Need Recommendations for Dedicated Host

[girlboheme]

I'm having a horrible time with hosts.

In the past three years, as my site has grown to:
Threads: 6,957, Posts: 441,689, Members: 7,753, Active Members: 1,863

I started with IMHOSTED (they suck, they block your ip if you don't fully load a page) and then I moved to LUNARPAGES (not bad but HORRIBLE support when disaster strikes) now I am with VERIO and their Control Panel isn't particularly user-friendly and they just charged me $450 to just 'look' at my site for migration. I was told it would cost that to do it but apparently they took 3 hours to estimate that it would take 7 hours at $150 hr to move it. I said NO I'LL JUST DO IT, and I did it in 45 minutes. They charged me that simply to look at it. Yes, I feel like I've been fleeced.

Although my site doesn't look large, it generates about 500,000 hits per day due to the number of page loads. We have tons of pics (but they are hosted offsite to cut down on processes)

So I need something that can take a process load like that.

I am running the show. I don't know what I'm doing. I'd like to find a place that has good support and can help me or even move the thing for me.

I can't afford more than $250 a month.

Any good places that you guys would recommend? There is no slow time on there. We have an average of 60 people on at once and the highest we ever had was about 250.

Around 10am-2pm PST seems to be more of a down time than all other times of the day.

I want a dedicated server. With a user friendly control panel and SSH capabilities.

Thanks, Aimee
http://www.modelhommes.com/

[eUKhost.com]

I think you will get a Managed Dedicated Server with the budget you have ($250). I hope you will get your things sorted out this time.

[Xodus]

Check out The Planet:

http://www.theplanet.com/dedicated-servers/ready-to-go-servers.asp

There's some "Ready to go" ones. I've had a few game servers with them, and the GS's are awesome.

[girlboheme]

Thanks guys! I am still looking. Unfortunately, I've not had time to look into this till now but I will check out a few places I was emailed about too.

[VAYC]

check out www.timihosting.com (http://www.timihosting.com/), use their Ut Plan with cPanel/WHM, which is under $250. They can also help you move your vBuletin over as well.

[alemcherry]

I suggest Liquidweb for managed dedicated server.

[ChrisLM2001]

I am running the show. I don't know what I'm doing. I'd like to find a place that has good support and can help me or even move the thing for me.

I can't afford more than $250 a month.

That's where you're going to hit the brick wall with -- managed dedicated servers don't come cheap. Something will be sacrificed for <$250/mon.

That said, many just get an unmanaged server and hire a system admin to handle the backend/updates/backups/customization. This is the route to go if you're on a budget. Get one with WHM/cPanel, and goto Amazon.com and get the Web Host Manager book (as that will help you greatly understanding how to run a server -- even if you don't want to do it yourself, it's best to know this stuff to better communicate to the sys admin your needs).

Found success at The Planet (and their customer service control panel -- Orbit -- is truly professional). Currently looking at the plans at Tailormadeservers.com [but go there only via a Webhostingtalk.com link for specials], as they have some nice options [64bit OSes even] on specials.

[yogesh]

I think for your kind of forum, a VPS with 512+ MB of ram or a semi dedicated server should be enough.