WE opened in May and are at 878 members as I type. We are currently on a semi-dedicated server and I was wondering when we should consider going dedicated?

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You know, even though we are on a dedicated server here at AF, I still don't know the answer to this question. I believe that it is all a matter of who you are currently with, how your forums are optimized, and what kind of features that you offer your visitors.

I have a feeling that the reason most people upgrade is simply because they are either receiving too many "max_connections" errors, the forums are running very slowly, or their host is forcing them to leave...Outside from that, I'm not sure how to tell beforehand or anticipate this

I will say that some hosts will kick you out before others...so don't simply take your host's word for it if they say that you need to go dedicated...you might not be using too many resources, it could just be the fact that they are overselling. Regardless, you always need to be prepared for this, because when it does happen, it's going to to be a major expense for you. If you aren't prepared (haven't saved up the funds), you could very well find yourself without any functioning forums.

Lastly...check this thread for more on this topic...I asked the same question not too long ago

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Thanks man. That's good reading.

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Sure thing...but you know what, we've got a better thread on this topic than the one I linked to earlier...not sure what I was thinking at the time

When to go to VPS or Dedicated?

It veered a bit off topic, but the first page is good for this question

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I also can chime in here and say the time to upgrade is before there is a "need".

I have been through multiple upgrades and had to learn my lesson the hard way with user complaints, server lag, and downtime. Always be prepared is a good motto, and in the case of server capapcity / bandwidth, that means having more than enough.

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Is there a way of telling how far you can gt before your host will start considering removing you from there hosting for excessive resource use?

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how much roughly is it to go onto a 'dedicated' server?!

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Some cost about $100 a month, other alot more, i spect Lee or Ryan can be more precise

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Yeah, you'll find that the low end dedicated servers are $100/month...but you could also spend $1,000+ per month for one...it's all a matter of what kind of hardware the server is on and what kind of support is provided

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You know when you say low end, how low end are they,
As in low end, it barely loads before timing out?

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