Explained to you: what is a dedicated server? | Combell (2024)

Having your own server that runs only and exclusively your applications. This is what a dedicated server is. Chances are, your website or webshop could greatly benefit from dedicated hosting. Therefore, in this blog post, we will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what a dedicated server entails.

What are dedicated servers?

Dedicated servers, also known as dedicated (web) hosting or "dedicated machine," are physical servers assigned exclusively to a single organization or user. All your applications, whether one or several websites, run on a server that is completely dedicated - 'dedicated' - to you.

Dedicated web hosting

With a hosting provider, you can choose a dedicated web hosting package. That way, you can immediately take advantage of the exclusive resources a dedicated server has to offer. By the way, a dedicated server is also known for its optimal performance. For instance, such a server can efficiently handle spikes in visitors and simultaneous requests.

You can compare the principle of dedicated web hosting to food sharing. In fact, rather like pouring your plate with food and eating it yourself. Joey doesn't share food? You don't share your server. 😉

Because with dedicated web hosting (meaning dedicated servers), you don't share anything with anyone else. It is the opposite of shared hosting, where you do share the power of the server with other users. Shared hosting is therefore the ideal solution for smaller websites without an influx of visitors.

Who should opt for a dedicated server?

So which business owners and organizations do benefit from using dedicated servers? A lot depends on the size of your site, shop or other application and/or the sector in which you operate. Your server therefore plays a crucial role in the IT infrastructure of your company and organization.

'Larger' websites

For a website large or small, you need to come to Combell. 😃 If your site belongs to the big guys, dedicated web hosting is a good solution. Suppose your website contains a robust database, your web pages contain a lot of content such as images and videos, you expect many visitors (including peak traffic)... Then you are better off with a server that serves you only.

We are glad that we can count on dedicated web hosting from Combell. When we expect peaks on our website, Combell keeps an extra eye on things.

Gent Jazz

Webshops

Active in e-commerce? Then you could use a dedicated server. Because customers visiting your webshop want a flawless shopping experience. You create this with a fast and reliable hosting environment. Read: without downtime or other problems on the go.

Banks and governments

As mentioned earlier, the sector in which you operate can also influence your decision to opt for dedicated servers. For example, banks and governments, as well as the medical sector, have certain requirements when it comes to security and reliability. These sectors use a lot of sensitive and personal data. Then you need certain guarantees. The many advantages of dedicated web hosting meet these requirements.

This allows these organizations to create a robust IT infrastructure that meets the strictest standards in terms of cyber security and privacy.

Advantages dedicated server

You're probably wondering what advantages a dedicated server has to offer. We list the four most important ones.

• Utilizing all resources and performance

All server resources (the resources) of the dedicated server are exclusive to you. That ranges from CPU (Central Processing Unit or processor) and RAM (Random Access Memory or working memory) to storage and unlimited bandwidth. That means websites and applications hosted on the server get better performance and faster load times. Handy!

• Extra security and privacy

Since you are only using a dedicated server, such a server offers a higher level of security and privacy. In addition, you can implement specific security measures, which helps protect sensitive data. Moreover, you can also count on adequate data storage and backup solutions.

• Enhanced stability

With a dedicated server, as a business you don't have to worry about the performance impact caused by other users, since all resources are allocated exclusively to you. Busy next door? Your infrastructure is not affected. This ensures more stability and reliability, especially when running heavy workloads and mission-critical applications. These servers are therefore popular in combination with machine learning.

• Scalability and control

A dedicated server offers (limited) scalability and control over your server environment. You can customize the setup to your specific needs, install software and make adjustments without restrictions often present with other hosting options.

Varieties of dedicated servers

While we're at it, we want to introduce you to the different types of dedicated servers. Since all those terms can quickly become too technical, we'll keep it rather general.

Single-tenant dedicated servers

Single-tenant is a specific way of referring to a dedicated server. It again puts the focus on the fact that these are physical servers dedicated entirely to one user, business or application. Single-tenant dedicated servers are the opposite of multi-tenant, where multiple users or clients do share a server. 😉

Bare metal servers

Bare metal servers are servers that have no additional software. That is, without a hypervisor or virtualization software. They are also just for you. You can set them up and customize them yourself. You can also rent or buy bare metal servers over the internet.

Managed dedicated servers

Managed dedicated servers are servers you use through a hosting provider. The provider takes care of the management and maintenance of the server. So you don't have to worry about the hardware, software or security of the server. The hosting provider takes care of everything for you!

Would you like to outsource your hosting worries? Then, Combell is also the right place for you. Thanks to our detailed pages, you can immediately dive into our managed hosting offer. Of course, there are several managed hosting providers, but with Combell, you can count on additional hosting services. So, quickly discover our trump cards!

Virtual dedicated servers

A virtual dedicated server is another name for a Virtual Private Server (VPS). The functions of a VPS are very similar to those of a dedicated server. That is why both terms are often used together or interchangeably.

A VPS server is a physical server in a data center that is divided into smaller virtual servers. This gives you a powerful platform to host multiple projects on. It's worth noting that this type of hosting is more suitable for those with advanced IT knowledge. If you're not well-versed in IT, it's advisable to avoid this option. 😀

Cloud servers as an alternative

If your website is large and "heavy" enough for dedicated web hosting, you've probably heard about cloud hosting. That's when your data runs on servers in the virtual cloud. So you no longer need physical hardware that takes up space. This also means that you no longer have to incur costs for the maintenance of that hardware.

Never forget: the possibilities of cloud servers are endless. You can opt for public cloud, private cloud or a combination thanks to hybrid cloud. With the latter solution, you can still keep some of your servers on-premise. Combell helps you choose the best set-up. Moreover, cloud servers offer ultimate scalability and you only pay for what you use.

Dedicated server providers

The easiest way to benefit of the computing power of a dedicated server is to have your website hosted with a hosting provider, or dedicated server provider. Again, comparison is the key. This way you will find out which provider meets your needs. So check prices, packages, support, services, customer reviews ...

It is true that there are many foreign dedicated server providers. They often operate at cheaper rates. While that may sound attractive, beware. For example, a cheap provider may offer less security or support than other, local providers.

Besides, it could well be that those low-cost providers are located in countries where privacy laws are less strict, which can cause problems with the privacy and security of your customers' personal data.

Combell as your dedicated server provider

Are you considering running your web store on Combell's dedicated servers? Now we're talking. 😀 We work day and night to let you enjoy the power of our servers and the ease of our web hosting.

You should not regret your switch to dedicated hosting. This is why Combell provides a range of guarantees in terms of support and cybersecurity. Think about patches, backups, monitoring, updates, etc. But that is not all. If problems do occur, we promise to solve them within 30 minutes. We also work with a Service Level Agreement (SLA). SLAs are extra guarantees on top of the rock-solid service you can count on as standard.

Dedicated server costs

Cash on the nail! How much does a server with Combell cost? That depends on what you have in mind. There are entry-level packages and ultimate 'expert' packages for sites that require the most powerful dedicated servers.

By the way, it's worth mentioning that currently, there is no charge for the setup of your dedicated IT environment. We handle those costs. 😉