There is a common dilemma among site owners whether to host the site themselves or go with a full service hosting company. Obviously your level of knowledge with computers and servers is critical for deciding on the matter. If you feel you are savvy enough to host yourself there are a few things you need to consider when setting up your own web server.

Though any computer can be used as a web server, it is recommended that you set aside a specific PC to be dedicated as a web server. This would ensure better efficiency. More so, make sure that the computer you decide to use as a web server is capable of handling the load it will eventually be under. A good processor will be necessary to handle web sites which have more than a few static HTML pages.

Make sure that you have a Network Interface Card, or an NIC, and a broadband connection. One of the most important things – if not the most important – in web hosting is the upload rate. You need to be able to deliver the content quickly.

Any OS can be used for your web server but it is much better if you make use of Linux. Ask any web hosting professional and you will probably get the same piece of advice.

One of the most important things to make sure when you are hosting your sites yourself is to keep up to date with known security vulnerabilities and update your system with the latest patches and new versions. A good place to keep up to date on all hosting related issues is webhostinginformation.net. The site provides continually update web hosting information and is an excellent resource to turn to with any hosting related issues or problem solving.