Web Hosting Services - Bandwidth

You might have heard your web hosts using the term "bandwidth" in reference to web hosting and web sites. Bandwidth is the measure of total amount of data that is transferred from one point to another point over network connection. This is measured in bits per second and is considered to be a vital aspect of web hosting services. In blogs and forums, the activities conducted are generally much more than in ordinary website where there is no option to insert data by the visitors. In the former cases, visitors can open their accounts; make comments, vote, and upload images apart from just reading its content. Hence it is obvious that the data transfer and number of hits on these websites are much more than simple company websites. Consequently the bandwidth of these sites are higher that any other average websites.

To define bandwidth mathematically one can say that, if your website is of 10 KB and the total number of hits is 20 per day, then your bandwidth would be 10 x 20 bites and if you want a monthly report multiple it with 30. Bandwidth is sometimes measured in bytes also.

8 bits = 1 byte and 1024 bytes = 1 Kilobytes

The heavy images on websites and too many feedbacks from the customers waste bandwidth. Moreover, if the user tends to download heavy items from the web then he/she would be expecting heavy consumption of bandwidth as well. Therefore, if you want your website to be filled up with videos, graphics and information then make sure that the bandwidth provided by your web host matches with your requirements. Some of the web hosts promise to provide large number of such services but later they turn their faces. Hence, in this respect proper selection of the hosts is also demanded.

Determine the amount of bandwidth you need

How would you known that what is the required bandwidth of your website? This question needs to be answered from technical and mathematical point of view. This would also determine the website content you are having and have projected to include in future. It is always better to keep some bandwidth in hand as it would allow you to develop the website and include new features later on. You should take out some time in determining the bandwidth required for your website. If required you can discuss the issue with your web hosts who can suggest you better on this. Almost every hosting company measures the bandwidth plan on a monthly basis and hence you can chart your requirements based n that only. Bandwidth is generally measured as:

Average Page Views x Average Daily Visitors x Average Page Size Fudge Factor x 30

While if you allow people ample downloading options from your website your bandwidth would be measured as:

[(Daily Visitors x Page Views x Page Size) + (Daily File Downloads x File Size)] x 31 x Fudge Factor

Note: All these are measured based on average data.

Relation between bandwidth and traffic:

Bandwidth and traffic are closely interlinked with each other. Visitors can experience best the bandwidth as they are the people who carry out various activities with the websites. If a visitor wants to download an MP3 files from a website into the computer, then 4MB traffic is created between the website and the user's computer. If the user is having a fast internet connection then the file won't take much time to get downloaded and hence the bandwidth consumed in the process would be low. The reverse happens if the internet connectivity is poor. Traffic is measured by the number of bits that are transferred on network connections.

How to cut down bandwidth usage?

It might happen suddenly that you receive a monthly bill for hosting that brings perspiration on your forehead. The hosting company justified the bill explaining that the monthly minimum bandwidth usage has been exceeded for your website and asks you to bring down the file size in your website. You are at a fix and simply do not know what would be your send stand.

Yours website has several files, each of these files have respective sizes of their own. Each of these files, when used by the visitors, consumes some of the website bandwidth. You have control on the bandwidth usage of your website and can increase or decrease these according to the requirements. Another easy way to cut down bandwidth expenses is to prevent the use of too many files, graphics, images and downloadable file son your website. These files themselves are heavy and when downloaded by multiple users, can consume lots of bandwidth thus increasing cost. Suppose there is a large image in the webpage that is downloaded each time a visitor views the website. Then also the same thing happens and unnecessary bandwidth expenditure takes place. If removing the web page images is not possible, then try to decrease its size and you can seen the dramatic change in the bill, next time, when the web hosting company hand it over to you. Cascading Style Sheets also help you to save bandwidth as they reduce HTML file sizes considerably.

Some bandwidth tips:

Always keep an estimation of the number of visiting or can visit your page in future. A monthly estimation is always beneficial.
There are options to buy un-metered bandwidth hosting. In such a plan you are charged higher than nay normal shared or dedicated hosting plan and in return the usage will be unlimited. The host won't monitor the bandwidth rating which is reflected on the left hand side of the control panel.
If you make changes in your website then always calculate the current web page size or else you will not be able to keep track of the bandwidth bills.
Try to cut down the inputs from any visitors on your sites. Allow only selected visitors to make comments on your website.
Talk to your web hosting company regularly for upgrading your website. Upgrading doesn't always mean that there will be an increase in the bandwidth consumption. But this can also decrease the consumption of bandwidth by elimination unnecessary files.
If you use JavaScript then instead of embedding it in each page, use it externally.
Always upload resized images as heavy images consume bandwidth.

The final words:

It is your web host that can guide you bets on bandwidth. Selection of the right web host can matter if your want a proper guidance on web hosting services. The structure and the content of the WebPages would definitely determine the bandwidth expenses. But the effective guidance from the web hosts can equally help you on this regard. Bandwidth theft is a common practice in which the people use other sites images by simply linking them with another page. Such practices, without notice, can be punishable and should not be practices. So if you are a novice, and your website owner advises you on this then always try to avoid. Before discussing with the web host regarding bandwidth and always better to make a study and some research on bandwidth. Your website developers can also guide you extensively in informing about the techniques to save bandwidth.

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