Hi

My question will seem naive... it is!

I don't know anything about managed hosting, but I am told I must have
this as a basic specification - I don't know more than this, so I'd be unable
to answer any technical questions... So here goes:

A Linux entry level system with...

cpanel, php, Mysql, multiple IPs

It can be held anywhere - eg US/UK

Based on your experience, would you kindly recommend the best
companies, not necessarily the cheapest, please?

Cheers and huge thanks in anticipation

Geoff

First place to start is your budget :). How much do you have to spend on your solution?

In terms of location, where is your primary client base concentrated? This should determine where you locate your server.

Dan

Hi Dan

Thanks for your response...

Say $300US per month and the client base will be 90% US, too

Cheers

Geoff

I would recommend geting a layeredtech.com or softlayer.com server and then hiring somebody to manage it for you. Most hosting companies that offered "manage" are either expensive, unreliable, or have really really bad service.

I would recommend geting a layeredtech.com or softlayer.com server and then hiring somebody to manage it for you. Most hosting companies that offered "manage" are either expensive, unreliable, or have really really bad service.

I disagree.

The expense is there for a reason, if you want good service you have to pay for it ... and there's nothing better than having your hardware and software managed under the same roof. The two must work harmoniously together for a successful hosting experience, so why seperate them?

I'm not going to say that third party management isn't good, but what I will say is that 99% of the services out there are reactive not proactive, meaning the problem has already occurred, and the downtime is happening before the management company are fixing the problem. With real, proactive server management, the necessary work is carried out before it becomes a problem, and downtime is avoided.

Dan

I agree with Dan, budget is the first question. $300US will get you good quality, basic management. So you're off to a good start.

Next, tell us a bit about what special needs you think your site might have. Will it be high traffic? Are you running any custom built scripts? E-commerce or other security issues? Basically, you want to figure out up front if there's anything that may bump up your cost and help you focus on finding a manager who has expertise in certain areas.

You should also decide whether to go with a Managed Dedicated Server or keep them seperate and use an outside management company. Both have their advantages and disadvantages...

rackspace is a bit expensive and their service is limited in regards to high performance debugging and optimization

I would look into a company that specializes in your particular area of service as they'll usually have better tools to help with your growth.