We have a T1 connection on our office network and we want to host our website on our own server. We have heard this is not a good idea.

Even if you have a very fast internet connection, hosting your own website yourself is probably not a good idea.

There are many hidden costs involved with hosting and some practical issues that most small companies are not prepared for when trying to do their own website hosting.

While it seems it would be cheaper to host a website yourself rather than use a hosting service, most companies do not have the expertise or redundant Internet connections, so if the Internet goes down or the power goes off for several hours, the website does not work.

Hosting is available for under $10 a month, and data centers who house website servers typically are equipped for emergencies and keeping servers up and running.

Another issue has to do with keeping your internal network secure from hackers going after your website.

Lastly, busy websites may need extra bandwidth that you may not be able to provide, but which a hosting company could easily provide for.

Tips:

• Weigh the pros and cons of hosting your website in-house.
• Make sure you are aware of all the hidden costs associated with hosting a website yourself.
• Consider using third-party hosting unless there is a compelling reason for having your server in your company.
• Be sure to have redundant Internet connectivity so that if your primary Internet connection fails, your website will still be available through a secondary connection.
• If hosting yourself, have a server backup routine and be sure to have off-site backups.
• Be aware of the additional network security risks associated with having a web server on your internal network.

Additional Information:

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