The term dedicated server refers to an advanced form of web hosting in which the customer rents, and has complete control over, an entire server. Internet connectivity is provided to the server, in many cases over 10 or 100 Mbit/s Ethernet. Dedicated servers are most often housed in data centers, similar to colocation facilities, providing redundant power sources and HVAC systems.

The term dedicated server is also sometimes used to refer to a game server for games such as Counter-Strike in which a computer runs only the server portion of the game; the game is not played on the same computer as the server. This typically results in the server being able to handle several more concurrent connections, as the computer is not bogged down with tasks such as the rendering of graphics.