Server co-location is an excellent option for only the most experienced webmaster.rnrnrnThe co-location option allows webmasters to exercise total control overrntheir Internet server. A host will place your server on their premises andrnwill permit you to make use of their bandwidth and facilities. You retainrncomplete control over your equipment, software and operating system andrnsimply lease physical space and high-grade, tier one network access from thernhosting provider.rnrnThis arrangement is well suited for successful industry veterans with arngreat amount of experience. Setting up a co-located server is not an easyrntask and requires a large amount of IT expertise.rnrnYou will require a state-of-the-art Internet server, and will be solelyrnresponsible for pre-loading it with both the operating system and Web serverrnsoftware that you desire. With co-location, the hosting provider will onlyrnallocate your server: rack space, an Ethernet connection and a block of IPrnnumbers. Your responsibility will be to configure your server according tornyour hosting company’s specifications so that it can be installed tornintegrate with their infrastructure seamlessly.rnrnCo-location is a “no-frills” service. This means that your hosting providerrnwill not help you prep your equipment for hardware or software installation or maintenance. If you require any extra services, it will not be their contractual responsibility to assist you. You must therefore expect to pay extra for any help or consulting services they provide.rnrnCo-location is therefore not the best choice for inexperienced webmasters whornrequire extensive customer care. Co-location is an industrial-grade optionrnbest suited for professional content distributors with extensive IT skillsrnin server deployment and administration.rnrnWeb hosting firms providing co-location services will expect you to have arnhigh level of technical competence. Most firms will not be knowledgeable inrnyour server configuration unless you select equipment that they normallyrnuse. Neither will they be overly enthusiastic to fix equipment that differsrnfrom their own. For these reasons, you or your organization must displayrncompetence concerning all administrative issues.rnrnEnsure however that any co-location service you purchase comes with freern”reboot” privileges. Sometimes a server will need to be physically restartedrnon occasion, especially if it’s running applications on the Windowsrnplatform. It will therefore be necessary to call upon your hosting firm’srnpersonnel to restart your equipment at anytime of the day in case of a fatalrnCPU crash. For this reason, you must build good relationships with yourrnfirm’s customer support representatives.rnrnOther considerations you should take under advisement when retainingrnco-location services is selecting a host with a minimum of T3 connectivity.rnMost established firms team up with powerful broadband providers whornhave state-of-the-art network facilities. Obtaining co-location servicesrnfrom such hosting firms will allow you to leverage these relationships.rnrnMost of these broadband providers and telcos have multiple network operationrncenters (NOCs) that are intermeshed with peering points connected to OC-12rnATM or full 45Mps DS-3s lines minimum. Hosting firms who locate their ownrnshared and dedicated operations in these NOCs will also locate your ownrnco-located servers in one of these centers. Many hosting companies alsornoperate their own network operation centers, or operate equipment withinrn”meet-me” rooms. To learn more about network operations centers andrn”meet-me” rooms, read Inside the NOC.rnrnIt is always advised that you use an accomplished hosting firm as yourrnintermediary with tier-one providers. They usually have the connections andrnknow-how to deploy your box quickly and effectively.rnrnAnd despite the security precautions involved with first-class NOCrnfacilities, make sure that your equipment is insured. A good businessrninsurance policy will ensure the speedy replacement of your equipment inrncase of natural disaster. Also make sure to insure your server when you ship it to your Web hosting firm for deployment. Freight insurance will protect you from financial loss if the server is physically damaged during shipping.rnrnAnother consideration that you should make is your server’s scalability. Yournshould make sure that your server’s memory and disk space is maximized,rnsince it will be very costly to make additions once the server is deployed.rnYou will also want to make sure that your equipment is new and has anrnon-site service guarantee, allowing repairs to be done at the NOC in case ofrnequipment failure.rnrnRemember that the key for successfully colocating your Web presence isrnmaintaining quality and speedy services. Quality and speed equals crediblernservice, a necessity for any successful, high-traffic site.rnrnrnrnClick here to find a colocation facility.