Please help me find the right hosting for my forum - I'm very confused guys :(

[CrispyMacBacon]

Hello, here is my situation:

Now my phpbb gets around 30 users all together at peak hours; nothing impressing - but my current hosting is overweighted (like me LOL).
It doesn't offer VPS or dedicated; only shared hosting so I'll have to go away from it.

Within 1-2 months some of my friend will directly advertise my board in many ways and I am sure I will soon arrive at 100ish users (at peak hours).

So I have to immediately go to a VPS, or a dedicated (which one in your opinion?) because I don't want the site to go down when there will be the traffic boost.

One big problem is that I always used shared hosting, and I don't know NOTHING about managing a VPS or a dedicated server!

I found a lot of trustworthy companies.. ev1servers.net, theplanet.com, lunarpages.com, layeredtech.com, softlayer.com, dedicatednow.com, ovh.com.

Can you suggest me one offer that will fit my needs?

I would like to pay no more than 120$/month, if possible.

Thank you for reading all that stuff!

[Scott]

Perhaps I'm bias (I've never used VPS), but if you've got that cash to spend, I would go with dedicated. If that monthly limit is pushing it, you might want to look more into VPS - you won't hear much from me.

You might want to look into managed dedicated servers if you've never used a dedicated server before. Some providers, Rackspace (http://www.rackspace.com) are one, which give you managed service and there are other independent companies which are happy to look after your server. This is something I would stress if you're going fresh into dedicated, it'll take you a while to get to grips with it all and it's much better if your site is up while you learn.

[CrispyMacBacon]

Thank you for replying me, Scott.

So in your opinion a forum with 100-130 users in peak hours will need a dedicated?

Hmm.. you are right about the fact that I absolutely need the most managed one.. but this rackspace is way above my budget :.-(

Are there other managed dedicated you suggest me?

And the last question: will I have to learn something about managing a dedicated server, before going to a managed one? Or "managed" means that I will never have to do nothing, just like with a shared?

[Scott]

I think you'd probably be ok with a VPS for now, but I know so little about them that I'm the wrong person to be giving advice on them.

If you're expecting a lot of growth in the future, there is no reason why you can't go on a relatively small dedicated at the moment. Obviously you want to pick somewhere which will let you upgrade without too much hassle.

There are lots of smallish companies out there which will run management tasks for you (eg this one (http://seeksadmin.com)) and you might be able to save money by using these instead of looking for a managed server hosting.

I'd recommend WHT (http://www.webhostingtalk.com) as the point of call for info on hosting. Sure, it's a bit scary at first, but there are lots of friendly people over there who know a lot. It's also somewhere you might bag a deal (advertising forums at the bottom).

Good luck, and feel free to ask if I've missed something :)

[SoftWareRevue]

... a forum with 100-130 users in peak hours will need a dedicated?I would say you need to look into dedicated.

Are there other managed dedicated you suggest me?BurstNET (http://www.burst.net/) (the dc that supplies FU's server) has a managed dedicated server division called Nocster (http://www.nocster.net/) that is very affordable.

... will I have to learn something about managing a dedicated server, before going to a managed one? Or "managed" means that I will never have to do nothing, just like with a shared?As you shop for a managed dedicated server, that's exactly the type of question you'll want to ask a prospective provider.

There can be as many different versions of "managed" as there are stars in the sky. :) The best way to know what they offer is to read their description and ask questions about areas that seem unclear.

Good luck! :)

[CrispyMacBacon]

https://www.burst.net/maxadmin.shtml <- these?

[SoftWareRevue]

Well, them's the high end stuff. :)

If you can afford it, that's great. But if you're on a tighter budget, you might want to look at http://www.nocster.com/servers.shtml which includes a lower level of management as well (http://www.nocster.com/policy/managed.shtml) (http://www.nocster.com/policy/managed.shtml%29).

[Odd Fact]

I will back up the recommendation for Nocster. With your needs you can start out with one of the lower prices and then use an admin service to help run the server. Since you are mainly running the forum your admin needs will not be as intense.

You can find several reputable admin services around the $30 a month mark that will do for your needs at this tiem. From personal experience you can try Platinum Service Management or Jones Solutions.

You can also get more information at Web Hosting Talk.

[adb22791]

I'm happy at Steadfast Networks (http://www.steadfast.net). They have two different levels of management for their dedicated servers you could consider (one comes free, the other is a $75 per month upgrade). They also have an excellent premium network (routes to Europe are very good via TeliaSonera) and the support guys are friendly and helpful.

I'd say you would be fine with the Sempron 3000+, but you could always email their sales department and see if they have anything in the back room :).

Best of luck,
Alex

[Webmaster7]

Just be sure to select a full managed service. In some places it isn't easy to find all the fineprints.
If you want to go with LunarPages, PM me. I have a good relation with them, and may help you. It's one of the friendliest teams I've ever seen, in such a big company.