i am pretty sure that i will be ordereing a dedicated server from Server Matrix.

I know this will seem like newbie questions, but i am not denying that i am new to dedicated servers. I have never owned one before

When i order my server from server matrix, what will it comes with other than the OS i specify?

What things will i need to install to get all the things offered by many common web hosts? such as POP3, ?apache?, SQL, php, imagemagik, etc. i dont know what else i need

BTW this will be for windows server 2003

also do i really need Helm? what is helm and how does it compare to cpanel? can i setup accounts in helm for different users?

are these things hard to install and will server matrix help me if i just have the free silver install package?

thanks for helping me out, and is there anything else i need to know? will the 2.4 Celeron with 1000GB be able to handle 100Mbits/sec?

Generally, is you just get a base server, it will come with the basic OS, nothing more nothing less. If you order with control panel generally it will come preinstalled with the vast majority of your server apps like pop/imap/smtp servers, web servers etc.

I've got no experience as far as windows control panels go, so I'll leave those questions for someone else :)

alright, do you think servermatrix will help me out figuring out which programs to install and how to install them?

if your new to dedicated servers, I dont think you will be able to survive without Helm (or cPanel/WHM if using linux/bsd)

It may seem a little expensive add-on, but you really do need it to get you started

thats my advice anyway

Originally posted by agentneo
alright, do you think servermatrix will help me out figuring out which programs to install and how to install them?

I doubt they will babysit you at all. There are HELM tutorials provided and even a DEMO.

Look around and try it for yourself.

I would suggest getting Helm. I just got a server from them with helm. I have not been able to get my hands too deep into the server yet, but from what I saw, you get a good deal when getting it with Helm. First thing I noticed was that MS SQL was installed (not sure if it would be installed without it). MS SQL is expensive on its own, so I was pretty happy to see this.

Now, if you are planning on doing alot of webhosting, a control panel is a must. Think about how many permissions, settings, and etc you would have to setup each time you get a new client? Also, if all of a sudden your client decides he wants some of his account settings changed? Or how about if you miss a detail somewhere during the setup procedure?

The only thing I have found bad about Helm, is that it takes a while to get use to. Cpanel is the most intutive to use and easy to usually start using. Then in my opinion comes Plesk, then Helm. Mind you I am only list the control panels I have had some experience with. With Helm, they seem to have so many features and options and customizability included in their system that it kind of made it somewhat a bit complex, and takes a while in getting use to.

Ofcoarse you can find many tutorials online that will help you, perhaps you should research Helm a bit before deciding, just to make sure you will be happy. (better safe then sorry)

wow thanks thats what i really wanted to hear ...

i know MS SQL is an added advantage due to its cost, but wouldnt most scripts only be compatatble with MySQL .. or could you use phpmyadmin and most scripts written for MySQL with MS SQL?

what are some of the other advantages of MS SQL over MySQL?

I really hate Microsoft tbh, everything costs money and is out of greed. Go LINUX

yea - linux is good in a lot of ways - but windows hosting should also be an option for your clients