Colocation web hosting service

A colocation centre, or a carrier hotel, is the rental of space for your telecommunications equipment, mostly consisting of dedicated servers, in the data centre of a service provider.

It is your responsibility for maintaining the hardware and to provide the server, but otherwise the benefits are similar to that of dedicated hosting.

Colocation saves time and costs which is why it is becoming so popular with web site hosting companies, due to using shared data centre infrastructure.

Colocation is a basic hosting service because the hosting provider doesn’t help you to prepare the equipment for hardware or software installation, or maintenance. The colocation provider is not obliged to supply you with any extra services either.

There are two types of colocation, managed and unmanaged. Managed colocation is when the hosting company will take responsibility of maintaining and monitoring the collocated server. Unmanaged colocation is when you are responsible for the maintenance, monitoring and upgrades to the system, and is therefore less expensive.

Advantages of colocation web hosting

• It is cheaper than having your own colocation centre.
• You have more control over your server.
• You have the freedom to choose the hardware and configuration of the server.
• The colocation provider maintains the server.

Disadvantages of colocation

• All the configuration and loading of the OS and software is carried out by you.
• Parts, labour and warranty is all your responsibility.
• Colocation is recommended only to experienced technical users.
• You have to source and pay for your own server

View a colocation web hosting service website