VPS Hosting in Kenya: Beginners Guide to Virtual Private Server

Kevin

4 years ago

Last updated on November 4th, 2020 at 08:51 am

If you’ve been looking for better web hosting options, you have landed on things like VPS hosting in Kenya, dedicated servers, and of course, shared hosting.

In this article, I will walk you through:

What is VPS hosting
How does it work
How does VPS compare to other web hosting plans
When should you consider choosing VPS hosting in Kenya
How to pick the best VPS hosting plan

If you are looking for answers to any of the above questions, stick with me to the end.

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

What is VPS hosting in Kenya?

First, we will define what VPS actually stands for – virtual private server.

In a nutshell, a server is a special computer that stores your website files such as videos, articles, images, etc.

So, whenever someone types your domain name into their web browser, they are ‘served’ what they requested from this storage unit.

As for the virtual part, it means that the server has been subdivided into several independent units using virtualization. This is a technology where you apply imaginary walls on the server to create separate independent compartments.

By doing this, you end up with multiple servers inside one single server. Think of it as servers inside one big server.

Private is as it sounds: the server is only reserved for you. You won’t share with anyone the RAM, CPU, and disk space.

How does VPS work?

VPS servers simulate the functioning of dedicated servers, but with one difference: you are still under the same server with other users.

So what happens is the hosting provider installs a virtual wall on the operating system (OS) of the server, thanks to virtualization technology.

As a result, new virtual servers are born, which are capable of running on their own because you can install OS different from the parent one.

Now, when you are using VPS hosting in Kenya, your website files will be separated from the OS level, making it truly private. As such, your website is living in a secure environment with its resources, think RAM, CPU, disk space.

And you cannot share anything with anyone.

Comparing VPS servers with Shared hosting and dedicated servers

To truly appreciate the uniqueness of the VPS hosting in Kenya, you must understand web hosting as a whole. Here, I will discuss how VPS servers compare with other hosting plans

Shared hosting

Shared hosting is the most common web hosting package in Kenya. As its name suggests, you are sharing the server with other users – think RAM, CPU, and disk space, for all of you.

I will use a simple analogy to make it easier for you.

Think of a huge block apartment. Other tenants are living in different rooms. You and your neighbors need a home – just like your website data- but you can’t go out and rent a whole single unit because it is too expensive for your needs.

And now, you are sharing common utilities and common areas within the apartment to keep the costs down.

That is how shared hosting works.

As you can already tell, this arrange has its share of challenges. For example: If one of the users experiences a lot of traffic, your website will be affected.

As such, shared hosting is recommended for those starting. And as your website grow, you should consider other website hosting plans such as VPS hosting in Kenya.

Dedicated hosting

Dedicated servers are the complete opposite of shared hosting.

Instead of sharing the server with other website owners, you got everything to yourself.

Sounds awesome, right?

Well, there is a catch.

Dedicated hosting may cost higher, but you are enjoying its goodness without interruptions.

For this reason, dedicated hosting is for websites with robust technical demands. If any of the following describes you, then you need a dedicated server ASAP:

You need to install custom software
Getting a huge amount of traffic daily
Your business is handling thousands of transactions per day
In need of own operating system

You should check out these dedicated server hosting plans.

VPS hosting in Kenya

VPS is the bridge between shared hosting and dedicated hosting.

It is that ultimate sweet spot you’ve been looking for, where you can enjoy all the benefits of dedicated servers at pocket change.

Even though you are under the same server with other users, your domain (website) has been allocated its RAM, CPU, and disk space.

Simply put, VPS hosting in Kenya gives you more bang for your buck.

When should you switch to using VPS servers?

You should consider switching to VPS if any of the following is happening right now.

You are worried about the security of your data and website as a whole. VPS comes with enhanced security features – think daily automated backups, security patches, error handling. 24/7 customer support, regular maintenance, and upgrades
The website is experiencing a spike in traffic. Huge traffic needs a stable website that can load fast. But unfortunately, you cannot get that from shared hosting. If you want better performance and speed, VPS is the way to go
Your website is getting slower and slower – this is because you are using more RAM and you are reaching your limits. As your website grow, you should move to a VPS hosting plan. It is the only way you can scale without worrying about slow loading pages
You plan on starting an eCommerce shop – an online shop needs a secure environment where users can shop without worrying about their data being stolen. As such, upgrading to VPS Servers in KE hosting makes more sense. The last thing you want is losing customer credit card information to fraudsters, which by the way, are so rampant nowadays.
Need to install custom software – those using shared hosting find it easy to use software like WordPress, Wix, and other CMS software. But the moment you want to install custom software, that’s where the problems arise. It becomes harder considering that you don’t have enough resources. You know, things like billing and bookkeeping require round-the-clock availability and of course, fast internet. This is only available when using dedicated servers or VPS servers.
Constant server errors – do you encounter errors like 50X errors, Service Unavailable, or Internal server error? Well, there is a high chance that your customers encounter it too. If you are running an online business, this could be costing you a lot of money. Avoid all these by upgrading to VPS
Under a tight budget – while it is true a dedicated server can solve all of your website performance problems, it becomes a challenge if you don’t have enough budget to upgrade. That is where the VPS comes in. You can enjoy all benefits without spending much
If you build websites for clients – VPS allows you to add more clients into the server and make sure all of them are working optimally by allocating their RAM

Tips on choosing the best VPS hosting plan

Self-managed and managed VPS

We at Truehost offer two types of VPS hosting:

Self-managed is as it sounds, you are going to be handling things like maintenance, security patches, troubleshooting, and all that server admin skills.

But if all that sounds too much work, then you can opt for the next VPS option.

Managed VPS – this is where the hosting company does everything for you. And you can focus on growing your business.

Linux/Windows

You should acquire a hosting package that is compatible with your OS. We have Linux VPS and Windows VPS hosting.

Reliability

The server should be having at least 99.5% uptime and if you find anything below that,

Hardware

Your provider should be running on the latest and quality server hardware. For the record, Truehost runs on the latest SSD technology, which is the fastest storage currently in the market.

Round the clock customer support

Since you are a business, you will need support once in a while. At Truehost, we have a team of experts available 24/7 waiting and ready to help you.

Backups

Losing website files at a blink of an eye is so common. As a result, you need an automatic backup available.

We make sure that in case anything happens to your website, we have disaster assistance techniques in place. This way, you can continue growing your business without worries.

Frequently asked questions

What is VPS hosting?

Virtual Private Server hosting is a special plan where a domain name is assigned to own RAM, CPU, and disk space without sharing with other users, thanks to virtualization technology.

What are the benefits of VPS hosting?

Well, VPS users in Kenya enjoy a variety of benefits ranging from having their own server resources such as ram, CPU, and disk space and not sharing with anyone. Also, you can install custom software and run own applications. Additionally, security is at high levels. VPS comes with premium security features.

What is the difference between shared and VPS hosting?

The difference between shared hosting and VPS hosting is that VPS users are allotted own resources unlike shared hosting users. Here, shared users are sharing everything within the server. But VPS allows you to have your own virtualized server where you can install custom software.