Some of you might be wondering what can be done with a Virtual Private Server (VPS)? Some might also wonder what does a VPS do?
What can be done with a virtual machine that is always connected and always available? That has a CPU of server-class, super-fast SSD speeds, along with dedicated RAM.
Anything! Yes, that’s right. You can do almost anything. But be sure not to break the law or violate the terms and conditions of the VPS solution provider.
You can utilize it for various things. It could be to host a site or to launch an online game multiplayer with your friends.
So it could be that you are in search of additional ways to help you take maximum advantage of your VPS. Or it could be that you are planning on getting a new Virtual Private Server (VPS) solution for the very first time.
You can be assured that you are at the right place. Here we will be discussing everything about a VPS, so let’s dive in.
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Web Hosting
This is the initial thing that one would think of while discussing the various ways you can use a VPS. Of course, a VPS is widely used for this purpose.
A VPS hosting provides excellent value for your investment. But most importantly, it is an extremely effective alternative rather than a cheaper one like most shared hosting.
With regard to performance, it doesn’t get better than VPS hosting that has a server CPU, extremely fast disks and dedicated RAM.
Web Server Hosting
Hosting various servers via VPS is the common use that is increasing among many users. Just as its name suggests, VPS hosting can get plenty of things done that a typical server can.
For instance, the static site can work from a Virtual Private Server (VPS). It is sufficient for a web server software that includes OpenLiteSpeed, Nginx and Apache. You can also upload HTML files.
Now the potential to host your virtual server does not end here. With the Lamp-server meta-package, you can automate installation for Ubuntu.
Also, for web servers that are based on Nginx – On CentOS, Centmin Mod Script. WordPress can also be easily installed along with an alternative flat file on the LAMP stack.
To optimize your web server hosting, utilizing a VPS is a wise way of getting more from it. These servers perform several functions, and these functions are mentioned in the points below.
Self-Hosting Applications – Save Money
Self-hosting your own web projects and not utilizing SaaS alternatives can save you plenty of money that you would have used to pay these companies.
These companies charge fees on a monthly and annual basis in order to utilize their software.
With VPS hosting, you will have a virtual server of your own with your own individual software. This will give you complete control of every element you host.
If you choose to take up the self-hosting route, you must know that you will require an added skill. However, the amount of cash that you will end up saving will definitely make it worthwhile.
Various business softwares like Slack and Dropbox can be purchased as SaaS. But you would find numerous alternatives to self-hosting.
In many cases, the other options are as good, and at times they outperform the available SaaS option.
The only difference, which is the major one, is that often they are available at no extra cost. You could also host it by yourself on the VPS.
This will result in saving up plenty of cash as SaaS enterprise levels are most of the time available at exorbitant rates.
Searching for alternatives to popular SaaS software is simple as running a Google search. There are plenty of popular tutorials on “alternative – open source for Dropbox”. It explains the various steps to follow while installing software.
You will also find apps at the enterprise level. This includes ERP software which covers everything, including accounting, CRM and HR. It also offers an added bonus. It makes you less dependent on a SaaS platform offering total control of the business data.
Game Server
One of the favourite pastimes of many people is gaming. We’ve noticed that gaming popularity has risen steadily throughout the years.
Among gamers, online games are extremely popular. Especially in these times, the internet has become very accessible and is also steadily rising.
VPS hosting can also be used for a server that is hosting a set-up of online games. It could be that you want to set it up in order to play these games with your family as well as friends.
You will be able to host an extensive list of various games. Some of them are extremely popular, like World of Warcraft, CS:GO, and Minecraft.
These sessions of gaming are hosted on servers that are dedicated. But they are pretty expensive. So if you go in for a VPS hosting option, that is strong enough.
You will receive the similar performance that you would get on a dedicated hosting server. This is also available at a much lesser rate.
It makes the VPS an excellent option for this purpose. I would say, no matter what you imagine, you must know that to host, it doesn’t require many resources from the specific server. Obviously, utilizing a VPS for gaming is definitely a no-brainer.
Mail Server Setup
This is another service that many businesses end up paying for in order to host emails. Now with the help of a VPS hosting, you’ll definitely avoid these expenses that you would incur by the hosting company’s email server.
The basic VPS hosting can also handle an open-source email that is self-hosted with much ease. Here you will be able to host all the employee addresses. Whereas, with SaaS services, they will charge you according to the number of mailboxes.
You would find email servers of open source in abundance over the web. They require additional tech-savviness in order to run them.
However, I think that nothing should discourage you from hosting your own company’s email server by yourself.
VoIP – Keep Using It
Virtual Private Servers also allows the customer to host the individual VoIP server, making calls on the Internet. This serves as a webphone. It could be utilized for multiple things like making calls to individuals on phones, gaming, or even speaking with your colleagues at work.
One of the open-source VoIP alternatives that you can utilize is Mumble. This focuses mainly on gamers as they have clients for OS X, Windows and Linux.
Ubuntu users will also be able to utilize the packages in their official repositories. Also, they can install it by simply running a few commands.
VPN Set Up
Today we notice a spike in Internet frauds. Virtual Private Servers can assist the user in hiding all their online payment information. So also hide the clients as well as the company data from hackers.
But, various VPN providers, the free as well as the paid ones, have extremely questionable ownership. There are some of them who even sell the users’ data.
For a while now, VPNs have been a topic of controversy. This is on account of a few changes to the ISP’s method of dealing with the data. Also, due to the fact that they sell the data.
So all this implies that the installation of a VPN on a VPS may actually be life-changing.
Currently, if you are in the habit of utilizing public Wi-Fi, for instance, you are at extremely high risk of endangering your data. Wi-Fi networks are not always very secure. So in case you get a VPS, you will be able to then utilize it like a VPN.
This will ensure that the browsing sessions are incredibly secure and safe at the airport or even at the coffee shop. Or whatever ever Wi-Fi you may use while travelling. Now you can check your financial and accounting data safely without having to worry about any online fraud.
So, what type of VPN could you make use of? If you happen to be a control freak, relying on an OpenVPN is something you should consider. Installing such an open-source VPN that is trustworthy on the VPS offers you a substantial amount of customizable service and flexibility. It’s good to secure the VPS-hosted site with a layer of VPN.
The entire VPS can be configured to work just like a VPN. Certain open-source alternatives tend to simplify things like Streisand and Algo.
Accessing GUI Remotely
We often encourage users to utilize their VPS by taking advantage of it and also increasing their knowledge of managing Linux as well as shell commands in general. But there are a couple of things that are extremely difficult to get done, especially if you follow a certain command line.
Users can also utilize VNS (Virtual Network Computing). This will help the VPS to become an interface that is graphical. It will make it work as a laptop/desktop computer.
For instance, if you utilize Ubuntu for the VPS, you would have to install the TightVNC server and Xfce desktop environment on it. Do remember to create an SSH encrypted tunnel for your connection, especially for security reasons.
External Backup
If you are extremely serious about working online, then we suggest that backing up all your files is vital. Loss of folders, files and at times, the whole drive has been faced by some of us. So as the saying goes, precautions are better than cure. You must take precautions to avoid this, especially from a business point of view.
Many users back up all their files in a physical space like hard drives that are external or USB sticks. So, if you decide to use a VPS for your online backup, it will certainly take up less space than the external one.
Conclusion
If you get a VPS of high quality, you can achieve almost anything. There are a couple of things that you can do apart from web hosting. A few of them have already been discussed. A VPS can be used for multiple things.
If you decide to simply experiment sharpening your skills, a VPS is fantastic. You can also check our article on What is a Registrar? (What are they? How do Domain Names work? Etc).
What do you plan to utilize the VPS for?