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Server Colocation FAQ Who Is Bella Mia, Inc.? Bella Mia, quite simply is an Internet Service Provider and Co-Location Shop. We offer an inexpensive and convenient way to establish a professional, high-speed Internet presence. Bella Mia allows for the set-up of servers on the our high-speed Internet lines at a a fraction of the price of having your own Internet connection. Our services provide complete, and secure, access to your server from anywhere on the Internet, anywhere in the world. This dramatically reduces the expense needed to establish a high-bandwidth connection, eliminates the networking equipment costs, and reduces the support costs needed to maintain an Internet server.
In addition to bandwidth, Bella Mia provides:
Why should I co-locate instead of getting my own connection? The main reason to opt for co-location is cost. It is very expensive to maintain your own connection, let alone redundant connections to several providers. For instance, a dedicated 56Kbps modem would cost approximately $125.00 a month from your ISP to leave connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The phone line which this would run over would cost at least $30.00 a month. This is $140.00 a month in direct costs for only a 56Kbps connection. The installation charge of about $300.00 to install the extra phone line is a factor, as well. (This is also terribly slow!) Not only that, I doubt anyone actually does this anymore. If there was any kind of appreciable traffic to your server (web hits, incoming or outgoing e-mail, etc.), an ISDN would be the next logical step. A single channel dedicated ISDN (64Kbps, about twice the speed of the modem) would cost approximately $60.00 a month to your local TelCo (hope you live in an unmetered area! and an area that supports it!). The full-time connection to your ISP would be approximately $300.00 a month. That's $360.00 a month, and that is only for 64Kbps. Installation will be about $250.00 to your TelCo, and you will need some networking equipment which will cost another $200.00 minimum. (Still Quite Slow!) Not only that, not many people actually use ISDN anymore either. Your own T-1??? Very, Very, Very, Expensive...Though they have come down in cost considerably. There is still cable, wireless, or DSL, etc., but again, while the costs may be low for a cable/DSL connection, just how reliable is that connection? What's more, how secure is it? Already, the costs are obviously somewhat prohibitive. And, the bandwidth is still quite limited. Of course, what about all of the support costs which you will have to absorb to keep the connection active full-time? Do you really think the cable company will be out at 3AM to make sure your line is up? By opting to co-locate with Bella Mia, you pay one flat rate. There are no phone costs; there are no connectivity costs. Add to it all of the other benefits Bella Mia provides to clients, like BGP4 routing, multiple Tier One Providers, and more, and the choice is clear!
What kind of connection do you have to the Internet? Bella Mia's network infrastructure consists of multiple T1 and DS3 connections to the Internet Backbone. We are directly connected to 3 separate Tier One Backbone Providers; Savvis, AT&T, and SBC Communications. Our network is powered by 7500 and 3600 series Cisco Routers all running the BGP4(Border Gateway Protocol) for redundancy. We do load balancing to insure all traffic is equally balanced among the networks we are connected to.
My local ISP offers the same service. Why should I use Bella Mia? Does your ISP know the first thing about Colocation? That's our specialty. Consider, also: does your ISP offer any of the added benefits which Bella Mia can provide?
For the increased value added benefits which Bella Mia offers with its Co-Location services, there is no comparison.
What do I get for my setup fee? You get:
This still seems like a lot of money, can you do better than that? Anything is possible. We want your business, but we still have to make money. Call us, or email us, we have custom plans and can tailor our services to fit your particular need or budget.
You are in Rome and I am not. Won't access to my server be a problem? Not in the least bit! With Timbuktu Pro, PC Anywhere, VNC, Telnet, etc., you have complete access to your server from anywhere on the Internet. This capability is available 24 hours a day. For minor items which a remote access program can not handle for you (rebuilding desktops, restarting crashed servers, etc.), our technical support staff is available 24 hours a day. For most common problems, there is no charge for our technical support services and our Web Based Crisis Response System; for difficult, time consuming problems, we charge a mere $50.00 per hour.
What if I need to upgrade my system software? Bella Mia provides trained hardware and software technicians to handle all of your upgrade needs. For technical support issues and hardware/software upgrades, we charge only $60.00 per hour.
How do I get my server to Bella Mia? Begin by setting up your server how you want it. Once done, unplug it and pack it securely in a box (preferably, using the original manufacturer's box and packing materials). Call Federal Express, the United States Postal Service, Airborne Express, or any other shipper, perhaps UPS?(if their not on strike) and have it shipped to Bella Mia. Immediately upon receipt of your server, Bella Mia's technical support team will install and connect your server to our lines, and notify you of your servers location and how to gain complete access to it.
What about insurance? Bella Mia requires that you insure your system before you send it to us. Full coverage will only cost you about $50/year for most systems. You may already be covered with your current insurance policy, so check with your insurance company to be sure. It may also be possible to take out a "rider" on your current insurance policy to cover your server in case of damage. Although Bella Mia takes every precaution to protect your investment (and ours), unforeseen accidents do happen.
What if something happens to my server and I lose all my data? Bella Mia suggests that you take the necessary precaution of installing a backup system on your server. We can swap out tapes for you, and even restore your information for our normal technical support fee. We highly recommend that you backup your entire server before you ship it.
What if my server crashes? 24 hour a day, 365 days a year technical support is available to handle this, and other, issues. When you sign up, Bella Mia will give you a technical support phone number, pager number, e-mail address and a username/password to our Web Based Crisis Center. All of the aforementioned are 24 hours a day 365 days a year. You may also consider using our PowerKeyPro or APC MasterSwitch restart system.
Is there anything required that Bella Mia does not provide? Software which is needed to run your HTTP server, FTP server, E-Mail server, etc. will be necessary. Many software packages are available for these, and other, servers. See our Software page to help decide which software is most suited to your needs, and to download the software you find necessary. Also, we do not manage your server for you. We can provide remote hands for trouble shooting or fixing hardware issues, but we do not set up and support your clients for you.
What if I need more IP addresses? Additional IP addresses are available upon request and per ARIN's guidelines for additional IP address space.
Can I attach an external drive? Any external devices connected which require a separate power source must be connected to our UPS. This requires that we charge an additional $25 per month per device.
What kind of servers can I Colocate, or do you support? The Internet is not biased and could care less what you use to serve up web content. Although Macintosh, Linux, and Cobalt RaQ's are our primary focus we currently host a wide array of servers from Windows 2000 to NT servers as well. Got a Sparc, NT, UNIX, iMac, OSX, RaQ, whatever? We can provide the connectivity you need. | |
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