Running your own server - Is it worth it? 1

[revmt]

After looking at the prices for hosting service dedicated servers, running my own server looks pretty attractive. For example, a dedicated server with assisted service plan for only 1 year (through GoDaddy) will cost almost THREE TIMES what it would cost to buy the same server and run it myself. Slicehost is a little better, but not much.

While I'm interested in learning how to administrate a server, I have no experience whatsoever. I'm somewhat familiar with linux, know a little about setting up permissions and access files, and have trivial experience with apache, but other than that I admittedly don't really know what I'm doing. Will I be able to figure it out on my own, and is it worth the time? I hear it's a major hassle...

By the way, I don't currently have a site that requires a dedicated server, but in about 6 months I plan to launch a multimedia-oriented site that (hopefully) will. I was thinking I'd use the time between now and then to figure out server administration. Even if it doesn't work out I'll still be able to use the server for my other personal sites.

What do you think?

 

[mrdenny]

The server isn't that hard. It's getting the bandwidth, securing the server. Making sure that you have redundant power, batteries, redundant network, spare parts, enough bandwidth, etc.

Denny
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[Sympology]

As stated above, badwidth will be your issue.
First you'll need a good dedicated link, not a domestic ADSL as you'll be sending data upstream not downloading. As you'll be doing multimedia, this could very, very hungry. It's all very well, but I wouldn't wait 10 minutes for a 1 minute video clip to load.
Then how critical is this? If you can live without it for a day or two when you link goes down, then that's ok, but otherwise you'll need redunadant links.
It's really horses for courses, if it's a little amateur site, then fine is ok, but if you hoping to make money, then people, quite rightly expect a certain level of service.

Most people spend their time on the "urgent" rather than on the "important."

 

[kaptlid]

To push video content out? Your cost is not just the computer. Its redundant power supply, physical security, and most importantly bandwidth. That will be your biggest cost. That and you should concentrate on your core business and leave the server babysitting business to the professional babysitters.