Picking the right web host

In today’s post, I go over the types of hosting available and break them down so you can make the right choice for you and your setup. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, the biggest point I want to make is make sure you get a Linux-based hosting package. WPMU runs under Apache and it also uses mod_rewrite. While WPMU can and will run under Windows, it’s a little pickier, and you need a paid module for the rewrite rules. If you have a choice, go for the Linux hosting. It will make life easier.

I can’t tell you precisely how many blog you can run off a certain hosting packing. The real world is a special case, as Ron likes to say. You could have 500 blogs with moderate traffic on a 512meg RAM VPS package and tick along quite nicely, or you could have 10 heavily trafficked blogs bringing down a smal server once a day.

Shared
Chance are, if you’re looking to set up a WPMU-based site, you’re looking to host a lot of blogs and a lot of users. Shared hosting will not cut it. Many shared hosts advertise insane amounts of space and bandwidth to each account. This does not matter. WPMU is more resource intensive than a standalone WordPress blog. You’re multiplying the resource usage, not merely adding. And many shared hosts severely limit the amount of resources allocated to each web account. What WPMU uses up more than anything is CPU processing and RAM.

Also, if you are currently on a shared host and are interested in just testing WPMU, or looking to move to a VPS or dedicated once your idea takes off, please carefully read your current host’s Terms of Service. In a lot of cases, they do NOT allow you to give away any portion of your web account for free. This included letting people sign up for free blogs.

Another downside to a shared host is that you do not have access to the httpd.conf file to make the required edits for wildcard subdomains. Sometimes, they will do that for you, but there seem to be a wide range of shared hosts who do not allow wildcard subdomains at all.

In short, you can install WPMU on a shared hosts, but in many instances you will have to eventually move, or you will run into enough technical issues as to not make it worthwhile. In my experience, having started my own site on a shared host and after working with a number of different hosts, in the long run and in most cases, it’s not worth it.

If you are setting up a closed system (no public signups), with a limited and small number of blogs with generally light traffic, you will probably be just fine.

It’s also worth it to note that many hosts let you have add-on domains that point to a sub-folder and act like another website. WPMU is very picky about that location, and most of the times you’ll have a lot of trouble installing it as an add-on domain.

All that being said, Dreamhost is a shared host that I have run WPMU on for a client, and they offer upgrades to VPS and dedicated, which is good when you outgrow shared. They even have a wiki for help with installing MU on their accounts.

Virtual Private Server
A Virtual Private Server, or VPS, is a step between shared hosting and dedicated. On a VPS, your web account is sharing the server with other users, but less accounts than if it were on a shared server. Each account on a VPS is a virtualized instance of a running server. So it acts almost like a mini server.

You can get a wide range of account types in a VPS, from fully managed to semi-managed to pretty naked. If you are just starting out, a semi-managed or managed account is a good transition from shared. The big difference you will notice is that there are a few more control panels to keep track of – each one another layer of authority over your portion of the server. These accounts usually allow ssh access and generally do not impose limits on the amount of domains or databases.

There are still bandwidth and storage limits, but they can be quite high. You are also able to keep track of memory (RAM) and CPU usage, which is really important in a WPMU-driven site. It’s the RAM numbers you want to concentrate on.

Examples:
Futurehosting – currently the host I use. They set up your account with either Plesk or Cpanel, and with cPanel accounts, all you need to do is run through the initial account setup in WHM and you’re ready to go. If you’re familiar with reseller accounts, it will feel very similar. They offer unmanaged and semi-managed, and the RAM levels do not seem to count the OS.

Slicehost – still a VPS, but marketed as a “slice” of a server. It’s pretty bare when you get it, like a dedicated server is. I had to install Apache and php modules, even get mail running. If you’re familiar with *nix, it helps. If not, you’ll be pretty lost. The 256MB package was barely enough to run the OS and a naked MU install, but on the other hand, it acts like a mini dedicated box and it’s easy to increase your slice.

Grid Hosting
A note here about grid hosting. It’s all the rage, being part of “the cloud”, but for WPMU sites, it can be stormy. Some places, like Mosso, don’t even allow wildcard subdomains. Others, like (mt)Grid, can make out just fine, but bog down quite quickly when you get more traffic and thus more resource usage. If you need any convoluted Apache edits, you can’t do them on cloud hosting. All in all, I recommend you pick a VPS over a grid.

Dedicated
With a dedicated, you get it all. You also get a higher bill because you are literally leasing a whole server. The up side is you can control every single aspect on the entire box, it’s just you. The down side it, it’s just you. There’s a very steep learning curve if you’ve never done this before, or a very high bill if you get fully managed.

Examples:

Server Beach – bare bones and a geeks’ dream. Excellent prices too! If you sign up there, use the referral code HBTU27B7R3. You’ll get a HUNDRED DOLLAR CREDIT when you’ve been there more than 3 months. (I get a little something too. ;P ) Also, they run specials on their twitter account, so they are totally worth the follow.

Rackspace – I have had the pleasure of working on a Rackspace server for a client. When they say their support is fanatical, they are not kidding. It is outstanding. If money is no object, or you want exceptional support for managed dedicated and the best of the best, these are your guys. They’ll do anything and everything on your server for you.

Some of the hosts listed above in other section also offer VPS or Dedicated options, but prices can vary wildly.

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