VPS

[SDL]

Since my forum is starting to grow, I’ve found the speed to be irritatingly slow at times and has got me considering upgrading to a VPS.

Does anyone else use a VPS to host their forum? If so, is it worth it?

 

[vbgamer45]

VPS can help a lot just needs properly configured though the webserver/database requires a fair amount of knowledge or following guides to do it well.
By default there is no control panel so would need to setup all the software to get it going.

 

[kensonplays]

This might help, I dunno.
https://www.hostingadvice.com/how-to/best-managed-vps-hosting/

Managed VPS may have some control panels pre-installed, and some of them aren't that bad in starting prices.

I've used Cloudways in the past from a friend giving me free space on his server, but he no longer really blogs so he downgraded the plan.

 

[Dismal_Bliss]

I have a Managed VPS from KnownHost that serves me well. I also host others since I have the space and the resources. I could never go back to shared hosting unless I decided to terminate or give away my communities.

 

[Tracy]

Since my forum is starting to grow, I’ve found the speed to be irritatingly slow at times and has got me considering upgrading to a VPS.

Does anyone else use a VPS to host their forum? If so, is it worth it?

I've used a VPS for years (in fact, at one point having a dedicated server spinning out my own VPS instances with ProxMox)... refuse to use shared hosting after dealing with the joke known as HostGator when I first started dipping my toes into the internet site hosting.
Yes, there are better shared hosting providers than them out there, but I was already very familiar with administering Linux (cut my teeth on Slackware when it came out).
Even if you have to have a panel to control your site, you can do that with a VPS also (it just steals some resources, so look at a minimum of 4GB RAM for your VPS instance).
I currently host on Hetzner using a US based VPS offering. If they had US based dedicated servers, I'd probably be sitting on one of them - just because I would want it, not because my site needs it. I am on a 8GB/160GB/20TB plan... and in addition to my sites, I run ElasticSearch on that VPS instance. I pay about $17USD a month for it.

One thing to be aware of with a VPS. It can suffer the same issues that shared hosting does if the provider overloads their hardware with VPS instances.
I don't use a panel per-se (I use CentMin Mod) and off-load all my transactional email to Amazon SES. It allows me to keep the VPS lean with more resources available for what is important.

 

[kensonplays]

HostGator

I love their name (cause well I love reptiles) but yea, the experiences with them and pretty much all shared hosting are pretty bad imo.

 

[Empire]

Since my forum is starting to grow, I’ve found the speed to be irritatingly slow at times and has got me considering upgrading to a VPS.

Does anyone else use a VPS to host their forum? If so, is it worth it?

Well, how big is your site, is it that big to the point it's worth moving to VPS

 

[Tracy]

Well, how big is your site, is it that big to the point it's worth moving to VPS

Sometimes size doesn't matter... control and resource availability is more important.
I learned long ago (but I also am proficient in Linux administration) that shared hosting in most instances suck when compared to a VPS.
For those that don't have the ability to administer a VPS or dedicated server... then shared hosting/SaaS offerings are their only options.

 

[Empire]

Sometimes size doesn't matter... control and resource availability is more important.
I learned long ago (but I also am proficient in Linux administration) that shared hosting in most instances suck when compared to a VPS.
For those that don't have the ability to administer a VPS or dedicated server... then shared hosting/SaaS offerings are their only options.

True but the cost is, to a point, If you can't afford able to spend $18 a month for it but shared is like $8 that's $10 cheaper a month

 

[Tracy]

True but the cost is, to a point, If you can't afford able to spend $18 a month for it but shared is like $8 that's $10 cheaper a month

But if you are paying $8 a month and your service provider has overloaded the shared hosting server (which is normal amongst the cheap hosting providers) and your site craps in it's blankets under load... how are you benefitting?
The very simple fact remains.. if you have a popular site.. it's going to cost you. You can try to "cheap" your way out... but your users suffer in the long run.

 

[Empire]

But if you are paying $8 a month and your service provider has overloaded the shared hosting server (which is normal amongst the cheap hosting providers) and your site craps in it's blankets under load... how are you benefitting?

That Has not happened to me yet in seven years... Not yet anyway but it can happen.

Is anyone else on shared cloud hosting..

 

[Tracy]

That Has not happened to me yet in seven years... Not yet anyway but it can happen.

Is anyone else on shared cloud hosting..

And it did to me shortly after signing up with HostCrapper (also known as HostGator), and my site was in NO way "busy" as it was a new site related to motorcycle riding/touring. That's the VERY reason I moved to a VPS, especially since I was a long time Linux user.

There ARE shared hosting providers out there that don't do this.. but if it's a "major name".. then odds are they WELL oversell their resources.

 

[Empire]

And it did to me shortly after signing up with HostCrapper (also known as HostGator), and my site was in NO way "busy" as it was a new site related to motorcycle riding/touring. That's the VERY reason I moved to a VPS, especially since I was a long time Linux user.

There ARE shared hosting providers out there that don't do this.. but if it's a "major name".. then odds are they WELL oversell their resources.

Damn, when did you use HostGator then?

 

[Tracy]

Damn, when did you use HostGator then?

About 11 years ago... and I REFUSE to go to ANY shared hosting provider since I get much better performance out of a VPS for just a little more. Now, there are a few shared hosting providers that I would use, but they aren't "big name". MattW over at XF is one of them. He doesn't over-sell his servers.
I seriously doubt that they (or any other "major" provider) has gotten any better now. It's all about maximizing profits.. the end user experience is not important. Churn covers their lost customers.

 

[Empire]

Yeah, 11 years can changed since then you know lol just saying even if they are still crap since they own by E,I.G

 

[Tracy]

Yeah, 11 years can changed since then you know lol just saying even if they are still crap since they own by E,I.G

ANYTHING associated with EIG is crap.. and has been for at least a decade. Just more proof that leopards don't change their spots.... and IPS is a leopard I include in that statement.

 

[SDL]

To be honest it’s just slow but that might be the company I’m with. I’d rather pay extra and have good performance than 2 second load time for everything which feels long in this day and age.

 

[Tracy]

have good performance than 2 second load time for everything which feels long in this day and age

In "this day and age" a slow site is going to be a killer. No matter if it's from the hosting provider issues, or overloading the content that is sent (large images that aren't optimized).

 

[Cedric]

To be honest it’s just slow but that might be the company I’m with. I’d rather pay extra and have good performance than 2 second load time for everything which feels long in this day and age.

Your forum is quite simple (not in a bad way) so a 2 second delay is not justified for the content you have. Add cloudflare and see if it improves load times. Guaranteed it will.

 

[Cedric]

@SDL I just browsed your forum a bit and it's loading quite slow. Are you still having those issues or did you change something?