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Plain answers about servers and hosting.
How hosting actually works, how to move a site without losing anything, and how to do the server work yourself. Written to help, with nothing to sell.
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Topics
Four shelves. Everything on the site lives on one of them.
U1
Hosting
Shared, VPS, dedicated and cloud, what each one really gives you, and how to judge a plan without a sales page.
U2
Migration
Moving sites, databases, email and DNS between hosts, in order, with a way back if something breaks.
U3
DIY
Step-by-step server work: web servers, SSL, backups, firewalls and SSH, with every command shown.
U4
Concepts
DNS, IP addresses, proxies, caching and RAID, explained from the ground up before you need them.
Latest guides
Newest and most recently re-checked guides first.
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How to flush your DNS cache
Make your computer forget old DNS answers after a site move or record change. Commands for Windows, macOS, Linux and every major browser.
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How to move a WordPress site to a new host
Copy the files and database, test on the new server before anyone else sees it, then switch DNS with the old host kept as your way…
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What is a reverse proxy?
A server that stands in front of your other servers, takes every request, and decides who answers. What it does, when you need one, and a…
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Shared, VPS, dedicated or cloud hosting: what is the difference?
Four labels, one question: how a physical server is divided up, and who looks after your part of it.
How we write
Written to help. Nothing to sell.
- No money changes hands. No ads, no affiliate links, no sponsored posts, no paid placement in any comparison.
- We name tools, not winners. When a choice depends on your situation, we explain the trade-off and let you decide.
- Every guide is dated. Each page shows when it was last checked, and which systems the steps were written for.
- Mistakes get fixed in public. If something is wrong or out of date, tell us and the page says what changed.