Running your VPS: the complete series

The hub for the Running your VPS series.

Buying a VPS is the easy part. This series covers what comes before and after: reading the specs so you buy the right plan, deciding between a VPS and a dedicated server, connecting a domain, moving to a new server, and finding out what is wrong when things break. Each part stands on its own, so read the one you need now.

The guides do not list prices or say what is in stock. Plans change daily, and the lists on these pages are live.

What is in this guide

• The five parts
• Where to start
• Which plan for which job
• A small toolkit worth knowing
• What this series does not cover
• When to step up

The five parts

Part	Guide	What it covers
1	How to read VPS specs	CPU, RAM, disk, bandwidth, port speed and IP addresses, and which matter for which job.
2	VPS or dedicated server?	The real differences, how to measure your own server, and the middle ground.
3	Domains and DNS explained	Buying a domain, the records you use, pointing a domain at a server, and email records.
4	Moving to a new VPS	A checklist, copying files and databases, testing first and switching with little downtime.
5	My VPS is slow or down: what to check	A step-by-step check from the network to memory, disk, CPU and services, and what to send support.

Where to start

• You are about to buy. Read part 1, then part 2 if your workload is heavy. The buyer's series helps with sale timing.
• You have a server and a new domain. Read part 3.
• You are upgrading or changing location. Read part 4.
• Something is broken right now. Go straight to part 5.
• You have just bought your first server. Start with your first hour on a new RackNerd VPS.

Which plan for which job

A rough starting point, not a promise. Needs vary with software, settings and traffic. Measure your own server in the first weeks, as part 2 shows.

Job	A sensible starting plan	More reading
One light job, such as a VPN or a bot	512 MB to 1 GB VPS	512 MB guide
A static site or small blog	1 GB VPS, or shared hosting	Shared or VPS?
WordPress	2 GB VPS	WordPress on a VPS
A staging server or a few Docker apps	2 GB to 4 GB VPS	Dev and staging server
Several sites or apps together	4 GB to 8 GB VPS	4 GB guide
Backups and large files	A VPS with plenty of disk	Storage VPS for backups
Heavy CPU all day or lots of storage	Dedicated server	Part 2

A small toolkit worth knowing

These commands appear throughout the series. Knowing them makes most problems easier to solve.

Command	What it shows
free -h	Memory and swap use
df -h	Disk space on each disk
top	What is using CPU and memory right now
uptime	How long the server has been up, and the load average
systemctl status NAME	Whether a service is running, and its latest messages
journalctl -u NAME	A service's log
dig example.com +short	Where a domain points
mtr SERVER_IP	The network route to a server, and where delays start

Linux server tools covers more.

What this series does not cover

• Every distribution. The examples use Ubuntu and Debian. Other systems differ in places.
• Managed support. A RackNerd VPS is unmanaged. These guides help you look after it yourself.
• Complex setups. Clusters, load balancers and high-availability systems need more than this series covers.
• Running your own mail server. It is mentioned where it matters, but for most people an email service is the better choice.

Cautions that apply to every plan: swap is a safety net and not extra RAM, unmetered does not mean unlimited, fair-use limits apply to CPU and bandwidth, RackNerd's acceptable use policy covers what you run, and backups are your job.

When to step up

If your measurements show memory running short, step up a VPS size. If the CPU is busy all day, or you need a lot of storage, look at a dedicated server. Part 4 shows how to move without losing anything.

To compare what is available now, start with the cheapest RackNerd VPS guide and check the sales page.