than having to share a standardized template of settings designed for generic utility.
•      High uptime. Dedicated hosting offers 99.4% uptime or better.
•      Minimal traffic congestion. Even resource intensive applications and websites have no competition for bandwidth on dedicated servers.
•      Stronger security. This is a function of the customization aspect of a dedicated server. Just as the server can be set up in a way that best suits your needs, the firewall and antivirus settings can also be implemented in a personalized way.
•      More support options. Because high uptime is such a key component of dedicated hosting, the service available to maintain that uptime is commensurate.

High bandwidth servers

High bandwidth servers take the best qualities of a dedicated server and increase them further. Like a dedicated server, high bandwidth servers also offer dedicated hosting. In addition, they can utilize 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1000 Mbps (1Gbps) switch port. The increase in bandwidth improves uptime to 99.999% and adds DDOS mitigation technology to the security arsenal.  Typical uses of high bandwidth servers include high traffic websites, streaming A/V, file hosting, gaming servers, Voice over IP, and bulk data transfers.

Which is right for your needs?

Not every customer needs a high bandwidth server. Some customers do not even need dedicated hosting. But for those projects that require a great deal of dedicated processing power, minimal or no downtime, or increased security, a few questions to ask to determine which option is the better fit are:

•      What is the intended use of the server? If it is not one of the resource-needy options listed under high bandwidth servers, a dedicated server should be a good option.
•      How much uptime do I need? Is 99.4% uptime enough for your needs, or is near 100% uptime crucial?
•      What security needs do I anticipate? If you are at risk for a DDOS attack, a high bandwidth server may be a better choice.

While high bandwidth servers do have a proportional cost increase involved over dedicated hosting, the benefits for companies with needs better served by those systems cannot be discounted.

Ready to find out how Vault Networks can meet your IT needs?

To find out more about a dedicated or high bandwidth server, have one of our friendly experts contact you to begin the conversation. Call us today to learn more.