Minimum requirement to run web servers

Hi,

I am looking at hosting a couple of very low use web servers which act as
project servers at my new office.

This should be no problem with a decent quality service from Demon as I have
carried out a similar setup before.

However, I may need to run busier web servers as well and I'd prefer to run
them at the office as well.

My choices of broadband connection seem to be:

Business ADSL with 2MB upload and 250k download with a contention ratio of
either 1:1 or 5:1

SDSL with 1MB or 2MB download/upload again with contention of either 1:1 or
5:1

I'm not currently sure if SDSL is available but I thought I'd ask if anyone
else has had experience of running web servers over xDSL and what the
limits are before needed a dedicated leased line.

Thanks,

Kev

kevin bailey wrote:

> I am looking at hosting a couple of very low use web servers which act as
> project servers at my new office.

> However, I may need to run busier web servers as well and I'd prefer to
> run them at the office as well.
>
> My choices of broadband connection seem to be:
>
> Business ADSL with 2MB upload and 250k download with a contention ratio of
> either 1:1 or 5:1
>
> SDSL with 1MB or 2MB download/upload again with contention of either 1:1
> or 5:1
>
> I'm not currently sure if SDSL is available but I thought I'd ask if
> anyone else has had experience of running web servers over xDSL and what
> the limits are before needed a dedicated leased line.

I think you've just pointed out what the limits are - the upstream bandwidth
from the place you're hosting them. Bear in mind that DSL Max offers better
upstream speeds than fixed-rate ADSL. It's pretty hard to answer your
question without known how large the pages are on your site, and what your
definitions of 'very low use' and 'busier' are.

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In article <f8keha$p6f$1$(E-Mail Removed)>,
kevin bailey <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I am looking at hosting a couple of very low use web servers which act as
>project servers at my new office.
>
>This should be no problem with a decent quality service from Demon as I have
>carried out a similar setup before.
>
>However, I may need to run busier web servers as well and I'd prefer to run
>them at the office as well.

Out of curiosity, why?

>My choices of broadband connection seem to be:
>
>Business ADSL with 2MB upload and 250k download with a contention ratio of
>either 1:1 or 5:1
>
>SDSL with 1MB or 2MB download/upload again with contention of either 1:1 or
>5:1
>
>I'm not currently sure if SDSL is available but I thought I'd ask if anyone
>else has had experience of running web servers over xDSL and what the
>limits are before needed a dedicated leased line.

The limiting factor is going to be a combination of the content of
the web server - large images, big blocks of data to be downloaded,
the number of people accessing them simultaneously and the speed of the
outgoing connection.

If it's mostly for internal use with only the odd "road warrior" or home
user accessing them, and the content can be optimised (no big pictures,
mostly text for example) then a standard ADSL-MAX line should be quite
sufficient.

Otherwise, I'd seriously look at hosting them externally, then you could
offset the cost of a more expensive ADSL/SDSL line against the hosting
fees. (Which won't quite balance, but...)

Gordon

kevin bailey wrote:
> I'm not currently sure if SDSL is available but I thought I'd ask if anyone
> else has had experience of running web servers over xDSL and what the
> limits are before needed a dedicated leased line.

In addition to what the other posters have mentioned, you should be
aware of the following:

* increased latency for xDSL based hosting rather than "proper" web
hostin
* SLA for your xDSL service - any downtime on the xDSL will be
downtime for your website(s)

Gordon Henderson wrote:

> In article <f8keha$p6f$1$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> kevin bailey <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>Hi,
>>
>>I am looking at hosting a couple of very low use web servers which act as
>>project servers at my new office.
>>
>>This should be no problem with a decent quality service from Demon as I
>>have carried out a similar setup before.
>>
>>However, I may need to run busier web servers as well and I'd prefer to
>>run them at the office as well.
>
> Out of curiosity, why?
>

Because I have a spare windowless room at the office and I'd like to build
up to a full colocation service.

However, i agree, and for most busy servers or single purpose servers I rent
them from budget dedicated. The bandwidth there is great.

>>My choices of broadband connection seem to be:
>>
>>Business ADSL with 2MB upload and 250k download with a contention ratio of
>>either 1:1 or 5:1
>>
>>SDSL with 1MB or 2MB download/upload again with contention of either 1:1
>>or 5:1
>>
>>I'm not currently sure if SDSL is available but I thought I'd ask if
>>anyone else has had experience of running web servers over xDSL and what
>>the limits are before needed a dedicated leased line.
>
> The limiting factor is going to be a combination of the content of
> the web server - large images, big blocks of data to be downloaded,
> the number of people accessing them simultaneously and the speed of the
> outgoing connection.
>
> If it's mostly for internal use with only the odd "road warrior" or home
> user accessing them, and the content can be optimised (no big pictures,
> mostly text for example) then a standard ADSL-MAX line should be quite
> sufficient.
>

Yep - it would be for two developers accessing a wiki and an IRC server on a
'project' server.

kev

> Otherwise, I'd seriously look at hosting them externally, then you could
> offset the cost of a more expensive ADSL/SDSL line against the hosting
> fees. (Which won't quite balance, but...)
>
> Gordon

>> I'm not currently sure if SDSL is available but I thought I'd ask if
>> anyone else has had experience of running web servers over xDSL and what
>> the limits are before needed a dedicated leased line.
>
> I think you've just pointed out what the limits are - the upstream
> bandwidth from the place you're hosting them. Bear in mind that DSL Max
> offers better upstream speeds than fixed-rate ADSL. It's pretty hard to
> answer your question without known how large the pages are on your site,
> and what your definitions of 'very low use' and 'busier' are.
>

This is curious to me - what are the differences between fixed-rate ADSL and
DSL MAX? I know that with DSL MAX you can go up to 8MB if the copper can
take it - but in some ways I'd prefer to have a reliable 2MB/256k than a
variable MAX service.

I'm not sure why Zen sell the 2MB service. I'm pretty sure that with Demon
it is because the contention can be either 1:1 or 5:1. With Zen sales I've
had talk about 'no such thing as contention' as BT have now specified
minimum speeds for various services. If the speed is not up to scratch
then BT can be nagged into improving it.

Sounds a bit weird but its a while since I checked this stuff out.

Kev

In article <f8lae4$h41$2$(E-Mail Removed)>,
kevin bailey <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Gordon Henderson wrote:
>> If it's mostly for internal use with only the odd "road warrior" or home
>> user accessing them, and the content can be optimised (no big pictures,
>> mostly text for example) then a standard ADSL-MAX line should be quite
>> sufficient.
>>
>
>Yep - it would be for two developers accessing a wiki and an IRC server on a
>'project' server.


I'd suggest that a business quality ADSL-Max service would be more than
adequate for what you need - one with 833Kb/sec outgoing speed (but check
your distance from the exchange with eg. www.samknows.com
You'll very likely be Ok with 448Kb/sec outgoing too if it's just a lightweight
text only service.

Good luck!

Gordon

kevin bailey wrote:

>>> I'm not currently sure if SDSL is available but I thought I'd ask if
>>> anyone else has had experience of running web servers over xDSL and what
>>> the limits are before needed a dedicated leased line.
>>
>> I think you've just pointed out what the limits are - the upstream
>> bandwidth from the place you're hosting them. Bear in mind that DSL Max
>> offers better upstream speeds than fixed-rate ADSL.
>
> This is curious to me - what are the differences between fixed-rate ADSL
> and DSL MAX? I know that with DSL MAX you can go up to 8MB if the copper
> can take it -

That's just the downstream speed. Upstream, MAX is ~450k and Max Premium is
~700k [which is 70% of the speed of 1M SDSL, for a lot less than 70% of the
price :-) ].

> but in some ways I'd prefer to have a reliable 2MB/256k
> than a variable MAX service.
>
> I'm not sure why Zen sell the 2MB service.

I think you've just answered your own question there - if someone wants to
buy it, then it's worth selling.

> I'm pretty sure that with Demon it is because the contention can be either
> 1:1 or 5:1. With Zen sales I've had talk about 'no such thing as
> contention' as BT have now specified minimum speeds for various services.

Maybe Demon are using LLU and Zen are reselling BT IPstream - hence the
difference in positions between the two. TBH I didn't think BT ever offered
1:1 or 5:1 on ADSL anyway.

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