Wow, lots of good questions there and I don't think you will get the complete, well-rounded understanding you are looking for within the confines of email.
As with many things there are several options to each one of your questions. Each with their different pros/cons. I think your best bet would be to come to one of the TAUG meetings in person. Face-to-face will do you a world of good here. Afterwards most people go out for a beer and I know lots of people would be happy to do the whiteboard thing (or napkin if you didn't bring a pad of paper) and try and help you out with much more context so the responses will have more useful meaning to your actual need. Not meaning to skate around the question, I think the number of questions and their inter-relationships will get you more confused and expend significantly more time than and evening and a couple of beers. dbc. -- David Cook Quoting Chriswlan2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Hello everybody! > > I've been reading this list for a year, saved hundreds of messages, > and just > lately have spent dozens of hours on the net researching *... I can > find all > kinds of technical details answered, I can even find some faqs, but > none of > that helps me much with some generalities, and all kinds of newbie > questions > for someone who has nobody in the know to talk to.... But I think it > is time > I jump. > > So I'll explain my circumstances and may be I can get a bunch of > advice! > > I'm not a programmer, have never touched a server, don't know linux, > but > years ago I could slowly find my way around the DOS command line > -with some > book help! I'm sure I'm heading for some looong hours! Lol... But all > my > computer+Internet knowledge is self-taught, so there is hope. > > My immediate needs for the next year are only: > =experimenting, no production requirement yet; just very low usage. > =International fax to/from email, an immediate must. Not easy > apparently... > =international DIDs and terminations, for a handful of intermittent > users. > =can't have a physical server here, so I'll need one somewhere where > I'll > never see it... > =need low traffic email server, BUT with fancy features like SSL > encryption > and ETRN. > > In a year or so I could use more production-like quality, even if not > at the > corporate level of quality. I am also slowly moving into > semi-retirement in > a Central Pacific Developing country; where I'd want a "slaved" *box > (for a > micro call shop with A2Billing), connected via the local lo-grade > internet > to my North America main *server; their internet speed is ok for voip > but > not for GB transfers. I'll also start playing with e-commerce and > etc... > > > Now for the questions (those I can think of imagining!) > > 1=This list seems to be using the word "colo", while my 'net research > takes > me to VPSs: which would I need? Is there mostly 2 kinds of hosting: > the > consumer's grade with an inflexible package of apps, and then the > ones where > one can install anything and everything? > > 2=Can I start with the $6.95, one-size-fits-all deal at bluehost.com? > VPSs > seem to be more like $60 a month; > > 3=I really don't have a clue how one "remote controls" a server!!!! > Am I > supposed to ship a CD to the Data Center tech for them to install? > There is > no way I could ftp a Gig from the Pacific!!! How do I do back ups? > Get 2 > cheap hosting deals and ftp, -direct-, fm one to the other? > I don't even know if I can 100% control a server remotely over a not > so fast > internet link? Don't even know if I can order my server to fetch > some new > piece of software, direct, on its own? > > 4=If I crash my server OS, what do I do? Hop on a plane??? > > 5=When looking for a host server what details should I pay attention > to? Is > it ever possible to order particular hardware, like a fxo??? A second > harddrive? What else? Is QoS an issue when * is the intended use? If > I have > a server with "shell" or "root" (pseudo root, etc, whatever the > differences!?), am I allowed to remotely add ANY software I want to > run? > What about static IP? > So: I have sole control over all of my server ports? > > 6=Would the nerd-vittle pre-packaged deal be a good way to start, > getting > something to work quickly? Then I can start experimenting/demolishing > it! > (ie learning...). And later can I download Asterisk and compile etc > on the > server itself, without ftp's from my own location? > > 7=Where does the firewall requirement fit? > > 8=I've read that *, doing DSP, requires no interfering with its > timing: can > one run other apps on the same server, or should one splurge for > separate > server $$$? > > 9=Is there any special requirements/considerations that could help me > deal > better with the extremely long latency I won't be able to avoid? > > > Well, thanks for all opinions! > > Christian D > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
