Colocation means “co-location”. It is a solution that lets you place (locate) your own web server on the premises (locations) of a web hosting service provider.
This is like a company buying IP addresses and a leased line from his ISP and doing his web hosting on on their premises. Colocated server can be his baby altogether and the options they have are unlimited. What is expected is that better than doing the web hosting on our own premises, a professional web hosting firm can keep things in perfect order.
Colocated web hosting example hosts:
Advantages / disadvantages of colocated web hosting.
| Good: | Bad: |
| High bandwidth. | Expensive. |
| High up-time. | Requires higher skills. |
| High security. | Harder to configure and debug. |
| Unlimited software, configuration and other feature options. | Security, reliability, and the performance of the colocated server is your problem as it falls outside the preview of host; only the physical security and uninterrupted availability of electrical power may be providers concern. |
Summary:
When you opt for server colocation with the web hosting company, you pay for the physical space that your server takes up. Colocation web hosting usually requires a higher startup cost than renting a server from a web hosing company (dedicated server). The hardware of the server and all other components are chosen and maintained by the client.
Such a provider will have dedicated resources like high-security against fire and vandalism, regulated backup power, dedicated Internet connections and more.
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Quotable Quotes: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”