Whether you’re tech-savvy or just looking into hosting, you’ve probably heard the term VPS. Virtual servers are often rented out to customers by hosting companies. However, there is a lot more you can do with a VPS server than just hosting websites. In this blog, we will have a look at what a Virtual Private Server (VPS) is and what it is used for.
What is a virtual private server?
Before we go into what you can do with a VPS, you’ll need to know what a VPS is. A VPS is a physical dedicated server that has been split into separate virtual servers. By creating separate virtual servers, users will get their own dedicated resources, the operating system of choice, and full control.Â
What can you do with a VPS?
In short, you can do more or less anything with a Virtual Private Server (as long as you aren’t breaking the law of course).Â
1. Web hosting
One of the main things virtual servers are used for is web hosting; You can use a virtual server to host your own website, or to create websites for others and do the hosting for them.
Using a virtual server has many advantages compared to hosting your website through shared hosting. You’ll get dedicated RAM, SSD storage, and server CPU, on a shared physical server.Â
You can read more about the differences between shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated server hosting in a blog we published earlier
2. Create a gaming server
Online multiplayer games are becoming very popular. In fact, it has become a favorite pastime to many of us – especially with the COVID-19 pandemic.
With a VPS, you can set up an online game server to play games with your friends. On a game server, you can host a variety of games such as Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Runescape, and League of Legends.
Some advantages of hosting your own game are that you’ll have more customization options, you won’t rely on game publishers anymore, you’ll get full privacy, and it’s a lot more effective than hosting on a home server.
3. Set up a mail server
If you’re looking for a more private and secure environment for your emails, you can set up a mail server. By setting up your own mail server, you do not rely on others anymore and you’ll get full control over who can read your correspondence.
4. Host your own VoIP server
Voice over Internet Protocol, often shortened as VoIP, is a way of communicating that uses the internet as the transmission medium. So, by hosting your own VoIP server, you will be able to make calls over the internet. A good example of VoIP is Skype.
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5. Encrypt your wireless connections by setting up a VPN
Cybercrime is a 24/7 issue. However, by setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when connecting to wireless networks, you can make it just a tad bit harder for cybercriminals to do their job.
In short, a VPN works as a secure tunnel between your device and the internet. This means that by using a VPN, you’ll make sure that your internet browsing session is well secured, no matter where you are located.
To give you a few examples: you’ll be able to hide your online payment details, protect personal data from your clients, and secure your company details. But that’s not the only thing you can do with a VPN: a VPN also allows you to bypass regional restrictions, such as accessing Google and Facebook when visiting China.
6. Create a backup server
Losing folders is something that can happen to anyone and everyone. So, if you’re someone who works online, backing up your documents is a must.
Now you can backup your data on a USB stick or external hard drive. However, if you want an online solution, you can create a backup server. With an online backup server, you will have access to your files as long as you are connected to the internet.
7. Develop and test code
If you’re in the business of programming, then a VPS is a great way to experiment, develop and test code.
The good thing about using a VPS for developing and testing code is that you’ll avoid any conflict in case of unexpected results. If things go wrong, you can easily erase your virtual servers, reinstall the server and start over again.
