Hosting

One of the most important things that you will need when starting off with your own tracker, is finding the right host. If you pick the wrong one/a bad one, your going to be having some major headaches later.

The big thing you are probably going to want (at least) is a VPS (virtual private server). Not the same as having a dedicated server, but really it is the bare minimum. I would highly recommend against using just a web host. Any good web host will soon be able to see what it is that you are actually running on it, and you can expect them not to be happy about it. Also, some plain web hosts have automated scripts that will auto slow down processes or anything similar to that that you account might be using. This will directly impact the performance of your tracker.

Trust me, we know, we tried. In the end, I would recommend a VPS as a starting point.

I would also recommend finding a good backup host. Just start doing your research, and find where you think another place your tracker could be hosted. In case your current host ever pulls the plug, you can try to minimize the amount of downtime that you experience.

Some basic things to think about as well is, how will you pay the host? Personally, I try to give as little personally identifiable information as possible. I'll buy a pre-paid credit card and use that to make payment to the hosting company/person. Another worthy question, is if you receive a takedown notice, is the host immediately going to take you offline? Will they let you respond? You have to try to feel out these sort of things and make the best decision for yourself.