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 Should I run my own web server, or use a remote hosting company?
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It really depends on a few factors. How popular is your website and what is your connection? If you run a site for a small audience and you have a permanent, reliable cable modem (or better) connection, you may want to run it off a small server at home or from your office. If your site is popular, or you don't have access to a fast connection, get it hosted: just make sure you select a hosting company that offers cheap bandwidth transfer so you don't pay too much.
The advantages of running it locally are instant access to technical issues (to allow fast repairs) and the ability to constantly supervise it. Disadvantages include expensive bandwidth costs for home/small office websites (until your site is popular enough to justify paying business rates) and, for the novice server operator, a difficult setup period. However, the latter of these can be overcome by using a familiar operating system to launch your server application.
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On my LAN, do my client computers have to use the same operating system as my server?
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Not necessarily. Of course, it would be impractical to run a Server Operating System on every machine (not to mention very expensive), but you need to ensure compatibility. As a general rule, recent Microsoft OSs will run on clients connected to a new Microsoft Server. RedHat computers will run on a RedHat-based server. There is no black-and-white answer, but usually a client OS will be cheaper than the server OS: check your server manufacturer's website or literature for more details.
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Do I have to buy several different servers to run all my office serving applications and peripherals?
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No. In fact, most entry-level/small business servers are made with multitasking in mind. Print, web, mail and data servers can all be run off the one server - just ensure it has enough memory and processing power to operate all your tasks. Spending a little more to get the best possible single server for your money can in fact save you in the long run if you run a home network or a small business. Just ensure that you can upgrade if necessary, and never rule out getting a second server (or even a full rack of servers) should your operation grow at an unanticipated rate.
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