TrueNet Blog

ALERT: Verizon DSL Mass Outage

truenet — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:06:18 +0000

Verizon is currently experiencing a mass outage in LATA 228 (Philadelphia and Delaware) on their DSL network. TrueNet is a partner with Verizon and utilizes them for the “last mile” on our Business DSL network.

TrueNet technicians saw the issue begin at approximately 4:15 this morning with business high speed DSL customers losing connection and experiencing extremely slow throughput. At this time there is no ETA for repair and it appears to be an issue with equipment.

TrueNet will keep our customers updated as frequently as possible throughout this outage. As always, if you have any questions or would like to speak to our support staff, please feel free to call us at (Philadelphia Area) 610-429-8300 or toll-free 1-888-878-3638.

What Is Colocation

truenet — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:23:26 +0000

A frequent question asked of our sales team is “What is Colocation”? In a previous blog post we looked more at the benefits or server colocation than explaining what it actually “is”. In this post we’ll dive into defining what the actual service is and some common terms associated with it.

So….what is Server Colocation?
Server Colocation (or Colo, Colo Hosting, Cloud Hosting or Collocation) is a service that allows businesses to physically bring their servers, computers or other hardware into a data center, and out of their office or other location. Think of the data center as a hotel, for Servers or Computers. Just as a hotel is made up of rooms for guests to stay in, the data center consists of rows of cabinets (or racks), that each hold individual servers.

Data Center

The Data Center

Think of the data center as a hotel, only for Servers or Computers. Just as a hotel is made up of rooms for guests to stay in, the data center consists of rows of cabinets (or racks), that each hold servers, computers and other hardware. Just as a hotel supplies it’s guests with a shower, tv and other amenities, so does the Data Center. Each cabinet in a data center has an internet connection, power and cooling delivered to it. Each server in the cabinet has access to electricity and a high speed internet connection, as well as cooling. Data Centers typically have multiple, expensive pipes to the Internet using different internet providers so that they can provide uninterrupted internet access. If the facility loses internet through one carrier, they can automatically flip over to another carrier and so on. Likewise with electricity, most data centers operate automatic generators that will kick on – automatically – if power is lost to the center. Data Centers don’t just provide “space”, they deliver a fully redundant home for business servers.

1/4 Private Server Cabinet

The Cabinets

Each Cabinet in the Data Center usually has about 6 feet of space available for business servers. This six feet of rack space is broken down into rack units, or units. A Unit (or “U”) is equal to 1.75 inches in height and is used as a measurement when selling the space that a business will need to host their server(s). Most servers come in standard height increments of 1.75 inches, or 1U. So a standard, 1U server has a height of 1.75 inches. Each cabinet in the Data Center can hold between 40U and 44U of servers, or up to 77 Inches. The depth of cabinets are standardized as well for the most part, and typically offer depths of 19 inches or 23 inches – which will fit nearly all modern servers. Most facilities often have two separate types of cabinets. Public and Private. Public cabinets may contain servers from several different businesses and share the same cabinet access. Public cabinets are usually used for businesses who need to host 1 or 2 servers. Private cabinets are just that – private. The cabinet is either a full cabinet or is broken down into sections. Private cabinets are typically segmented in 1/4 cabinet and 1/2 cabinet sections. 1/4 Cabinets typically hold 10U worth of servers, while 1/2 Cabinets typically hold between 20 and 22U. Each section is sealed off from the section above it and below it and has it’s own private, locking door. Since private cabinets belong to one business or network only, the customer is free to use the space as they wish.

Rackmount Servers – Ideal for Colocation

Pricing for Colocation is dependant on a number of items, but Server Space is one of the main components. The more space you need for your servers = the more you will pay. It is highly recommended that businesses use rackmountable servers instead of “tower servers”. Tower servers are the large, bulky computers that are often seen in an office environment. Rack Mountable Servers are stripped down versions that are easily “racked” into a cabinet and utilize far less space, which keeps pricing down. For more on server colocation, visit www.truenet.com.

Typical Tower Server

Typical 1U Server

Typical 2U Server

End of Year Server Colocation Blow Out!

truenet — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:13:23 +0000

Free Set-Up, Free First Month, No Contract and 10% or MORE Off All Colocation Services

Promotion good now through 12/31/2011

There is no better time to colocate a Server with TrueNet. To celebrate the end of a fantastic 2011, we’re discounting pricing on all Server Colocation packages, slashing all set-up and installation charges AND giving away the first month free. To top it off, there are absolutely no contracts to sign – all new colocation customers from now until the end of 2011 can enjoy the freedom of month-to-month service without the worries of being locked into a lengthy collocation contract.

This promotion is good on all server colocation services including:

1U – 4U Server Colocation: Standard Price starting at $179.95/Mo, Now $159.95
Quarter Cabinet (10U Rack Space) Server Colocation: Standard Price starting at $699.95/Mo, Now $649.95
Half Cabinet (20U Rack Space) Server Colocation: Standard Price starting at $999.95/Mo, Now $939.95
Full Cabinet (40U Rack Space) Server Colocation: Standard Price starting at $1499.95/Mo, Now $1399.95

To get a quote or find out more about our End of year Server Colocation promotion, call us 888-878-3638 (toll free) or (610) 429-8300 (Philadelphia Area) or message us!

T1 vs DSL

truenet — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:27:49 +0000

There are many internet service options available for businesses today. They range in speed from under 1 Mbps (1000 Kbps) to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps), reliability, uptime, repair time, installation time and how quick they are (latency). In this post, we’ll compare two popular internet services – DSL and T1 Internet Access. The differences between the two are night and day, but to put it simply “you get what you pay for”.

T1 Internet Access

The downside of T1′s

Expensive: Starting at $250.Mo and up
Slow Speed

The upside of T1′s

Available virtually anywhere
Quick: Very Low Latency
Consistent
Extremely Reliable
Immediate response to trouble or outages
Ability to handle Voice traffic well
Guaranteed by the Telephone companies

T1 circuits are copper based circuits that are delivered to a business using a dedicated line (not shared – private). T1′s have been popular for years because of thier reliability, guarantees and quick performance. They are considered by many as entry level business class connections – meaning they are designed for business use and will provide maximum uptime and performance. A stand alone T1 line provides 1.5 Mbps of bandwidth, which is slow by today’s standards. However, by combining or bonding multiple T1 lines, it is possible to reach speeds of 12 Mbps. T1′s are expensive – typically ranging from $250.00/mo to upwards of $900.00/mo or more. This makes T1′s one of the most expensive connections when breaking it down “Per Meg”. Although they have a smaller internet “pipe” and are more expensive then consumer level connections such as FiOS, DSL and Cable, they are truly business class connections that will deliver consistent uptime and reliability. People normally assume that the more bandwidth a connection provides, the “faster” it will be. This isn’t always true. Although T1′s have less internet “pipe” than DSL, FiOS and Cable, they are actually quicker when going from point a to point b. T1′s have very low latency, which means data going from point a to point b actually gets their faster than consumer level connections. The downside is that they are limited to 1.5 Mbps of bandwidth per T1, so downloading/uploading files is limited to that speed – which is why it takes longer to download a file over a T1 then on DSL or cable. But make no mistakes, T1′s are powerful, quick connections. For businesses that depend on the Internet, T1′s should strongly be considered over the cost savings of consumer level connections.

DSL Internet Access

The downside of DSL Connections

Not a priority service
Outage response is much slower than a T1 – typically 24 hours before dispatch is authorized
Higher latency than T1 circuits
Not guaranteed by the Telephone Companies
Not available everywhere

The upside of DSL Internet

Inexpensive: Starting as low as $49.95/Mo
Faster Download Speeds than T1 Circuits
Quick Installation – typically 7 days or less
Bonding DSL circuits delivers even faster speeds

DSL circuits – along with FiOS and Cable Internet connections are considered “non-priority” services and are rated as consumer level. This means – in most situations – the DSL line you have at your business is the same service and network as if you had it at your home**. The only difference between your home connection and your business connection is the price. Providers will charge more for a business connection assuming that it will be used more and will require more bandwidth. Consumer level connections are great if your business does not depend on the Internet for day to day operations. When there are issues on DSL and other consumer level connections, there is no “guaranteed” time that the trouble will be fixed, only that the telephone company will try thier best to fix it in a timely manner. Consumer level connections do not come with any guarantees from the telephone company. The upside to DSL connections is that they are inexpensive and fast. A single DSL line is capable of 7 Mbps, while newer ADSL2 technology has been said to go as fast as 54 Mbps. By bonding DSL lines together, speeds of 21 Mbps can be achieved.

The bottom line: When your business depends on the Internet, it is always highly recommended to use a true business class connection such as a T1. Many businesses choose to risk it and go with DSL for the cost savings, but realize when they have issues that without the Internet their business is losing money. A T1 is like Internet insurance for your business.

Want the highest level of uptime? Combine a T1 connection with a DSL connection. By utilizing two internet connections, which are different types of technology, you lower your chance of internet outages which can affect the bottom line. Ask us about our bundled T1 and DSL packages.

** TrueNet DSL is different than Verizon or other telephone company DSL services. We do not provide residential DSL and transport DSL connections over our business class network – meaning our users typically see better speeds and performance.

5 Ways Server Colocation Can Benefit Your Business

truenet — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:29:15 +0000

“What is Server Colocation?”

This is a question we are asked by our clients at least several times per month. When we tell them what it is, the next question is usually “How would that benefit my business?”. The answer to that question really varies from business to business.

Colocating a Server – or Server Colocation – simply means “to put or house your business server or hardware in a Data Center”. There are many reasons to put your server in a data center. Say for example, a business has it’s own email server – such as a Microsoft Exchange Email Server – and it’s physically located inside of their office. The employee’s of this business need access to their email, calendars and contacts when they are on the road, at home or on vacation. They need access not just during business hours – but 24 x 7. Now say, for example, the Internet connection in the office goes down. If this business is using DSL, Cable, FiOS or another non-priority internet service, the internet connection could be down for days. During this outage, how will their employees send email or see their upcoming appointments? How will they communicate with customers? If there is not a business continuity plan or backup strategy in place, they may not be able to communicate at all.

Once the Internet comes back online, the business owner decides to keep the original Internet connection (costing him $150.00/mo), but also decides to bring in an additional internet connection in case the first connections fails. He decides he needs an internet connection that is guaranteed and business class. He decides to order a T1 Internet Connection - which is guaranteed to be online 99.99% of the time. The T1 circuit will cost him $400.00/Mo. He is now spending approximately $550.00/mo on Internet Service alone.

Everything is working great, but then one day this business owner come into the office and there is no power. Once again, his employees are unable to communicate with customers and with each other. The business is missing out on orders and losing money by the hour. The business owner decides to purchase an automatic generator at $5000.00.

Everything is working great again. Life is good. Then one day this business owner arrives at the office only to see flames shooting out of the windows. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed all of the servers and onsite data. Unless they have a data backup or replication strategy in place, this data may be lost. The business owner decides that it is finally time to find a solution that will not only ensure his valuable data and equipment are secure and safe, but that his employees can access their email and other business applications 24 x 7 x 365.

After rebuilding the servers and relocating his business, the business owner decides to take his email server and put in a secure data center – aka Server Colocation. The data center is providing a monitored environment with fast, unlimited amounts of internet access, an uninterrupted supply of power, conditioned air flow and fire suppression for his email server. His monthly costs for Server Colocation for his 1U mail server and a firewall comes to $200.00/mo. Not only is he saving $350.00/mo, but he is getting a faster, quicker internet connection for his server and a higher level of security and total redundancy in terms of power and internet. All this for a fraction of the cost of what he was spending trying to duplicate a redundant atmosphere at his office.

The above scenario, while exaggerated, is not all that far-fetched. Every day businesses are dealing with loss of power, electricity and data. Very few of them realize that exploring Server Colocation services may not only save the business money and capital expenses, but in almost every situation will give the business a higher percentage of uptime, security and performance. Unfortunately, it’s usually after several outages or disasters that most business owners and decision makers only begin to look at business continuity solutions and server colocation.

Here are 5 Reasons Business Should Consider Server Colocation

Uptime, Uptime, Uptime

As in the example above, if your business has applications, servers or resources that are accessed and used by people outside of your local area network, losing internet access or power can be devestating. It can also make users skeptical about using your service in the future- especially if it is a paid service. Putting your server in a reputable data center means that you will have access to battery and generator backup should the data center face a power outage. The data center will also have multiple, huge pipes to the internet, meaning that if they lose one connection, there are others to pick up the slack. When uptime matters, collocation is a must.

Cost savings

As mentioned in the example above, Server Colocation is typically less expensive then trying to duplicate a redundant atmosphere at your office. For internet fail over you will need two internet connections. This can usually be achieved by combining two “consumer level” internet connections – cable and Fios for example. These services are not “priority” services however, and if you lose both you could be in for a major headache waiting for them to get fixed. Its highly suggested to have one true business grade connection (such as a T1 or T3 circuit) and one consumer level connection (cable) so that you have the best of both worlds. Either way, dual internet connections will cost between $200.00 and $800.00 for most locations. Of course, this depends on what service is available and how inexpensive it is in your city. Power….you’ll need a generator. Maybe a residential generator will do, maybe you will need something more powerful. Either way, a generator is a capital expense and maintaining it is crucial. If it breaks, you will need to pay to have it fixed. With server colocation starting at $179.95 in most colocation centers, it is usually cost effective to colocate rather then to duplicate. Regardless if it is a savings or not, putting your server at an internet provider is absolutely a “best practice” and a great investment.

Fast Internet at a wholesale rates

Business class Internet to your business is more expensive than Internet access in a data center. Data centers buy bandwidth in bulk and “resell” it to colocation customers. For example, a T1 internet connection priced at $300.00 per month is actually $200 Per Meg. Data center bandwidth is typically between $15 and $40.00 per Meg depending on how much bandwidth you purchase.

Close proximity to global internet providers

Colocating your server in an ISP puts your server closer to your customers and other internet providers. ISP’s, such as TrueNet, have large, national peering relationships with major global providers. Colocating your server with an ISP means your server is in the heart of the Internet – miliseconds away from every carrier in the world, and closer to your customers. This means data travelling to and from your server doesn’t have as far to traverse than if your server was located in your office, at the end of a cable, dsl or fios connection. In addition, if your server is in your office on a cable connection, your data may have to travel through 5 different internet routing devices (or hops) just to get out of your providers network. This delay, while unnoticable to most, could cause delays and potentially loss of business.

Security and Peace of Mind

Today, business data is stored electronically. Storing your data in the same location as your business is a dangerous practice. As in the example above, a fire or natural disaster could damage data, computers and business servers and cause irreparairable damage. One of the main benefits to server colocation is that it provides an off-site location to store valuable business data. If set-up correctly, a local backup plan supplemented by pushing a copy of your data or server replication to an off-site location could be the difference between your business continuing after a disaster or crumbling.

For more information about TrueNet’s Server Colocation and Philadelphia Data center, please call us at 888-878-3638.

SmarterMail 9.0 Coming in Early 2012

truenet — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:05:41 +0000

TrueNet Hosted SmarterMail Version 9.0 Expected Soon

TrueNet’s SmarterMail Business Email hosting platform already delivers Microsoft Exchange capabilities and is the leading Microsoft Exchange Server alternative. With the expected release of version 9.x, the SmarterMail platform is taking early steps to not only deliver Exchange collaboration and world-class email services, but will also be incorporating an instant messaging feature. The instant messaging feature is designed to provide instant communication within a company and sounds very similar to the messaging feature offered by another Microsoft platform – Microsoft Link (or OCS). Other improvements with version 9 include improved syncronization of email, contacts and tasks using Microsoft EWS, better integration with Microsoft Outlook 2011 (Mac) and Outlook 2012 (Windows) and improvements to the installation and set-up process.

Version 9.0 Hosted SmarterMail Features

Improved Sync capabilities using Microsoft Exchange Web Services (EWS)
Faster user interface
New Sync capabilities for new tablet and mobile phone operating systems
- Including Ice Cream Sandwich, iOS 5, Mango, Lion and others
Instant Messaging platform for super fast inter-office communication
- Instant messaging will be available through the web portal, mobile devices and desktop computers!
No price increase or additional costs for current Truenet Hosted SmarterMail users

Check out TrueNet’s hosted business email service including Hosted SmarterMail for pricing and ordering information.

Our New Website is Here!

truenet — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:24:05 +0000

Finally. Our new website is launching today – we’re really excited to get it online and in front of potential clients, agents, carriers and providers. We know you will agree our old site was VERY outdated and lacked alot of solid information. As time has changed, so have our service offerings and focus.

The new site is still in “BETA” and some pages are obviously still missing content – but we REALLY needed to pull our old website down, so we couldn’t wait any longer. Even in BETA, we think it’s far, far better than our old site.

Stay tuned to this blog for all of TrueNet’s updates. There’s some HUGE things on the horizon for us at TrueNet and our next blog post will detail of the things we have planned.

T1 Internet Promotion (Nationionwide)

truenet — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 13:33:26 +0000

T-1 Internet connections are now being discounted in select wiring centers across the USA. Discounts vary by location, but are as much as 30% off of regular T1 prices. Discounted pricing is good on T1 Internet connections signed to a 12 month contract. Discount does not apply to multi-year contracts. For more information, contact the TrueNet sales team at 888-878-3638

Bonded DSL in NY and NJ

truenet — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:09:08 +0000

Bonded DSL (also known as Ethernet over Copper) is now available in New York and New Jersey, in addition to Pennsylvania and Delaware. With speeds ranging from 2 Mbps to 14 Mbps, Bonded DSL is a great solution for businesses that need faster uploads than DSL and T1 Internet connections, but don’t want the expense of a T1.

Bonded DSL is available in the following areas:

LATA 228: Philadelphia, PA and the State of Delaware
LATA 222: Western NJ
LATA 224: Northern NJ
LATA 132: Southeastern New York

For more information on our bonded DSL service, visit our Bonded DSL Page.

You can also download our Bonded DSL Sales Sheet which includes pricing and more information.