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+---
+title: "Get a Server"
+tags: ['basic']
+date: 2021-06-04
+---
+Once you have a [domain name](/basic/domain), you\'ll need a server to
+host all your website files on. In general, a server is just a computer
+that is constanly broadcasting some services on the internet.
+
+Servers connected to the internet can be extremely useful with or
+without proper websites attached to them. You can be your own website,
+email, file-sharing service and much more.
+
+## Getting a VPS
+
+A Virtual Personal Server (VPS) is a very cheap and easy way to get a
+web server. Without you having to buy expensive equipment. There are a
+lot of online businesses that have massive server farms with great
+internet connection and big power bills that allow you to rent a VPS in
+that farm for pocket change.
+
+A VPS usually costs \$5 a month. Sometimes slightly more, sometimes
+slightly less. That\'s a good price for some internet real-estate, but
+in truth, you can host a huge number of websites and services on a
+single VPS, so you get a lot more. I might have a dozen websites, an
+email server, a chat server and a file-sharing services on one VPS.
+
+The VPS provider that I\'ll be using for this guide is Vultr, since that
+is what I use. Vultr provides a free one-month \$100 credit to anyone
+who starts an account through [this referral link of
+mine](https://www.vultr.com/?ref=8384069-6G) so you can play around with
+their services with impunity.
+
+## Starting your server in two minutes or less
+
+[Start an account on Vultr](https://www.vultr.com/?ref=8384069-6G) and
+let\'s get started.
+
+Vultr (and other VPS providers) usually give you a choice in where and
+what exactly your VPS is.
+
+#### Server Location
+
+In general, it doesn\'t *hugely* matter what physical location you have
+your server in. You might theoretically want it close to where you or
+your audience might be, but if you host a server in Singapore for an
+American audience, they won\'t have to be waiting a perceptibly longer
+time to load the site.
+
+{{< img alt="Pick your servers's location" src="/pix/server-location.png" link="/pix/server-location.png" >}}
+
+**Some locations might have different abilities and plans than others.
+For example, in Vultr, their New York location has optional DDOS
+protection and also has some cheaper \$3.50 servers.**
+
+#### Operating System/Server Type
+
+{{< img alt="server type" src="/pix/server-type.png" link="/pix/server-type.png" >}}
+
+I especially recommend **Debian 11** for an operating system for your
+server. Debian is the \"classic\" server OS and as such, **I make my
+guides on this site for Debian 11**. If you use another OS, just know
+that your millage may vary in terms of you might need to change some
+instructions here minorly.
+
+#### Server size
+
+{{< img alt="server size" src="/pix/server-size.png" link="/pix/server-size.png" >}}
+
+You finally have a choice in how beefy a server you want. On Vultr, I
+recommend getting the cheapest option that is not IPv6 only.
+
+Web hosting and even moderately complicated sites do not use huge
+amounts of RAM or CPU power. If you start doing more intensive stuff
+than hosting some webpages and an email server and such, you can always
+bump up your plan on Vultr without data loss (it\'s not so easy to bump
+down).
+
+#### Additional features
+
+{{< img alt="additional features" src="/pix/server-features.png" link="/pix/server-features.png" >}}
+
+On Vultr, there are some final checkboxes you can select additional
+options. **You will want to check *Enable IPv6* and also *Block Storage
+Compatible*.**
+
+We will be setting up IPv6 because it\'s important for future-proofing
+your website as more of the web moves to the IPv6 protocol. Block
+storage is the ability (if you want) to later rent large storage disks
+to connect to your VPS if desired. You just might want that as an
+option, so it\'s worth activating now.
+
+### Done!
+
+Once you select those settings, your server will automatically be
+deployed. Momentarily, you will be able to see your server\'s IP
+addresses which will be used for the next brief step: