Data Centres

Data Centres – Dedicated Hosting VS Collocation

When running a business that requires web hosting, we are required to work with an internet service provider. These providers have a variety of different packages that we can work with. The ones that we will be comparing in this short article are dedicated server packages and collocation service packages.

Both of these service package types are very useful for a variety of companies. Generally, one is better than the other depending on the size and type of business that you are working with. First, we’ll give you the rundown of how each works and then a summary of how to know which is best for you. Let’s get right to it then, shall we?

Dedicated Hosting

A dedicated host means that the entire server is dedicated to your company. Using a dedicated host means that no one else will be able to access it. This allows you to know exactly what is on there and how much bandwidth is being used, etc.

This is extremely advantageous if you find that your regular server hosting is running slow or crashing often because of an overload of visitors to your website. The only change is that you will have to spend a bit extra each month in order to maintain it.

You basically have an unlimited amount of disk space, how transmission capacity, and increased sourcing for your website. All these advantages are great, especially if you already have a large, well-known company.

Colocation

Colocation in a data centre refers to the process of renting space. You may be provided with physical office space, as well as access to the shared network and a limited amount of bandwidth.

Obviously, renting space on a collocated server requires that you share the space and bandwidth with whoever else is renting it as well. You may experience some lag and the occasional server crash if your site gets too big for the bandwidth that you were allocated.

If your site is quite small and not very well-known at present, then this would be a cheaper means of upkeep. Instead of paying for the entire server by yourself, you will share the cost with all the other renters, thus reducing your upkeep expenses.

Which of These is Best for Me?

The first question you must ask yourself is, ‘Could I afford a dedicated host server?’ If your answer is no, then obviously you will need to use a colocation server.

If your site is reasonably small and you don’t experience lots of visitation spikes throughout the day, then a dedicated server may be unnecessary. As your website grows, monitor the server. If you are approaching your limits you should consider upgrading to a dedicated server. If not, then you may as well save the extra money by remaining on a regular or collocated server.

So long as your site remains steady without causing your visitors to have to wait for several minutes between each page you should be fine. However, spending a little extra on that dedicated server to avoid visitors leaving out of impatience is well worth the cost!