Dedicated servers are able to offer you the most reliable and secure web hosting services possible, but in order for a dedicated server to be effective in any case you need to manage it properly and this is where you have to choose between a managed dedicated server and an unmanaged dedicated server. Managed dedicated server hosting services are the recommended option for people who have never managed a VPS server or dedicated server before, or may not generally have the time to dedicated to managing their dedicated server properly; being able to make use of full support from an experience support team will also allow them to make the most of their dedicated server.

If you have managed a VPS server or dedicated server before that uses the same operating system as your dedicated server then you may find managing your dedicated server a doddle, meaning that an unmanaged dedicated server would be the best option for you; this will also allow you to save money on the overall cost of your dedicated server, meaning that you can spend more on extra features or resources that you may require.

How effective is managed dedicated server hosting?

Managed dedicated server can be very effective in all situations as it allows you to make the most of your web hosting provider's support team, for example you can have them secure your dedicated server to a high level - if you have them do it then you can be sure that it has been done to a high standard. Managed dedicated server hosting can be highly effective as it means that you won't have to worry about the management aspect of your dedicated server, when in most cases you have more important things to be worrying about and getting on with that aren't related to your dedicated server; in most cases the support team employed by your web hosting provider are also on call to answer your queries 24x7, meaning that even if there is a problem it will be dealt with swiftly.

Managed dedicated server hosting may not always have a higher uptime rate than an unmanaged dedicated server of a similar specification, but managed dedicated server hosting services can help when it comes to reliability; you can have your web hosting provider's support team optimize your dedicated server for you to make it as reliable as possible.

How effective us unmanaged dedicated server hosting?

Unmanaged dedicated server hosting is only effective is you know that you have the skills to manage your dedicated server properly and are able to apply those skills to ensure that your dedicated server is both reliable and secure. Making a dedicated server secure and reliable takes time and skill meaning that before you purchase an unmanaged dedicated server, you should be sure that you are willing to dedicated both to your server; an insecure and un-optimized dedicated server will only cause you problems down the line, and because of the amount that you are likely to be paying for your dedicated server it is important for you to make the most of it.

Unmanaged dedicated server hosting can be very effective in situations where you may want to really customize your entire hosting environment; you may for example wish to have a specific Linux distribution installed on your dedicated server, and in such a situation you may find that managed dedicated server hosting services aren't suitable for your requirements because your web hosting provider may not be willing to support the distribution concerned.

In conclusion, managed dedicated server hosting services and unmanaged dedicated server hosting services are effective in the right situations, it's just up to you as the consumer to make sure that you choose the right dedicated server hosting service for your requirements. When choosing a dedicated server you should always read the terms and conditions regardless of whether you are going for a managed dedicated server or an unmanaged dedicated server; in either case it is also a good idea to check if your web hosting provider has an SLA in place, because if they do then you'll know the level of reliability that you can come to expect.