When and Where do you get a Server? Options

[rail01]

when site get huge they get there own servers right??? well how big does it have to be? how many unique visits do you have to have? and where do they get the servers? thanks.

[synatribe]

Depending on which host you use, the need for a server can be different, when your site constantly gets downtime because you are over bandwidth, then you need a server, usually a host will ask you to purchase your own servers when they realize that resources are low because of one person, you can get a server from virtually any respectable host, I recommend The Planet good linux server, media temple is a rip off, dont ever pay over $ 300 a month for a server, no matter how "qualified" it is

[fixtatik]

media temple is a rip off, dont ever pay over $ 300 a month for a server, no matter how "qualified" it is

i wouldn't really say media temple is a ripoff without experiencing it. sure, they're expensive, but for good reason, though their dedicated virtual servers are the same price as anywhere else: $50 a month. it's just when you get to the extremes of their hosting packages that you're looking at $750 a month. sites like adobe.com and sony.com are hosted at media temple on their "nitro" server, the most expensive one. they're so expensive because their servers run flawlessly, even under constant strain and bursts of traffic. the only time i've ever experienced downtime (checked my logs to make sure) was about a month ago when they were upgrading my cluster to their new technology. lasted about a whole of 20 minutes, in the dead of the night.

deciding on getting a dedicated server isn't limited to only your traffic. it may also be because you want root access to your server to install programs, you want your own name servers, or you just want the freedom to use it as you please without the burden of having other sites you've never even heard of using your resources.

by the way, this probably should be in the webmasters' corner, right?