Hosting and owning your own server is a great way to control your own online games and to give a safe place for you and your friends to play in whatever manner you see fit. With so many different businesses providing VPS hosting services it can get confusing picking the best one for you So what’s the best way to pick a server and what should you look for when picking one?
Location
Location at first may not seem obvious but it does play a crucial part in your overall experience. For example say you want to set up a Minecraft server for yourself and 4 friends who all live in the UK. Would you pick a VPS that is hosted in Australia? No, of course not. That will increase lag and connection times. Pick a VPS host that is near your location and suits your needs. It will save a whole lot of frustration down the line.
Reliability and Downtime
Has the VPS host got a track record or constant downtime for updates, reboots, or for any other reasons? If you require a server that news to be running as much as possible (and let’s face it who doesn’t) then you need to make sure your chosen host has an impeccable track record of reliability and uptime. Many providers of VPS services will print their uptimes on their websites or social media to give potential buyers an idea of what to expect from them. Always pick a hosting service that gives consistent uptimes with limited downtime.
Price
The price of the VPS will probably play the biggest role in your choice of host. However, make sure you are getting the most out of what you are paying. Many hosts have multiple choices of price from cheap VPS with limited space and connections, to a more expensive option with unlimited disk space. Only pay for what you need and make sure you shop around. See what other services are offering before you make a purchase. Also, check to see if packages are by month or by year. You may get a discount paying by year rather than by month.
Interface
An easy to use and intuitive interface should be looked for when you come to make a choice on your VPS server. Check forums and ask questions so you know what it is you are getting to grips with before you make a purchase. Some interfaces are more complicated then they need to be and sometimes it can ruin your whole experience of working on the VPS. Again, look around to see what different providers are offering.
Customer support
Should things go horribly wrong, who are you going o get in contact with and how are you able to do so. Fortunately these days it is possible to verify how good a customer experience is with a given company due to an abundance of online review sites and customer forums. It is always good practice to get the best idea possible of a hosting companies customer service before you part with your money.
