Chicago Dedicated Servers – Data Center and Colo

In this article

• OpenMetal Dedicated Servers for Chicago
• Recommended data center for Chicago colo
• Alternative data center location for Chicago
• Pick the right dedicated server provider for Chicago

OpenMetal Dedicated Servers for Chicago 

OpenMetal has a wide range of enterprise dedicated servers available both as bare metal and within a hosted private cloud. For those looking for best dedicated servers for a Chicago based business, we have two data center locations in the United States that can serve your purpose.

• Ashburn, Virginia
• Los Angeles, California

If your business / customers are located in and around Chicago, Illinois, then OpenMetal’s data center location in Ashburn, Virginia, is the best data center for your Chicago colocation alternative. 

OpenMetal is co-located in a state-of-the-art Equinix IBX data center in Ashburn, Virginia, offering customers top-tier network infrastructure, world-class security, and unmatched redundancy. This Tier III facility not only provides access to the largest peering exchange on the US East Coast but also ranks among the top three peering exchange markets globally, ensuring the lowest latencies for Atlantic region users and high-speed, reliable service for users worldwide. Read more.

Ping Times and Traceroutes from Chicago to Ashburn

The following shows the ping time from a centrally located looking glass in Chicago, Illinois to the OpenMetal dedicated server data center location in Ashburn, Virginia. There were 5 packets of data transmitted with the following ping time statistics:

• Minimum Ping Time: 19.004 ms
• Average Ping Time: 19.050 ms
• Maximum Ping Time: 19.088 ms

PING 198.46.80.10 (198.46.80.10) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 198.46.80.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=57 time=19.0 ms
64 bytes from 198.46.80.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=57 time=19.0 ms
64 bytes from 198.46.80.10: icmp_seq=3 ttl=57 time=19.0 ms
64 bytes from 198.46.80.10: icmp_seq=4 ttl=57 time=19.0 ms
64 bytes from 198.46.80.10: icmp_seq=5 ttl=57 time=19.0 ms

--- 198.46.80.10 ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 received, 0% packet loss, time 4005ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 19.004/19.050/19.088/0.029 ms

Pick the right dedicated server provider for Chicago

Compare data center ping times for Chicago

The following table and map shows the average ping times between Chicago and OpenMetal’s data center locations in the United States. An additional 5 ms have been added to the observed average ping times in order to account for possible latency in the last mile, especially if not in a central area in Chicago.

How to know when a data center location is not a good choice 

When evaluating a data center location, consider it unsuitable if:

• Latency Tests: Results consistently exceed 30 milliseconds (ms), as recommended by OpenMetal for modern clouds and hosting needs.
• Geographical Distance: Far from the primary user base, increasing delay.
• Local Infrastructure: Lacks the capacity or quality needed for low-latency connections.
• Connectivity Options: Limited or no direct connections to major internet backbones or networks.

OpenMetal’s data centers are located in Tier III facilities with connections to major internet backbones, so local infrastructure and connectivity options are never an issue. However, OpenMetal strongly recommends looking for a ping time of under 30 ms for modern applications. The latency tests from Chicago to our Los Angeles facility exceed 60 ms so we do not recommend this data center location for Chicago City colo and hosted IaaS needs.

OpenMetal’s Ashburn facility delivers impressively low latency, with just 19.050 ms maximum ping times from central Chicago. Even when adding an extra 5 ms for the last mile for less central locations, the maximum ping time is 24.050 ms, which is within the recommended threshold, ensuring exceptionally fast speeds and minimal latency. Hence our Ashburn location is the recommended choice for Chicago colo, bare metal, hosted applications and cloud services.