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First and foremost is to
understand what bandwidth is and then we can proceed with the statement as to
whether unlimited bandwidth that is promised by many web hosting service
providers is a fact or a myth. It is important to understand the concept simply
because it will be silly to jump into any conclusions based on the above
statement while choosing your web host service provider.
Definition of bandwidth
Bandwidth is
the measurement of the amount of data transmitted over an internet connection
in a given time. It is usually specified in the hosting package. Some web host
service providers calculate bandwidth on a monthly basis. In case you exceed
the specified bandwidth there are two options:
- Your site is plugged off once you exceed the
specified bandwidth
- Your site remains up but you will be billed
separately for the extra using up of bandwidth
Measuring Bandwidth
It is important to
evaluate the consumption of bandwidth while deciding on the web plan. The
bandwidth consumption depends on the size of site as well as the probable
number of hits received by the site which depends a lot on the popularity of
the site.
In case a website is of
size 50 KB and it receives 50 hits in a month then the data transferred from this
website comes to 50x50=2500 KB.
Deciding on the bandwidth plan
The
bandwidth consumption depends on the two factors viz. size of website and its
popularity. So while deciding on the bandwidth we need to evaluate these
factors and accordingly decide the size of bandwidth to suit our needs.
- Small Plan
In
case the size of the website is small and it has minimal hits it will be wiser
to choose a small plan with smaller bandwidth.
- Medium Plan
In
case the website is big or it has downloadable video or images and has considerable
hits it is wiser to choose a medium plan in advance to evade extra charges
later.
- Large Plan
If
the website is large and popular which means innumerable hits in a day it is
recommended to go in for a huge bandwidth.
Unlimited bandwidth
Many
web host service providers claim that they provide unlimited bandwidth. It is
nothing but fiction and one need to go through the entire terms and conditions
of those concerns who suggest that they provide unlimited bandwidth. It is
mostly an advertising gimmick and the companies use it only to tap and fool the
potential customers. Once you fall into this trap you might have to pay extra
from the first month itself.
If
we use our commonsense we know that nothing in this world comes free and if
someone is making such a promise it becomes a must to go through every minute
details provided to locate any hidden charges that will be required to pay
later. We must understand that the company is also here to stay and how can it
sustain in business if it incurs cost on our behalf. Either the company is
cheating or it has intentions to collect money and flee.
In
some cases the companies use this term “unlimited bandwidth” to woo customers
and forcibly makes them take up a higher plan that in no way suit the
individual needs. The company knows very well that the customer will never be
able to exceed that bandwidth and so they offer them such a plan and make easy
money by fooling people. Again at times they restrict downloading of video or
files so that you don’t exceed the prescribed limit.
Hence
the best option is not to go for “unlimited bandwidth” trap and play safe. You
can always purchase bandwidth later once you fall short of prescribed limit in
the long run. It is worthwhile to remember that it is impossible for any
provider to give unlimited bandwidth or disk space free.
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