There are very many types of webhosting services, each geared towards fulfilling a particular need by webmasters and companies all over the world. One of the types of hosting services is colocation webhosting which involves the individual or business choosing the hardware and software that goes with it and storing it in a location where they can be assured of the most security. The internet connection is supplied by the Webhosting Company, but maintenance of the hardware components of the service lies squarely in the court of the customer.
Colocation webhosting service is pretty expensive, considering that the consumer has to purchase the whole package for themselves. The consumer also has to rent a place where the hardware can stay and they are offered flexibility in that they can access the hardware anytime they want, be it day or night.
The consumer also has to be responsible for all the software that is required to run the server as the webhosting company will only provide them with internet connection. The cost of hiring technical experts to deal with maintaining the servers is also very high.
One also has to deal with other issues when it comes to colocation webhosting such as ensuring that the hardware components are secured from theft as well as the risks of fire and vandalism. They also have to install coolers to ensure that the servers work at temperatures that are suitable for them in order to prevent the websites from crashing.
Most places where colocation servers are hosted have high security facilities such as CCTV cameras as well as equipment for detecting as well as extinguishing fires. They may also have filtered powers to ensure that power is controlled as well as multiple connection feeds and a generator to act as backup in case there is a problem with electricity. These services are offered so as to ensure that the servers do not face the risk that they would face if they were stored in offices or in a warehouse.
Colocation is beneficial as it ensures that the server is kept in a location that has all the features that can support the proper working and optimum functionality of the server. However, colocation can be disadvantageous because administration is in the hands of the customer who may not have the resources to administer or maintain the web server as well as the capability to upgrade the server when necessary.
There are various advantages to collocation, and one of them is that the server is fully customizable meaning that the company can change the parameters of the server to meet their preferences and specifications.
The second advantage is security as the servers are stored in a place that is secured from theft, vandalism and fires and that has all the resources necessary to ensure the efficient working of the servers. The location is also in a place that has fast internet connection with rooms that are designed for servers, that is, the rooms are maintained at a certain temperature using coolers and they are fire-safe.
The bandwidth that comes with this type of server is also quite high and so is the storage space. These servers are usually very powerful and fast and they have high capacity with maximum uptime, even for large sites. The flexibility is increased as one can access the hardware at any time that they please, and there is better performance as the consumer chooses the specifications of the hardware.
There is also savings on the overall cost when one uses this type of server, and one can save even more if they purchase using discounted coupons such as the hostgator coupon. The other advantage is that the company has control over the administration of the web server and this gives them the ability to manage it as they please.
However, there are various disadvantages associated with this type of server. The first one is that the customers must purchase their own equipment as well as maintain and update it. This can prove to be quite expensive for the company, but one might reduce the prices a bit by purchasing the internet connections from the webhosting company at discounted rates using coupons such as the hostgator coupon from Hostgator.
This type of webhosting is suitable for sites with large traffic, and websites which have low traffic will suffer losses if they opt for this type of webhosting service. The initial capital for starting up a colocation webhosting service is quite high and the initial cost is usually asked for up front, which may be hard for some companies to deal with. This type of webhosting also requires fast hand knowledge on hardware components as well as scalability and performance, and companies without this knowledge may not be able to manage this type of webhosting service since the administration of the web server is solely the customers responsibility.
The last disadvantage is that the hardware components may become outdated and this will require you to purchase new ones each time. This will be costly for the company as purchase of hardware is quite expensive.
This type of webhosting is quite expensive, and is not advisable for people who do not have huge sites with large traffic as it will prove to be disadvantageous for them.
