hi all,

Ive searched the threads and couldnt find anything regarding this... I want to ship my machine from california to florida, and want to have as little downtime as possible

does anyone have any advice on this? which company to use, what they offer as in the speed of shipping and the treatment of the machine (i dont want it busted, lol)

thanks

Just don't use USPS and you'll be fine..

FedEx is good, do overnight delivery

Hi Carm,
We receive many servers each week. There are a few things I can recommend...

Check with the person/company receiving the server and ask them which carrier is there most often. They will also know which company has a good driver on their end. For example, in our case, FedEx and UPS are the best. I think FedEx has the earliest delivery time (for a premium price). We rarely have problems with damage in shipping, and have never had a problem with either of these carriers. I agree, stay away from USPS (US Mail service).

When packing up your server, try to use the original packaging/box and avoid packing peanuts, they cotain lots of static electricity and small pieces can end up inside your server.

Also, if the shortest amount of down time is critical, make sure you arrange with your receiver (if it is a colo facility) for them to watch for your server and get it in as quickly as possible. They may charge a premium for this, but if it is critical, it may be worth it. This can put you towards the front of the installation list. You will also know when to expect the install. You may also see if you can obtain the IPs you will be assigned in advance along with the network information so you can preconfigure your machine. This will shorten the installation time.

Good luck and make sure you package your server well to prevent any shipping damages and insure it just in case. Also be sure to include any special configuration information along with temporary login/passwords so the tech can troubleshoot any problems quickly. Be sure to label your server with your name too! You would be suprised how many we receive where we have to figure it out which takes extra time.

Brad

well

or maybe you could setup a shared hosting acct for ur site

or another server
or a friends server

and point dns there while ur server's being moved.

even if its liek 30 sites you're hosting, u get the idea.

tar em up, scp em over.

There are also Same-Day delivery services like UPS SonicAir. They will put your server on the next flight out, and then someone will pick it up on the other end and deliver it to the colo.