Results 1 to 15 of 15
  1. #1

    Building my own dedicated servers?

    I think I will be getting dedicated server(s) soon for my hosting. I know I can rent one somewhere for a couple hundred a month...but what about making my own? I happen to be a computer geek, so building a server is a simple task for me. The thing I'm wondering about is the internet connection. Is it possible to build my own server and send it somewhere with an internet connection? Or what? Or is this something completely out of range for me to do without a huge investment?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    97
    Many people build their own servers and then colocate them (send them somewhere with an Internet connection). If putting together computers is easy for you, then you should be able to build a server quickly.

    Building your own server can be *very* inexpensive, but cheaper parts tend to fail faster, so keep this in mind. Many colo providers give the best rates for 1U sized cases, but some will accept 4U size (which is close to a standard tower case).

    So to answer your question, yes it is possible, and yes you may save some money. Do some comparison shopping first so you have some idea of cost. We build our servers and save money on hosting because of it. If you plan on being around for a while, it's a great way to go.

    Mark
    DirectAdmin Web Control Panel
    http://www.directadmin.com
    sales@directadmin.com

  3. #3
    That's the word I was looking for! What are some good companies do do business with? Are there any places that take servers in a regular tower? I'm making about $250 a month profit now, I think I'm just going to invest most of it back in for a while...see what I can come up with.

  4. #4
    There are several out there but the best would be to look for those near where you work or stay, so this way when the server needs maintenance or component replacements you could always pop in and get it done. Besides since you will be locating your server at their premises, you may want to go pay them a visit, find out about their operations and determine if the place is worthy of your server.

    Being nearby allows you to evaluate the datacenter and determine its legitimacy and besides you do not want to be shipping your baby to somewhere which may be too far for you to do anything to your machine.

    Some places includes :-

    1) The Planet : http://www.theplanet.com/solutions/colocation.php
    2) Priority Colo : http://www.prioritycolo.com/colocation.shtml
    3) DedicatedNow : http://www.dedicatednow.com/?pid=colocation
    4) ServerOutsource : http://www.serveroutsource.net/servi...tion/index.htm

    Inevitably, I would have missed out quite a number of good ones but that's all I could recall for now.
    Last edited by eddy2099; 05-21-2003 at 12:30 AM.
    http://www.batchimage.com - Offering Batch Image Processing and TIFF/PDF Software Solutions

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    97
    bullony,

    Some places may take a standard tower, but many colo providers won't take towers. The ones that do usually charge an extra fee for this. They like 1U, 2U, and 4U cases because they are stackable -- these companies can have a lot of servers in a small area.

    Where do you live? Maybe someone can suggest a good provider in your area.

    Mark
    DirectAdmin Web Control Panel
    http://www.directadmin.com
    sales@directadmin.com

  6. #6
    I've heard good things about The Planet before...how can they possibly guarantee 100% uptime?

  7. #7
    Originally posted by DirectAdmin
    bullony,

    Some places may take a standard tower, but many colo providers won't take towers. The ones that do usually charge an extra fee for this. They like 1U, 2U, and 4U cases because they are stackable -- these companies can have a lot of servers in a small area.

    Where do you live? Maybe someone can suggest a good provider in your area.

    Mark
    I live in Oregon, near Portland.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    California
    Posts
    801
    The safe thing to do is to build a 1U server where it will be accepted in all colocation provider.
    Roy K.
    Pixie Internet Services - http://www.pixiehost.com
    Affordable, reliable hosting solution with Instant Activation

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    2,504
    Originally posted by bullony13
    I've heard good things about The Planet before...how can they possibly guarantee 100% uptime?
    Easily; Network and server uptime are not the same thing. Your TV service can be up 100% but if your tv shorts out etc you're not but they are.

    Simple marketting, not that The Planet isn't superb, just too many people think network uptime and server are the same ;-)
    What does one host say to the other? "(HostA) Want to go see a movie?" "(HostB) Sure, can your parents drive?"

    I'm premium, and no, I did not have to pay $6 a month to figure that out.

  10. #10

    I'm searching for Colocation

    I’m looking for colocation in Columbus, Ohio Anyone know a good one? For 1U server $50~$120/month

  11. #11
    Ok...I've found a few different colo providers in my area. The thing I am really confused about is why are the local ones so EXTREMELY expensive? For $100 or so a month they provide less GB than I can count on my fingers. Then there is the planet with 100gb for $75. What gives?

  12. #12
    Yes this is my problem all in my area are expensive The one witch I know

  13. #13
    Just FYI, we started out building our own boxes, hosting them in a server farm (www.sdcolo.com) and then managing them. We had very nice systems with Raid 1+0, Dual Procs and 2 GB of ram in each box we drove down to the data center. Eventually it cost more to manage everything and to replace the parts when needed than to have someone else manage all that for you. It's much nicer to be able to call someone up and ask for a part to be replaced than to have to drive an hour, or to ship a part as fast as possible and then get charged to have someone install it. I think if you put the time of building/managing the servers into getting more clients it would be more cost efficient for you.

    Cheers,
    Ben
    BEN HALSTED, Developer :: WebGroup Media LLC.
    Cerberus Helpdesk 2.4.0 -- Take Control of your Company Inbox!
    Combat Spam. Improve Response Times. Share Knowledge.
    http://www.cerberusweb.com/

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    London Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    986
    I agree with the advice given above to put them in a 1U case.

    When choosing a data centre don't choose one "close" to you. Chose one with multiple network connections, excellent service, competitive prices, etc. Proximity to you is an inconsequential consideration.

    GlobalCompass.com has 8 separate connections. They are inexpensive, excellent service. We have an excellent relationship with them.
    www.idologic.com
    www.demologic.com
    A company committed to people serious about their websites - If you don't DO LOGIC - what do you do?Check Us Out

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    279
    Some people like being able to actually be able to goto the NOC, that's why local is sometimes preferred, however in rural areas, it's quite scarce like stated to find a somewhat inexpensive/less expensive data center.
    Shawn R. Lockheart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •