Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Dedicated Server : Hosting Location Benefits ?

[SEEKER2007]

Hi,

I often see hosting providers advertising hosting locations with some locations being pricier then others, for example usually Scranton, PA servers are cheaper then LA, Chicago ones .

Are there any advantages of going with higher priced locations ?

[WebhostGIANT-Rob]

I think that location choice should be based not on the price only. Sometimes that is important for people to have their servers as close as possible to their target audience.
The prices are different because: different data centers used, diffrent network providers etc.

[cresci]

Usually:
The higher priced locations you mentioned are where the main internet exchanges are. The cheaper ones (like Scranton, PA) normally need to backhaul from one of these locations to their one, adding some latency in terms of bandwidth as well as not having such an availability of a carrier mix.

[latch]

Originally Posted by iptelligent

Usually:
The higher priced locations you mentioned are where the main internet exchanges are. The cheaper ones (like Scranton, PA) normally need to backhaul from one of these locations to their one, adding some latency in terms of bandwidth as well as not having such an availability of a carrier mix.

There must be other factors too, rent, power and competition being the other three I can think of.

The big DCs from google, amazon and such seem to be very close to a major power source (like <1KM) which typically have the added benefit of being cheap land to build on.

The cost of living could also have an impact - a DC is new york is going to have to pay higher salaries than one in Scranton - I would assume.

I have no clue what the cost breakdown is, but you'd assume rent, salaries, power and connectivity are all big parts of the pie which vary widely from one location to another.

[vivithemage]

The only real benefit is latency for your target audience, or physical location if you're colo'ing. Otherwise bandwidth tends to be cheaper in chicago/texas, at least that's what i've noticed....really depends on the company and the network they've got put together.

[funkywizard]

Originally Posted by iptelligent

Usually:
The higher priced locations you mentioned are where the main internet exchanges are. The cheaper ones (like Scranton, PA) normally need to backhaul from one of these locations to their one, adding some latency in terms of bandwidth as well as not having such an availability of a carrier mix.

I disagree. A datacenter located in the same city as a major internet exchange can get bandwidth dramatically cheaper than you can get at a farther-away datacenter. If the costs are higher, then it might be related to power, real estate, or labor costs, or simply you're looking at providers who are trying to make a higher margin. But for high bandwidth applications, you can't beat being in a major metro area, for both price and performance.