Server

[mxfury]

I want to build my own server so I can start a small hosting business. First of all, how can you tell how much bandwidth you can get? And how do you get a Cpanel and webmail and support for php mysql etc?

[Dave22]

Originally posted by mxfury I want to build my own server so I can start a small hosting business. First of all, how can you tell how much bandwidth you can get? And how do you get a Cpanel and webmail and support for php mysql etc?

Big questions with no simple answers:

1. Bandwidth: The question isn't "how much can you get"; it's more like "How much can you afford?". You can either get your own dedicated circuit(s) put in, partner with a provider, OR build your server(s) and colocate them.

2. What is a "Cpanel"? Do you mean like a "control panel" for hosting customers? Either way, all that stuff is usually custom coded but there may be some out-of-the-box packages out there. Support for all that depends on what you get. PHP and MySQL are open source so your support options are limited to books and internet-based documentation unless you can find a software development company that specializes in those platforms who offer support contracts.

What's the common thread here? Money. The more money you have to spend, the more you can set up. Remember that if you are going to provide hosting you need redundancy and failover (eg: multiple Internet links, tape backup system, emergency power) ...just to name a few.

[mairving]

CPanel is a host site mangement tool. Pretty expensive though unless you have a lot of customers to spread out the cost.