Colocation Service

What is included

Cabinet space, uninterrupted power, cooling, redundant network connectivity and layered DDoS protection is included. The network configuration needed to reach your server remotely is set up for you. Responding to hardware failures and replacing parts is your responsibility; where on-site work is needed, data centre access can be arranged with advance notice.

Who it suits

Teams that already own server hardware, projects that need configurations standard rental plans do not cover, and organisations for which data ownership and physical access control matter. If you do not own hardware and need a single server, renting a dedicated server is faster and usually cheaper.

What to settle before delivery: height, depth, power and plug type

Three measurements decide whether a server fits a cabinet. First, height: a rack unit (U) is 4.45 cm and a typical 1U server occupies exactly that, a 2U server two units. Second, depth — the 19-inch rack width is standard but depth is not; a long chassis, or the cable slack that has to be left behind it, can change the layout plan. Tell us your mounting rail type as well (fixed shelf or sliding rails). Third, power: what matters here is not the label rating but the real draw. A power supply marked 750 W does not mean the server pulls 750 W continuously; typical draw on most 1U servers is well below that, and cabinet planning is done against the real figure. Finally the plug type: server power cords are usually C14, while higher-power devices use C20 inlets. If your server arrives with dual power supplies, settle how the two cords will be fed at the quote stage.

Out-of-band management: your hardware, your hands elsewhere

The most frequently overlooked part of colocation is that the server is physically far away from you. While the operating system boots, SSH or RDP is enough; but if the system does not come up at all, if a BIOS setting has to change, or if you need to reinstall from scratch, you need the out-of-band management controller. Vendors give it different names: iDRAC on Dell, iLO on HPE, IPMI on Supermicro. It runs over a separate (or shared) network port and is reachable even when the machine is powered off; it shows the console, lets you mount virtual media and install from an ISO, and can power-cycle the hardware when needed. Do two things before delivery: change the controller's default password and bring its firmware up to date — these interfaces are among the first things scanned when left exposed. Agree at the quote stage how access to it will be provided.

What happens on the network, IP and protection side

The hardware may be yours, but the network is designed on our side. Your server is connected to the data centre network and IP addressing and routing are configured; additional IPs and reverse DNS (rDNS) records you manage yourself from the customer panel. Protection is layered: traffic from Turkish ISPs is first scrubbed at distributed nodes inside Türkiye and international traffic at filters abroad; volumetric attacks — DNS, NTP and TCP reflection or amplification — are then cut on our DPDK + VPP router, and the remaining traffic passes Fexwall's L4–L7 inspection. That protection is included rather than sold separately. On capacity, domestic transit runs at 100 Gbit and international at 10 Tbit; telling us where your traffic mostly comes from makes link planning easier. If you own an IP range, announcing it through the Datafex network is also possible — that scenario is covered on the BGP protection page.

How the process works

1. 1Send the inventory: make, model, rack height, chassis depth, rail type, number of power supplies and estimated real power draw for each server.
2. 2Get a quote against the cabinet and power plan; how many U are allocated and the power budget are settled here.
3. 3Deliver the servers. If you ship them, write the server name and sequence number on the boxes and make sure drives and expansion cards are properly secured.
4. 4Mounting and cabling are done; which U each server occupies and which port it connects to are recorded.
5. 5IP addresses, VLANs and rDNS are configured, and the access method for the management controller is agreed.
6. 6Verify power-on and access the same day: test the operating system, out-of-band management and network connectivity together.

Common mistakes

• Reporting power draw from the label. Cabinet planning is done against real draw; an inflated figure reserves space you do not need, an understated one forces a layout change.
• Not checking rail type and chassis depth. Even at the right U height, incompatible rails or excess depth stop the installation.
• Shipping the server with the management controller on its default password. IPMI, iDRAC and iLO interfaces are among the first things scanned on the internet.
• Moving servers without backing up the drives. The journey is the riskiest moment, especially for mechanical disks; take a backup before transport.
• Assuming the provider will supply parts when something fails. In colocation the hardware is yours; plan spares for the critical parts — drives, power supplies, memory — in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I deliver my server?

You can ship it or deliver it in person. Before delivery you need to share the make, model, rack height and power draw of the server so that cabinet planning can be done accordingly.

What happens if the hardware fails?

Because the hardware is yours, sourcing and replacing parts is your responsibility. We identify the fault and notify you; if on-site work is needed, access is arranged.

How do I find out how many U my server is?

The manufacturer's product page lists it as the form factor: 1U is about 4.45 cm tall, 2U about 8.9 cm. If you have a tower machine it cannot be rack-mounted directly; it has to move into a rack chassis, or space has to be reserved for shelf placement.

Can I use my own drives and RAID configuration?

Yes, that is what colocation is. The processor, memory, disk layout, RAID controller and network card are entirely your choice. In exchange, managing failures of those components stays with you as well.

Can I enter the data centre myself?

Where on-site work is needed, access is arranged with advance notice. Cabinets are locked and access is logged — a rule that protects every customer sharing the space.

At what point does renting a cabinet make more sense?

At the point where you pass a handful of servers and want your own switch, your own cabling scheme and your own layout. After allowing for a switch and cable management, a 21U cabinet realistically carries 12 to 15 servers; the details are on the cabinet rental page.