Dedicated Smart Server FAQs
If you have a question that has not been answered here you can also consult the Knowledge Base.
If you need advice or assistance with any sales, service or support related query or issue you can contact us via email at service@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form.
| ANSWERS: Dedicated Server General FAQs | |
| How long will it take to set up my server? | [Top] |
| Depending on the type of server or system ordered and any special requests or non-standard installations that may be required you can expect to be in receipt of your login and configuration details within 1-6 hours. Other factors that can influence the setup time are completeness of your order and in particular whether valid and verifiable contact details have been provided. | |
| How do I access my server once it has been set up? | [Top] |
| Depending on the server type available access methods would include SSH, Telnet and FTP as well as various control panel systems such as Webmin, cPanel, Plesk etc. The Remote Desktop service would be available for Windows based servers. Access to the server via IPMI/VNC console access is available for all Dedicated Smart Servers. Practically all control panel systems can be installed or made available if required. If you have any special requirements with respect to server access or administration options please contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| What is the standard Operating System (OS) installed? | [Top] |
| The standard operating system installed on the Dedicated Smart Servers is Enterprise Linux CentOS however a number of different operating system options are available when ordering your server including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, FreeBSD, Solaris, OpenSolaris, Redhat Enterprise as well as Windows Server 2003/2008 and Enterprise Editions. Practically any type or version of operating system can be installed and run on a Dedicated Smart Server. If you have special requirements with respect to operating systems or installed software you can discuss available options by contacting Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| Will I have full root access to my server? | [Top] |
| Yes, full root access and control is available on all Dedicated Smart Servers. | |
| Can I have Windows 2003 or 2008 installed? | [Top] |
| Yes, Windows Server 2003 or 2008 as well as Windows 2003/2003 Enterprise Editions and Windows 2008 Datacenter Edition are supported and available as operating system options on all Dedicated Smart Servers. | |
| What control panels are installed or available? | [Top] |
| A wide range of control panel options are available for the Dedicated Smart Servers if required including cPanel, Plesk, Direst Admin and others. Practically any type of hosting related control panel or client management systems can be installed or made available if required. If you have special requirements with respect to control panel systems you can discuss available options by contacting Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| How many domains, websites and email accounts can I support? | [Top] |
| Depending on the system specifications a Dedicated Smart Server can support between 10 to 1000 or more domains and websites including associated services such as email etc. The number of domains and websites a particular server can support would also depend on factors such as the traffic which each site or service will be receiving and the processing load requirements for applications and services such as databases and email systems etc. | |
| How many IP addresses are included with server? | [Top] |
| The servers include between 2-6 usable IP addresses. Additional IP addresses are available if required at a cost of $2.50 per IP per month. There are no limits as to how many IPs a server may have however depending on the number of IP's requested justification (a legitimate technical reason) may be required. | |
| What kind of network connection will the server have? | [Top] |
| The servers are connected to our core network by 100Mbps dedicated ports which in turn are connected via Gigabit fiber ethernet (1000Mbps) links to the Level3 network which provides connectivity and peering with all of the world's major Internet backbones. | |
| What brand of hardware is used for the servers? | [Top] |
| We use branded hardware from leading companies such as Dell and Supermicro and our systems are built, tested and maintained by skilled professionals who have many years of experience working in complex mission critical computing and hosting industry environments. | |
| What is the included bandwidth allowance? | [Top] |
| Depending on the server model the included data transfer is between 2TB and 10TB per month. Our customers rarely exceed the bandwidth allocations on their servers however should you exceed the included data transfer any bandwidth usage exceeding the allocation for a given server or service plan will be billed at the rate of $0.10 per Gigabyte. | |
| Can I use my own operating system or control panel licence with the server? | [Top] |
| Yes, if you have your own licenses for either commercial operating systems such as Windows or control panel software such as cPanel or Plesk you can use these with your server. | |
| What can I do with a Dedicated Smart Server? | [Top] |
| With a Dedicated Smart Server you can host multiple Virtual/VPS Cloud Servers, websites, databases, applications, forums, blogs as well as manage email systems, provide DNS services and much more. You will have full root access to your server so there is basically no limit to what you can do with the server providing that it does not violate our terms of service. | |
| Can I use my server to resell hosting services? | [Top] |
| Yes. One of the main uses of dedicated servers is the provision of web hosting and related servers and a Dedicated Smart Server is a good choice as a platform for web hosting resellers due to factors such as ease of upgrades, scalability and migrations. | |
| Which web hosting reseller control panels are available? | [Top] |
| A wide range of hosting control panels are available for installation on the Dedicated Smart Servers if required including cPanel, Plesk, Direst Admin and others. Practically any type of hosting related control panel or client management systems can be installed or made available if required. If you have special requirements with respect to control panel systems you can discuss available options by contacting Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| What if there is a problem with the server hardware? | [Top] |
| Because we use high quality branded hardware from Dell and Supermicro hardware failures are rare, but they can and do happen. Should there be a hardware related issue with your Smart Server or any of it's associated infrastructure or related systems our technical support will respond and deal with the issue within a 30 minute time frame on a 24/7 basis as per the provisions outlined in our 100% Uptime SLA. | |
| Are the Dedicated Smart Servers unmanaged or managed? | [Top] |
| Smart Servers provides 1st Level Technical Support related to server hardware or network issues and this is included free of charge as part of the service however the Dedicated Smart Servers are generally unmanaged with respect to the installed server operating systems and associated software updates and patches etc unless you have the option Level 2 Managed Technical Support which includes up to 2 hours of server or operating system administration support. It is recommended that you choose this option unless you are an experienced server admin. | |
| What levels of server management are available? | [Top] |
| Smart Servers offers a Level 2 Managed Technical Support service which can be selected when you place your server order or at any time after you server has been set up. This includes up to 2 hours of server or operating system administration support per month when you need it. If you do not order the Level 2 Managed Technical Support you can still get help for things like installing and configuring scripts and software or troubleshooting any issue you may have. This type of "on demand" assistance is available for a reasonable hourly rate ranging from $30-$50 per hour depending on the nature and technical complexity of the assistance required. | |
| Is there an uptime guarantee or SLA? | [Top] |
| Smart Servers offers a 100% Uptime Guarantee as per the terms of our Service Level Agreement. For more information see Smart Servers SLA | |
| Does the server have a firewall like iptables? | [Top] |
| With all Dedicated Smart Servers running the Linux operating system you will have the option to configure iptables or use other associated applications such as Guarddog for KDE. Servers running the Windows operating systems will have the standard Windows firewall activated by default. Additional firewall software applications of various types can be installed if required. If you have questions or special requirements with respect to firewalls you can discuss available options by contacting Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| Where will my dedicated server be hosted? | [Top] |
| Smart Servers operates out of a world class data center that is uniquely positioned at the very heart of the global Internet at 85 10th Avenue in New York City. The facility is a Class A Data Center that has been described as one of the most technically advanced and secure buildings in the country. For further related information please see our Data Center Overview | |
| What happens if I run out of space on my hard drive? | [Top] |
| If you run out of space on your existing hard drive and are unable to free up space by deleting unnecessary files a hard disk drive upgrade is usually the best course of action. All hardware upgrades are handled by Smart Servers Technical Support and are generally able to be carried out without any interruptions of service involved other than possibly a 30 second interval required to boot the system up in it's new hardware configuration. For further information or to discuss server upgrade options you can contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| How scalable is a Dedicated Smart Server? | [Top] |
| Due to the highly flexible and easily scalable nature of the of the Dedicated Smart Servers hardware specifications such as CPU, RAM and hard disk are easily scalable and upgrades to the next server level or the scaling up of your existing server with additional RAM, CPU or disk drive resources are generally able to be carried out with only a few hours notice. Server upgrades can usually be done with no interruptions of service involved other than possibly a 30 second interval required to boot the system up in it's new hardware configuration. For further information or to discuss server upgrade options you can contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| What if I want to upgrade or downgrade my server plan? | [Top] |
| Unlike with traditional old style dedicated servers you can generally upgrade (or downgrade) your server at any time without charge with just a few hours notice and with no downtime or interruptions of service involved due to the highly flexible and easily scalable nature of the of the Dedicated Smart Servers. In some circumstances server hardware specifications such as CPU, RAM and hard disk may also be able to be upgraded without having to upgrade your server to the next level. If you need to upgrade or downgrade your service you can discuss available options by contacting Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| How are server hardware upgrades handled? | [Top] |
| Hardware upgrades are handled by Smart Servers Technical Support and are generally able to be carried out without any interruptions of service involved other than possibly a 30 second interval required to boot the system up in it's new hardware configuration. For further information or to discuss server upgrade options contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| How are server software upgrades handled? | [Top] |
| If you have ordered the Level 2 Managed Technical Support service our technical support can take care of the upgrading of your server software for you and can normally carry out software upgrades, patches and security fixes as required. If your server is unmanaged you can still get assistance with upgrades if required on an "on demand" basis a reasonable hourly rate ranging from $30-$50 per hour depending on the nature and technical complexity of the assistance required. Depending on what control panel software you may have installed on your server this may also have options to automatically carry out necessary software upgrades. If you have questions about server software updates or managed support options you can contact technical support. | |
| What levels of data backup are included? | [Top] |
| All Dedicated Smart Servers include full managed weekly data backup at no additional charge. A fully automatic daily backup service as well as hosted self-backup space is also available for an additional charge depending on the amount of data being backed up. Additional backup options can be specified when you order your server or to discuss your backup related requirements you can contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| Can Smart Servers provide secondary DNS service? | [Top] |
| Yes, we can provide both primary and secondary DNS support for any or all of your domains if required. This service is usually included at no additional charge. | |
| Can I install and manage my own DNS servers? | [Top] |
| Yes, all Dedicated Smart Servers come with at least 2 IP addresses which can be used to support primary and secondary DNS servers. In most cases depending on the operating system type or distribution the DNS service (usually BIND) is either already pre-installed and running on the server or easily installed and configured. If you have questions about how to install or configure DNS on your server you can contact technical support. | |
| Will my dedicated server support SSL? | [Top] |
| Yes, generally all dedicated servers have the Apache web server installed and pre-configured to support the HTTPS/SSL service although you may need to obtain an SSL certificate for domains you wish to have SSL support available from one of the recognized SSL certificate providers. Smart Servers can provide SSL certificates if required starting at $25/yr including installation support. For further info please contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| What are the advantages of a Dedicated Smart Server? | [Top] |
| A Dedicated Smart Server incorporates advanced cloud-backed features which provide added flexibility, rapid scaling of hardware resources and greater stability and redundancy than a regular dedicated server. This means almost instant hardware upgrades and migrations are possible with no downtime. Integrated full disk replication and backups mean that a Dedicated Smart Server also provides higher levels of stability and redundancy than a regular dedicated server. | |
| Do you allow reselling of your dedicated servers? | [Top] |
| Yes, Smart Servers is one of the longest established complex hosting providers specializing in supporting ISP's, Web Hosting Resellers, VARs, MSPs and other Internet professionals who partner with us and take advantage of the many benefits that have made us a leading provider of Virtual Cloud and Dedicated Server hosting and Cloud based Virtual Data Center services. Reseller discounts are available on all of our services for VARs, MSPs and IT Consultants and other Internet professionals. For more information see our Reseller / Partner Program Overview. | |
| Can I upgrade my Virtual Cloud Server to a Dedicated Smart Server? | [Top] |
| Yes, it is generally and easy matter to upgrade from one server level to another with Smart Servers technical support providing any advice or assistance that might be necessary to ensure a smooth transition with little or no downtime involved for any active sites or services. If you are thinking about upgrading your existing Virtual Cloud Server to a Dedicated Smart Server you can discuss options by contacting Smart Servers sales via email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| Is any type of server monitoring included? | [Top] |
| Basic monitoring services are included free of charge with all servers. Our server monitoring system will monitor your server for connectivity via ping or a specific port or service (httpd, smtp etc) and our technical support will notify you by email if a problem is detected. There is also a 24/7 Rapid Response Monitoring available for an additional fee depending on the type of server and services involved. With the 24/7 Rapid Response Monitoring our technical support will respond and assist with server reboots and other urgent issues required to bring a non-responsive server back online as necessary on a 24/7 basis if you are unavailable or unable to attend to this yourself. | |
| Is there migration assistance to help me move from another provider? | [Top] |
| Our expert server migration service is included free of charge for any servers that you migrate to your service with us, whether it be a single Virtual Cloud Server or Dedicated Server or multiple servers of any type migrated to one of our Virtual Data Centers. This service is offered on a "best efforts" basis and due to the wide ranging and complex nature of migration we cannot make any guarantees that a migration will be able to be carried out completely free of technical glitches however our technical support team has extensive experience in this area and will do their very best to ensure that all server migrations take place as smoothly and with as little in the way of service interruption as possible. | |
| Can I sign up for a server without a domain name? | [Top] |
| We generally like to have a valid registered domain name included with a server order however if you are unsure what domain or domains you will be using with your server initially and would like to specify things like the reverse DNS to be associated with your server IP numbers at a later date then there is no need to provide a domain or host name when you place your order. | |
| Are there restrictions on the content I can host on my dedicated server? | [Top] |
| The services provided by Smart Servers are generally intended for supporting professional business, government and organizational related web sites and their associated services and as such we prohibit the hosting of any material deemed to be in violation of any federal, state or local regulations including but not limited to such things as copyrighted material, material judged to be threatening or obscene, pornographic, profane, or material protected by trade secrets. For more information see our Terms of Service. | |
| Will I have to change IP address if I upgrade from a Virtual Cloud Server to a dedicated server? | [Top] |
| Generally you should be able to keep your IP addresses when upgrading from a Virtual Cloud Server to a Dedicated Smart Server and also if you upgrade from a dedicated server to one of the Virtual Data Center environments. There may be some technical issues involved on your end if the IP addresses are in active use to support web sites or other services however Smart Servers technical support can generally work with you in these cases to ensure as smooth a transition as possible to the new server while keeping your existing IP's. | |
| ANSWERS: Dedicated Server Technical FAQs | |
| What kind of technical support is available? | [Top] |
| Depending on the service Smart Servers handles all issues related to the network and server hardware aspect of the service including the proactive monitoring of critical systems associated with your server. Our technical support will respond and deal with any hardware or network related issues within a 30 minute time frame on a 24/7 basis as per the provisions outlined in our 100% Uptime SLA. For more information on Smart Servers Technical Support and Service Options & Policies see Smart Servers Technical Support Overview. | |
| Who is responsible for system administration of the Server? | [Top] |
| Smart Servers provides 1st Level Technical Support related to server hardware or network issues and this is included free of charge as part of the service however the Dedicated Smart Servers are generally unmanaged with respect to the installed server operating systems and associated software updates and patches etc unless you have the option Level 2 Managed Technical Support which includes up to 2 hours of server or operating system administration support. If your server is unmanaged you can still get assistance with upgrades if required on an "on demand" basis a reasonable hourly rate ranging from $30-$50 per hour depending on the nature and technical complexity of the assistance required. Depending on what control panel software you may have installed on your server this may also have options to automatically carry out various administrative relation functions and perform necessary software upgrades. If you have questions about the administration of your server or managed support options you can contact technical support | |
| Do you offer free operating system re-installs? | [Top] |
| Smart Servers Technical Support can re-install your operating system for you if required. This service is usually free of charge unless non-standard special installation or configuration is needed in which case a small additional charge may apply. You can also install or re-configure the operating system on your server using the VNC/IPMI console available from your Smart Server control panel by choosing one of the available operating system templates or your own iso operating system image if desired. | |
| How do I reinstall the operating system on my server? | [Top] |
| You can install or re-configure the operating system on your server using the VNC/IPMI console available from your Smart Server control panel by choosing one of the available operating system templates or your own iso operating system image if desired. | |
| What applications can I run on my dedicated server? | [Top] |
| You will have full root access to your server so practically any application or service you see being run anywhere on the Internet can be installed and run on your Dedicated Smart Server. Your server will support practically all common applications and services often by using software is usually available either as free open source or at reasonable cost. Some some software and applications related to things like IRC, warez and file sharing sites are not allowed to be run on the Virtual Cloud Servers. For more information on this you can consult our Terms of Service. | |
| What if I break something on my server and can't access it? | [Top] |
| If you make a configuration mistake which has resulted in your being "locked out" or otherwise unable to access your server the Smart Servers technical support team can provide assistance with regaining access and fixing the configuration issue. Usually there are no charges involved for this service however this would depend on the potential difficulty of gaining access to some types of operating systems and whether you require this type of assistance on a frequent basis, in which case additional changes for the service may apply. | |
| How can I view bandwidth usage of my server? | [Top] |
| The bandwidth usage statistics for all Dedicated Smart Servers are available for viewing upon logging into the server management control panel included with all servers. | |
| Is any type of server monitoring included? | [Top] |
| Basic monitoring services are included free of charge with all servers. Our server monitoring system will monitor your server for connectivity via ping or a specific port or service (httpd, smtp etc) and our technical support will notify you by email if a problem is detected. There is also a 24/7 Rapid Response Monitoring available for an additional fee depending on the type of server and services involved. With the 24/7 Rapid Response Monitoring our technical support will respond and assist with server reboots and other urgent issues required to bring a non-responsive server back online as necessary on a 24/7 basis if you are unavailable or unable to attend to this yourself. | |
| Will I have the ability to remotely reboot my server? | [Top] |
| All Dedicated Smart Servers have remote reboot capability integrated with the server management control panel so you will be able to reboot as well as start and stop your server and perform other management and maintenance actions such as re-installing the server operating system if necessary all remotely via this management console. | |
| Can Virtual Cloud Servers be supported on the server? | [Top] |
| Yes, the Dedicated Smart Servers can support the hosting of Virtual Cloud/VPS type servers using most popular software applications designed for this including Virtuozzo/OpenVZ. If you have questions or special requirements with respect to Virtual Cloud/VPS software options please contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| Do you provide load balancing and server clustering abilities? | [Top] |
| As experts in the provision of complex hosting services with over 20 years of industry experience we can generally provide any type of hosting related service you may need. To discuss your requirements contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| Is access to NAS or SAN space available? | [Top] |
| Yes, if you required NAS or SAN space this would be available for a reasonable monthly fee depending on the amount of data involved and the expected usage load. To discuss your requirements contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
| Can you build a custom dedicated server for me? | [Top] |
| Currently the Dedicated Smart Servers are available in a range of standard hardware configurations suitable for most applications however if you have special requirements with respect to hardware configuration options you can contact Smart Servers sales by email at sales@smartservers.com or complete and submit our online contact form. | |
