Re: [TCLUG:8058] colocation idea

["Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom" <carls@agritech.com>]

Bob Tanner wrote:
>As with all co-located boxes, there is the issue of security and abuse. I have
>hosted several boxes where I have given the user full control over their linux
>box, only to have it used as a irc bot server, spam relay, pirate site, porn
>site, hacker relay, SMURF attacker, and Network snooper.
        what? there's *other* things that ppl do with high-bandwidth servers? :)

>Idea has appeal, but I rather see a problem where you queue your files up and
>the ISP puts your CDR into the drive, burns the files and mails it you. Then
>the next job gets queued. Then the ISP has more control, less security risks
>and less liability.
        
>On the other side of the coin. The most expensive part of running an ISP is
>the back-bone connection. T1, frac T3, T3 cost big money, in comparision to
>analog lines, even analog lines run over PRI/BRI/Channelize T1, so putting a
>co-loc box with a CDR just encourages users to suck more from expensive
>bandwidth. Analog modems are like bottlenecks, they help keep consumption down
>:-)
        good point there; that had already occurred to me. :)
        as for myself, I was actually reasonably happy with a 28.8 modem for
my net browsing, until I started grabbing mp3s off the news server. near as
I can tell, most of the bandwidth I suck during my regular net use comes off
the news server (which is on R-T's LAN, right?) so it doesn't load the net
connection. (I actually do most of my web browsing at work)
        first newspapers, then Usenet, now Slashdot. guess I was always a
news junkie. :)

>With the right person, I'd be willing to give this a try.
        I looked at the prices for rackmount machines (I was guessing you'd
require rackmounts for CoLo), and the CoLo rates; and it looks a bit out of
my price range. for a group of people, tho; it might make sense.
        the economics of it all generally don't justify it (which is why
it's generally not done); certainly doesn't for me right now. I don't need
*that* much bandwidth; and if I did, it would be cheaper to spring for ISDN.

for special situations it might make sense ( like if you lived in the
boonies of northern MN, without even landline phone ); but I guess when all
things are considered, it doesn't make sense for the general case.

I do still like the idea (if I was running a net server of some sort
[e-commerce notably]) of burning my records to a CD-R, and having it mailed
to me. non-volatile backup is a comforting thought. :)

Carl Soderstrom
System Administrator	307 Brighton Ave. 
Minnesota DHIA		Buffalo, MN	
carls@agritech.com		(612) 682-1091