Colocation services are a unique type of web hosting suitable for a very specific type of customer. But because colocation isn't as popular as other types, such as dedicated servers or cloud hosting, there are many myths surrounding it. And unfortunately, those myths sometimes stop people from taking advantage of colocation services. Below are some of the biggest myths about colocation, and the truth behind them.
Colocation is just managed web hosting
When you use colocation, you hire a data center to house a web server that you own outright. While you can also hire the data center to manage your server for you, this is another agreement outside of the initial colocation. With managed web hosting whether you're using shared, dedicated, or VPS managed hosting, you don't actually own the server. The only real similarity is that someone else is maintaining it for you.
Colocation is the most expensive kind of web hosting there is
Web servers are extremely powerful pieces of hardware that do come with a large initial cost and because of that, colocation can be more costly than managed web hosting. However, that does not mean it's the most expensive form of web hosting that's available. That would be hosting and housing the server yourself. If you were to do that you'd need to pay the high cost of a super powerful Internet connection, as well as the cost of the massive amounts of energy required to power the server. Collocation may be more expensive than managed hosting; but it's not the most expensive. And it's worth the sheer amount of benefits that come with it.
The inconvenience of collocation isn't worth it
Many people think that because your physical server will be in a separate data center that traveling back and forth to it will be a major inconvenience. This also isn't true. Most upgrades and installations that need to be done can be done so from your office location, or anywhere that you have online access. And in fact, having a data center store your server might even be more convenient than storing it in your office and ensuring that the proper conditions are met for it at all times.
Collocation isn't as secure as other types of hosting
Often when people think of collocation they imagine hundreds of servers piled on top of each other in a large room somewhere; and because of that they don't think it's a secure type of hosting. However, data centers responsible for collocation place each server in its own locked and individually monitored cage; and they even provide security patches whenever the servers require it. Just like collocation is more convenient than other types of hosting, it's also more secure.
These are just of the biggest myths surrounding collocation, but none of them that have cropped up in the past several years is true. In fact, collocation is the only type of hosting that gives you complete control over the server, because you own it, but all the benefits of leaving the maintenance and storage of it to someone else.
Colocation is just managed web hosting
When you use colocation, you hire a data center to house a web server that you own outright. While you can also hire the data center to manage your server for you, this is another agreement outside of the initial colocation. With managed web hosting whether you're using shared, dedicated, or VPS managed hosting, you don't actually own the server. The only real similarity is that someone else is maintaining it for you.
Colocation is the most expensive kind of web hosting there is
Web servers are extremely powerful pieces of hardware that do come with a large initial cost and because of that, colocation can be more costly than managed web hosting. However, that does not mean it's the most expensive form of web hosting that's available. That would be hosting and housing the server yourself. If you were to do that you'd need to pay the high cost of a super powerful Internet connection, as well as the cost of the massive amounts of energy required to power the server. Collocation may be more expensive than managed hosting; but it's not the most expensive. And it's worth the sheer amount of benefits that come with it.
The inconvenience of collocation isn't worth it
Many people think that because your physical server will be in a separate data center that traveling back and forth to it will be a major inconvenience. This also isn't true. Most upgrades and installations that need to be done can be done so from your office location, or anywhere that you have online access. And in fact, having a data center store your server might even be more convenient than storing it in your office and ensuring that the proper conditions are met for it at all times.
Collocation isn't as secure as other types of hosting
Often when people think of collocation they imagine hundreds of servers piled on top of each other in a large room somewhere; and because of that they don't think it's a secure type of hosting. However, data centers responsible for collocation place each server in its own locked and individually monitored cage; and they even provide security patches whenever the servers require it. Just like collocation is more convenient than other types of hosting, it's also more secure.
These are just of the biggest myths surrounding collocation, but none of them that have cropped up in the past several years is true. In fact, collocation is the only type of hosting that gives you complete control over the server, because you own it, but all the benefits of leaving the maintenance and storage of it to someone else.
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