While taking colocation services y ou are responsible for your server's upkeep. Web hosting collocation offers you flexibility and control. You get to choose the hardware configuration and the software. The colocation service providers maintains the connection, security, rack space/cabinet/cage space AND the bandwidth. The monthly cost is based on the rack space used, bandwidth, and any extra services you require. It s also the responsibility of colocation service provider to locate your server in a secure data center providing security, protection, suitable environment and fast connection to the Internet.

Colocation center provided by colocation web hosts contains large number of co-location server or colocation web server of the customers. Colocation providers provide high security cameras, backup power, fire detection, redundant systems and more, to help ensure high availability.

Advantages and disadvantages of co-location hosting

Server colocation hosting has lots of advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

If we talk about the benefits of colocation solution then the most important thing is that you are the owner of your hardware and can build and fix your own server/s. Additional colocation services can be provided to clients. E.g. DNS services, backups, IP Allocation, Managed Services and it is cheaper to add components to your own co-located servers. Moreover colocation facility is more costly in the start but in the long term it could work out cheaper.

Disadvantages

Whenever there is a rose there must be thorns. Similarly in spite of having lots of benefits colocation hosting also have some disadvantages. The first and foremost disadvantage of colocation hosting is that y ou need the initial capital outlay to purchase the web server for colocation facility and the v alue of your hardware will depreciate gradually. You need to maintain your server and have to purchase control panel licenses. Also switching of serve is not easy. Your Web sites would be down for some time before re-locating to another Data Center .

You have lots of hosting options including shared hosting dedicated or colocation or VPS. But the main thing is to choose the best and the most suitable hosting solution.