Colocating Basic Questions
 

I've got a few questions about colocation that are really really basic. I've had my server sitting at home in my room for about a year now and I think its time to colocate it. Right now I've been using a laptop as the server with linux (of course) because my connection has been the limiting factor.

If I went for colocation, I would want to buy a server server (what does this mean?), right? or could I just use a plain computer with just a fast processor? How much should I be looking to spend on a new server? What do I have to take into account when buying stuff? What are "racks" and are they a necessity? If I colocated a server, I would drive it over there and dump it off at the datacenter? What if I chose a datacenter 1000 miles away from me? Is this jump something I have to take into account? What is the difference between a 1U and a midsize tower server? Is there an easy way to determine how much bandwith I will need?

I think Im going to go with colostore because soulwatcher seems to like them and their prices seem to be pretty good. I realize these are really really basic questions, but I have to start somewhere.

Well it all depends on what you want to do. You could use a regular computer as a server. Linux Server Talk's server is just a basic white box computer. It uses a Intel desktop motherboard, P4 processor, non Ecc ram, regular Sata 150 hard drives, all of that is mounted in a regular ATX case. There is not one true server part and it works just fine. ;) I would say its a high end budget server, total cost was $1,000. Dell makes a really nice server the Power Edge SC430. Starting a $449, my old server was a Dell Power Edge SC600.

I don't know if you know this or not but Comcast offers a higher speed cable modem for $10 more per month. Its 8mbps down and 768kb/s up. If your not running that package already it will double your upload bandwidth. You might be able to get away with running on your cable modem a bit longer if you up your bandwidth. I don't know if you have it installed already or not but you could install MRTG and you would know right where you were at with your bandwidth.

There is no difference between a 1u and a midsize tower other than the size of the servers. A 1u server tends to run hotter than a mid size tower and doesn't last as long. Depending on how hot your 1u server runs your looking at a 1 to 3 years of of use before something major breaks down.

When you choose your data center you will need to ship your server UPS. Unless your going to drive it there. And unless your co-location provider offers kvm over ip, your going to have to pay their tech to look at your server. If anything ever goes wrong with it.

Racks are just a way to store the server, all servers are mounted on a rack. It doesn't matter 1u or midsize tower. I hope I answered all of your questions, if you think of anything else just let me know. ;)

what a post. thanks, i think that almost covered it all for now.

I didn't know comcast had a higher speed. Ill check it out.

What does kvm over ip mean. Is that like ssh?

KVM means Keyboard Video and Mouse, some KVM switches can be remote controlled over the Internet. Thats how I restored the operating system on my server at the data center. Here is a link to that higher speed Internet that I was talking about. http://www.comcast.net/games/invasion/sales/

I guess this is getting into the server hardware forum, but what makes a server part different from a standard computer part?

Server parts are a higher grade quality parts. And the motherboards have special server chipsets. Probably 60%+ of the dedicated servers you rent today are just regular desktop motherboards (regular desktop computers on server duty). Unless you get a high end server.

Think about this the most your going to want to run your server is one to two years tops. By then your website(s) should hopefully outgrow your your server and you will be in need of a upgrade. No only that you have to think about the reliability factor. Do you really want your websites that are making you $$$$ on a old tired server? Any decent website(s) is going to give the server a pounding. You start running into PSU and hard drive problems, they are usually the first to go. You can save yourself anywhere from $200+ by just using desktop parts.

You could seriously build yourself a $280 server and it will run your websites just fine. Or you could build the same server with server grade parts and spend $600 on the same server. And they both are going to preform the same job. I spent $1,000 on my server if I would have used server grade parts I would be looking at $1400+ for the same server. And I plan on replacing the server next year. So I saved myself $400+. :)

If this is the case, then why would I want to buy a Dell Power Edge SC430 or other server from a name brand computer manufacturer? Why don't I just buy a standard desktop computer?

When I look at the specs of the dell server, it looks like something I could buy from Fry's for $200 less. (I think this is what you were talking about earlier).

You could do that, just make sure you don't get something with a cheap chipset. Like via, sis ect. Or you going to have major problems with Linux. :) If you want zero problems buy a Intel processor and something with a Intel chipset on the motherboard.

My server is 5+ years old and it is still handleing my site just fine and the most I have had to do was replace the power supply once. Knock on wood that nothing else will break but I have had good luck so far.

What is the difference between a colocated server and dedicated server? Are they the same?