Question: Should I order additional dedicated servers before I need them?
Answer: The answer to this question really depends on who your web hosting provider is. If the web host is a large company and has plenty of servers available then this shouldn’t be a question. If your web host is a small to medium size outfit then you may run into some delays if you need another dedicated server ASAP.
Small to medium dedicated providers
Most small to medium size dedicated server web hosts will only have a few dozen dedicated servers on hand (in stock). When you need another dedicated server and order from a small to medium size web host. They either have the server in stock or do not. Most of the time if the server is a popular one and has no special configurations then the server is probably in stock. If you decide to order a powerful or non-popular server or have special requirements (firewall, networking gear, etc) then there will be a few days of delays.
Large dedicated web hosts
With most large dedicated web hosts there should be no really issue when you need more servers to be turned up ASAP. If the server has any special configuration or requirements then there will be some delay for someone to work on your order. If the server is a standard of the mill configuration then there should be no problems.
Billing and when you order
If you know you will need a dedicated server “sometime” in the near future. You should make sure to have some funds already in place to fund your server order. Some web hosts may not turn up a server if their billing department is closed. If you need additional servers up and running at midnight and the billing department is closed or there is some billing issue then you will have to wait until they are open. When you attempt to order servers from a different web host there will probably be additional delays since you would be a new customer.