saving money by moving my mail/Web server out of my basement?

[nmeyers at javalinux.net]

On Mon, Nov 28, 2005 at 01:08:00PM -0500, Seth Gordon wrote:
> For a few years, I've had a Speakeasy account with static IP, so I can 
> serve everything ropine.com-related out of machines in my basement.
> 
> After going over our household budget, I'm wondering if there's an 
> alternative that will still give me broad control over my Web site and 
> email (e.g., if I want a certain Apache module installed, I can do it) 
> but will cost less than $70/month.  Since basic DSL[*] from Verizon is 
> $15/month, that means I'm looking for some kind of hosting that costs 
> $50/month or less.

There are plenty of hosting services that'll save you money over
your current arrangement. I use WestHost, which is Linux-based and
Linux-friendly, and gives you a lot of configurability in your virtual
host.

> What are the advantages to me keeping physical control over my server? 

You can run your own gasoline-powered backup generator, rekey your door
locks anytime you want, and pay for your own consumer-level internet
hookup instead of having to rely on some hosting provider's secure data
center with redundant high-speed connectivity and power backup :-).

Nathan