| There are a number of characteristics that you should factor in when making a decision on which NOC to host your equipment. These factors range from physical security to network bandwidth availability. Below is a more detailed list:
Geographical Location: Since you’re leasing network space for your hardware, it is recommended that you select a network building site that is close to you. In case if there was a hardware failure and you need to replace it quickly without incurring high support costs, this can work in your advantage.
Physical Security: Ensure the NOC is physically secured and it offers a suitable range of security measures, such as, video cameras, onsite security personnel, locked doors and secure cages. Locked cages are important if non-authorized users manage to enter the equipment area but cannot leave with your hardware or unplug connections.
Bandwidth Providers: If you’re serious about uptime and availability for your web site or online business, consider NOCs with multiple bandwidth, or multi-homed, providers. This means the NOC is feed by more than one network service provider and so when one goes down, it can re-route data immediately through another link.
Technical Support: Research the technical support capabilities of the NOC and check if they offer “hands on” help. “Hands on” is often a term used where personnel will input basic commands in the terminals of servers, often for free, when you run into problems.
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