Think you’re ready to jump in feet-first into a dedicated hosting plan? More power to you – literally.

To review, choosing a dedicated server means you’re “renting” an entire server because you’ve decided that this is the best business hosting solution needed to attract and maintain a high traffic-base to your website.

Most dedicated plans provide you with the technical support you require with the connectivity while you retain control over the functionality of your website. If your business does not have the financial, personnel or time investment it requires to own and operate a server in-house, dedicated hosting is a solid choice. Think about it: your choice of applications, your choice of data, your own access.

Included are the benefits of increased bandwidth and storage space that come with having your own server and the freedom to change the programming to suit the needs of the business as it develops.

By renting your own “box” you can essentially exercise 100 percent control over your Web presence:

• Choosing and configuring the operating system for your server
• Installing any third-party software and applications you wish
• Individualizing server settings for faster delivery of multimedia and eCommerce applications
• Customizing and partitioning the storage space to your unique requirements
• Having root access if you (or your IT staff) need to test new code and applications

As you do the research, you’ll see that dedicated hosting packages cost in the $100/month range to just over a thousand dollars. The higher you go in the price range, as you might expect, the more management by the hosting provider is offered.

Some providers will provide services such as control panel configuration, minor changes to your firewall or system upgrades with the package but others will charge for administrative assistance. What this means is you may have to cover the cost of technical staff to maintain your server if you don’t possess the knowledge or time to do it yourself.

Please note that several companies have introduced lower packages less than $100/month if the server is primarily self-managed. You’ll have to discuss the particulars with the Web hosting company to ensure your comfort level with that arrangement.

Additionally, you’ll be happy to know that in most dedicated plans since you are renting the box rather than purchasing it, you are not responsible for maintaining the equipment and connectivity of the server. If a hardware component fails, the provider is responsible for resolving the problem or replacing the component. Your provider will likely be responsible for any downtime that occurs due to a hardware failure, and most have a compensation system in place as part of the SLA to reimburse you in the event of failure. Even if you are running your site off a custom hardware configuration, the provider may be responsible for ensuring that every piece of that hardware is functional, and works in harmony with the rest of the system. This allows you to maximize your return-on-investment by ensuring that you are paying only for the hardware that’s functional.

Though very advantageous for security, bandwidth, storage, and special technical needs, the principal drawbacks of a dedicated solution are price and support. Obviously, taking up an entire server on a provider’s rack will require a larger investment than sharing a portion of a single server.

It’s important to note that you should be able to design a server from the ground up. The dedicated host you decide upon should provide custom-made servers that are configured for the specific needs of your business. You should be able to choose the components, operating system, and open-source applications that you require.