1. Evaluation of Potential Colocation Providers
See the responses from various providers to our ColocationQuoteRequest. Where available, their actual responses are provided as attached PDF files.
1.1. GAIA Host
GAIA contacted us after receiving the quote request, but it has taken them more than a week to give us a follow-up quote. So far, they are the only provider in the list who is willing to sell us hardware. However, it seems that they would be putting it in a data center like one of the larger providers below, such as He.net or Peer 1.
Did they ever give a followup quote? They obviously have to give us a better deal on bandwidth than offered on their website, otherwise they cannot be considered. If they can offer us good value, I think we should consider giving them a chance for at least an intermediate expansion, but if they are charging too much or simply too flaky as they have seemed in the past, then they can't be in the running. NathanKennedy
On April 17, 2006 I still have not received a followup quote. I also don't know where their facilities are located... I am guessing something less impressive that he.net or Peer 1's data centers. If this is the case I would think that our members could save time and money by doing the legwork of server installation and dealing with the colocation providers ourselves, rather than going through GAIA. Of course, it is always nice to do work with other cooperatives if we have a sound reason to do so. JustinLeitgeb
1.2. He.net
If we can stay under 1MB/s, the rate for bandwidth plus up to 7U is $300/month.
He.net does not sell hardware.
Their response to our request as a PDF: attachment:he_colo.pdf
HE looks great. I have heard great things about them, and this is definitely a good deal for what it is. I think they come a close second after Peer1 for quality. NathanKennedy
1.3. InReach
Didn't receive reply to first email sent on 4/8/2006 to sales@inreach.com, sent second email on 4/17/2006 with our form quote request.
Update: email to sales@inreach.com could not be sent for more than 4 hours, seems like an internal error on inreach's network. Since these signs don't bode well for future service, I will put them on the inactive list unless I receive a compelling quote in the next few days.
1.4. Peer 1
Peer 1 offers a quarter cabinet for 10U. A fast ethernet port with a 5MB/s connection is provided. Monthly costs for the space will be $750, and there would be a $400 initial charge for installation of the space.
Peer 1 does not sell hardware.
Their response to our request as a PDF: attachment:Peer1.QuarterCab.Proposal.pdf
It looks pretty clear that Peer1 is by far the highest quality provider on our list, and I was impressed by their letter and quote. The bar to entry is also high; $750 a month and 10U to utilize. On the other hand it is tempting; PLENTY of room for growth probably for years to come, a first-class network (450 direct tier one peers, 1-ms maximum intercity latency, 4-ms maximum intercity latency delivery to any tier one peer). We would NOT be having the kind of network issues we were plagued with in the past with Interserver. It is definitely a good value, but it an awfully big step up from where we are now--we don't want to waste member resources if the cabinet went vastly underutilized for long periods of time; we would need a major membership drive or some really big clients. Another advantage is the datacenter is in Manhattan and provides secure unescorted access. I could personally be there to fix, install, or upgrade shit from my house within an hour. Of course if we are thinking beyond two years we can't just count on me, since who knows what I will be doing then, and of course on-site response can't be replaced in a lot of situations, but having an alternative to a $150/hour remote hands fee for most situations would be nice. NathanKennedy Another thing, I seriously think we should consider marketing dedicated servers or collocation ourselves. This would be another valuable service we could provide, which would make it much easier to fill larger cabinets and allow even our $5/mo. members to benefit from the best possible facilities. NathanKennedy
Agreed. I feel that a top-tier provider like Peer 1 is the way to go, if we can afford it. I also think that we can fill up to 10 U rather quickly, especially if we keep other materials, or even a full server on standby in our rack. We would have to be creative to use the 5MB/s that Peer 1 would give us... perhaps we could host something for a popular non-profit site that would allow us to advertise in order to increase our membership base quickly with all of the rackspace and bandwidth. Also, it is certainly positive that we have dedicated members in the area. We will certainly need upgrades and hardware repairs periodically, and the $175/hr remote hands rate that most shops charge will add up. I wonder if we would be able to use some of our capacity to help an alternative news media source on the Internet, in exchange for advertising our service to grow our member base? News sources like [http://www.againstthegrain.org Against the Grain] and [http://www.democracynow.org Democracy Now] come to mind as preliminary ideas. JustinLeitgeb
1.5. Switch and Data
[http://www.switchanddata.com/]
Switch and Data has contacted us, will post information soon.
1.6. Simpli
Didn't receive reply to first email sent on 4/8/2006 to sales@simpli.biz, sent second email on 4/17/2006 with our form quote request.