Hi there!

Now, if you have read the first Proxy101 article, you should have noticed that one of the requirements any proxy owner must need is WebHosting. In this article, I simplify the hosting market.

• Type: There are generally four types of hosting out there: Shared, Reseller, VPS and Dedicated Servers. (Some hosts don’t offer all four, for example MountedWeb.co.uk offers just three: Web Hosting, Resellers and VPSs).Because proxies are extremely resource intensive, many hosting companies out there don’t allow proxies to be hosted on their servers. So, therefore, a VPS or a Dedicated Server is needed. Make sure that you read the host’s ToS to ensure that proxies are definitely allowed.
• Bandwidth: Bandwidth is one of the most important factors to take into account when buying a webhost. When your proxy becomes really popular, you will need at least 100 gigabytes of bandwidth a month. For example, one of my new proxies (xunblock.us) takes up 3 gigabytes of bandwidth a day. When buying a hosting package, make sure you buy enough bandwidth, you can never have too much. Have too little, and your proxy will fail.
• Space: Unlike almost all other types of website you can make, proxies take up the least amount of hard disk space out of them all. Most proxy scripts are a few hundred kilobytes big. That’s all. Space is not a primary issue, here.
• Resources: When buying a VPS or a dedicated server, you will be asked for the amount of RAM you require. I would recommend at least 512mb, especially if you are planning for the future.You will also be given the option of whether you would like to pay extra for cPanel. I didn’t: at first I was apprehensive: I had only used cPanel / WHM before and LxAdmin / HyperVM seemed so very alien to mean. However, once I had a few minutes with them both I felt very much at home. There’s also a very good reason why you should use the free alternatives: they take up very little resources. Sometimes cPanel takes up more than 256MB of resources, a lot when you may only have 512!Also, although it isn’t really a resource, I will tackle the question of Operating System. I always have and always will use Linux. It doesn’t really matter that much, but linux seems to be thought of as the more secure and safer option to choose.
• Price: Of course, price needs to be a factor. But don’t always go for the cheapest option. In webhosting, often you pay for what you get for. Make sure to look at reviews of the hosting company you are looking to buy hosting from before you go and actually make that payment.
• Uptime: A site which is down makes no money. While you may not get guarantees on VPSs or Dedicated Servers (you are responsible for your server), it is worthwhile to check what the uptime is for their other options. This leads onto the next point.
• Support: I put this last because I reckon this is the most important factor, especially if its your first time with a VPS/Dedicated Server. You want an exceptional service. Server management may be a good option so that you don’t to keep your server up-to-date and secure. Look into what contact/support options they offer. Live Chat, email, Instant Messaging, a Knowledgebase and Phone support are such examples. Simply put: a host with exceptional support will make sure that all their features and options are top-notch.

The main point which arises from this article is the need to research. You will then be able to get a great host which is perfect for you. You need to feel comfortable with your hosting to be able to utilise it to its full most.