The region where your server runs is an architecture decision, not a detail on an order form. It affects the response time your users perceive, where your data is stored and, for some uses such as trading, the quality of the connection to a specific platform.
Infrawire currently offers servers on three continents: Europe, North America and Asia. The network is growing step by step and new countries will be added, but the way you should choose a region will stay the same.
Why location really matters
A network packet does not travel instantly. The greater the distance, the more hops it takes, and the more the route depends on carriers you do not control. For a brochure site the difference stays subtle. For an interactive application, an API called dozens of times per page or a remote desktop session, you notice it quickly.
Two other criteria weigh as much as distance:
- The legal framework: where your customers' personal data is stored, and which rules apply to it.
- The ecosystem around the server: a game server, a trading bot and a mail service do not have the same network counterparts.
Available continents and countries
Each country has its own page, with the matching offers.
| Continent | Country | Best for | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | France | Businesses and French-speaking audiences, data hosted in Europe | VPS France |
| Europe | Germany | Central Europe, projects focused on European compliance | VPS Germany |
| North America | United States | North American audience, SaaS, online services | VPS USA |
| Asia | Hong Kong | Customers and partners in Asia, projects aimed at Asian markets | VPS Hong Kong |
Europe
This is the natural starting point for a European or French-speaking audience. France fits when your customers and teams are in France, Belgium or French-speaking Switzerland. Germany is a good candidate for central Europe and for projects where hosting inside the European Union simplifies the compliance review.
North America
The United States serves American and Canadian users, but also services whose partners (APIs, platforms, providers) are themselves hosted across the Atlantic. For a SaaS aimed at that market, it is better to set up there than to make every request cross the ocean.
Asia
Hong Kong is an anchor point for customers and partners in Asia. If your application targets users in that area, do not leave it in Europe only.
What comes next
The list of locations will expand as Infrawire grows. The table does not say one region is better than another: it says where each one makes the most sense. An online shop in Lyon usually has nothing to gain from hosting on the other side of the world.
Which service for which need
Location combines with the type of service.
Linux VPS and applications
For an API, a back end, a CI environment or a database, a Linux VPS in the region of your main users is the most logical choice. You keep control of the system, the ports and the software stack. The full catalogue is on the VPS page.
Windows VPS
A Windows VPS reachable over RDP suits line-of-business applications, accounting tools and software that only exists for Windows. A remote desktop session is sensitive to distance, so choose the region closest to the people who connect.
Trading and MetaTrader
For automated trading, pick the location based on your broker's server, not on where you live. The Forex VPS and MetaTrader 5 VPS offers run your bots without depending on your personal computer. Ask your broker where its servers are, then test several regions.
Websites, heavy workloads and protection
WordPress hosting or cPanel hosting fits when you prefer a management interface to a server you administer yourself. Dedicated servers and the gaming dedicated server cover needs for non-shared resources. For a service exposed to volumetric attacks, look at the Anti-DDoS VPS.
How to choose your region
A simple method avoids most mistakes:
- Identify the continent where most of your users are, not just your first customers.
- Check your obligations on data location (GDPR, customer contracts, sector-specific requirements).
- For a connection to a third party (broker, payment API, partner), find out where it is hosted itself.
- If your audience is split across two continents, consider two servers rather than a single compromise in the middle.
Test before you decide
Do not rely on a map. Measure from the places that matter to you. The looking glass lets you run network tests from the infrastructure. Complete it with an mtr run from your workstation or an existing server:
Bashmtr -rwc 50 adresse-ip-du-serveur
Results vary with the time of day and the carrier, so repeat the test at several points during the day. The tutorials then cover deployment, once you have settled on a region.
FAQ
Servers generally cannot be moved live from one region to another. The usual approach is to deploy a new server in the region you want, migrate the data, then switch the DNS. Lowering the TTL of your records in advance makes the cutover smoother.
GDPR does not by itself require hosting in Europe, but it regulates transfers of data outside the Union. Hosting in France or Germany often simplifies the analysis. For your specific case, rely on your data protection officer or a lawyer.
The one closest to your broker's server, not to your home. Ask the broker for its location, then compare network test results between the available regions before choosing.
The network is expected to expand as Infrawire grows. The available locations are the ones listed on the country pages, so check them for the current state of the offer.
Yes, it is a common approach for serving distant audiences. For example, you can spread application servers across continents and keep the main database in the region that matters most to you.