Re: [cobalt-users] Need advice on Colocating or Self Location

[Brent Sims <bs@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 28 Mar 2002, John D. Gorena wrote:

} I got some really great information and I would like more info on how to get it
} in my office at an affordable price.  "This is what I did and this is what I use
} and this is what it cost me..."

Hi John,

	I started on a wing, a prayer and and the first SDSL
connection to go live in the City of Pueblo... today I have 10
servers online and while only 1 is currently lit, there are 6 DS1s
attached to the back of the building, standing by just in case...

	If only I could get Eddy to tweek our router :-)

	The point is that, contrary to popular opinion, you can
indeed do this.

	What I would suggest you do is obtain T1. They're dirt
cheap now. A Sprint Rep offered me a full T1 for under $600.00 per
month this very morning - without an install fee. If that's too
steep, go for an xDSL circuit with a dialup backup. SDSL is perhaps
your best choice but business class ADSL will do quite nicely. If
the local telco will let you nail it up 24x7, without any per minute
charges, ISDN is worth looking into also. My experience with this
outfit is not at all good, thus I can't recomend them, but if SISNA
works your area they a perfect package - SDSL with a dialup backup.

	To make a long story short, xDSL circuits are often powered
by local ISPs who can, for a price, provide you with a dial up
backup to keep you online in the event your DSL goes down. While
this is messy, with two DSL circuits you run NAT internally and
thereby run over either circuit - it works, I've done it here. The
Linux router project contains a how-to which explains how to set up
on two connections without BGP - this too is a bit messy but it
works also.

	A very simple trick, that works quite well if you can afford
it, is to slip your hosts between two or more servers, each of which
is on a different connection. Thus if you loose one, the other will
still be up. There's also some software available, for Windows, the
name of which I don't recall, which turns a multi-homed Windows box
into a router capable of utilizing multiple circuits of any type.
Additionally, if you have the bucks, a hardware solution is offered
by someone - search for fatpipe and you'll find it.

	A great place to learn more is at Netopia.com

	Be prepared for a rather steep learning curve. That does not
mean you can't do this, it just means that you're going to find out
just how little you and most "gurus" know when - if you actually
start doing this. I'm intellectually challenged and most certainly
not a guru but, with the exception of friends and business
associates who are in the business, the first time I spoke with
anyone that knew more than me was when UUNet brought in our first
DS1. Prior to that the installers would walk in here and practially
mess their pants - I ended doing most all of the configurations for
them.

	Peace be with you,

	Brent Sims
	WebOkay Internet Services, LLC
	http://www.WebOkay.net
	mailto: Brent@xxxxxxxxxxx
	(719) 595-1427 (Voice/Fax)