It seems logical to me to find a co-location facility in (or close to) my own home town so that I can have easier access to the physical server if needed. Do you guys find that to be the case too, or do you not actually care about the geographical location?

It often depends on where you live. Many people don't live near a city/area that has multiple colocation providers to choose from. So you're stuck with your local ISP if you want to colo somewhere nearby. Most local ISPs will generally charge you a bunch and also will only have mediocre connections. But if there's a place close to you that offers decent prices/service, the distance factor does come into play and you may very well be better off paying an extra $25/mo to have the server 5 minutes away.

You really need to evaluate what type of access you think you'll need to the server. Will you constantly be doing hardware upgrades on it? Will you need console access for any reason? Most people who colo don't need physical access, but there are some that do for various reasons.

Josh

It depends on where you live (country / area). Sometimes you will find out that it is more cost effective, and the connections, services are better compare to what you can get from your local area.

:)