I've got a question...

Go to http://www.aplus.net/services/servercolocation.html, and look at the "Usage Charges" section... It says $300/mbps... Does this mean that I could pay $900/month for a 3mbps connection for my server, and recieve unlimited bandwidth on that connection?

*CONFUSED!*

- Brandon
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Originally posted by Xenon210
Does this mean that I could pay $900/month for a 3mbps connection for my server, and recieve unlimited bandwidth on that connection?
No, it means you could pay $900/month for a 3mbps which is a set speed, thus limited. Maxed out (something you wouldn't reach, it would be (in theory) 972 GB (but when you are taking line speed, straight transfer amounts don't exactly apply).

So if I purchased the 3mbps line for $900/mo., how sufficient in both speed and reliability would that be if the server only transferred about 500GB a month?

- Brandon

Can your current provider show you a graph of current use (Like an MRTG graph)? Thi swill give you some idea about peak usage. If you get 3 Mbps, that is all you get. You are piped. Traffic peaks usually during the day and drops at night. If you are pushing 500 GBs, I don't think you would want to limit your pipe at 3 Mbps.

Look here at these graphs -
http://rackshack.net/aboutus/networks.asp

Go to the ELI DS3 Link to Internet 45Mbps Max. Just for educational purposes, look at the blue line. Replace the 5 10 15 MBs with 1 - 2 -3 MBs. If you took the average use (put a line right in the center), the use would just be under 3 Mbps. The problem is, look how much traffic went over the 3 Mbps. Since you can't busrt with Aplus, you would not go outside the 3 Mbps. This means you will get real slow downloads at peak times.

500 GBs is about about (real rough) 1.75 Mbps, so you will not use all the 990 GBs, but again, it depends on your traffic. If you spike high, you are slowing your downloads. The only way to tell is post the graph of your current trends.

Hope this makes sense. It is as simple as I can get it.

Are there any companies that offer competitvely priced, burstable dedicated lines for co-locators?

- Brandon

Yes, one of my closest friends - Charles - has a great deal for this actually. $1.50/GB, burstable.
http://www.affordablecolo.com/colocation.htm

Tell him Umbillycord sent ya.

Oh, stay away from them, they are horrible, horrible! The worst experience I've had in web hosting (and that's saying a lot).
I tried to host my page with them (their site says you can sign up and get a page within 24 hours) but after a few weeks of no page I finally had to ask for my money back. THAT took months and many emails fighting with them!
They are incompetent.

Just to clarify slanoue is talking about APLUS.net NOT US :)