Currently, I use Amazon EC2 and S3 as my server but I am finding that cloud hosting is not really as cheap as it makes out to be (especially when it comes to storage), and there are quite a few limitations.
What I need from my server is fairly simple. It has 3 functions:
1) As a webhost for my blog and some small wikis I host, as well as a few private web apps that I use.
2) As an online storage (kinda NAS) where I would like to store around 50GB+ of media which I will be able to access from my iPhone/iPad and generally any PC, and also for various backups etc, totalling around 100GB.
3) As a dev box (I do a lot of web development / programming and I need a server that I can use as a test box)
4) Ok, I said 3, but I also use it as a game server for a few private games
At the moment, AWS fails mainly on point 2 because a) it is quite expensive to store a couple of hundred GB with them, and b) because I dont want to run into potential problems as, although about 95% of my media is truly legit and taken off dvds that I actually own, there is always that other 5%.
So, I have been looking into getting some hardware and getting it hosted. I have had a dig around on the internet, but I really have no idea where to start.
Firstly, I want to be hosted at a data center. Having the server at home is not an option for me, I need a deticated and fast connection and my current address is just not suited for a server setup. (I guess this could change in the future tho, but not for at least the next year)
I would like to be hosted in london, and have found several coloc services offering a 1U rack for around £35 per month, and this seems very reasonable to me, are there any that come recommended? What I am more stuck with is the hardware.
Ideally, I am looking for something under £200 (otherwise it would probably be cheaper for me to stay with a cloud service). It does not need to be a very fast server, and 500MB of ram is probably enough. What I really need is 200GB+ of storage. I am guessing I have 2 choices... 1) buy a 2nd hand system or 2) try to build my own. Option 2 sounds more fun, but I have no idea how complex this would be and if it would end up being any cheaper.
Sorry about the ramble, I hope it makes some sense.
G
What I need from my server is fairly simple. It has 3 functions:
1) As a webhost for my blog and some small wikis I host, as well as a few private web apps that I use.
2) As an online storage (kinda NAS) where I would like to store around 50GB+ of media which I will be able to access from my iPhone/iPad and generally any PC, and also for various backups etc, totalling around 100GB.
3) As a dev box (I do a lot of web development / programming and I need a server that I can use as a test box)
4) Ok, I said 3, but I also use it as a game server for a few private games
At the moment, AWS fails mainly on point 2 because a) it is quite expensive to store a couple of hundred GB with them, and b) because I dont want to run into potential problems as, although about 95% of my media is truly legit and taken off dvds that I actually own, there is always that other 5%.
So, I have been looking into getting some hardware and getting it hosted. I have had a dig around on the internet, but I really have no idea where to start.
Firstly, I want to be hosted at a data center. Having the server at home is not an option for me, I need a deticated and fast connection and my current address is just not suited for a server setup. (I guess this could change in the future tho, but not for at least the next year)
I would like to be hosted in london, and have found several coloc services offering a 1U rack for around £35 per month, and this seems very reasonable to me, are there any that come recommended? What I am more stuck with is the hardware.
Ideally, I am looking for something under £200 (otherwise it would probably be cheaper for me to stay with a cloud service). It does not need to be a very fast server, and 500MB of ram is probably enough. What I really need is 200GB+ of storage. I am guessing I have 2 choices... 1) buy a 2nd hand system or 2) try to build my own. Option 2 sounds more fun, but I have no idea how complex this would be and if it would end up being any cheaper.
Sorry about the ramble, I hope it makes some sense.
G
