Unmetered Servers: Avoid Bandwidth Overage Fees
Thursday February 10, 2011
For websites that are growing at a significant rate, the transfer of data can be very expensive, especially when server providers charge a customer a hefty fee for using more than the allotted bandwidth. For most server owners, it is quite distressing to see a monthly bandwidth fee that has a high bandwidth overage fee. The best solution to avoid bandwidth overage fees is using an unmetered server.
The advantage of using an unmetered server is there are no charges for data transfer usage. Hosting companies that provide unmetered servers do not charge on the basis of the amount of bandwidth used. The customer will pay a monthly flat fee. Customers have a choice between two types of unmetered servers – one providing a shared connection, and the other that uses a dedicated connection. Data transfer is limited by the speed of the connection. If you are not sure how much bandwidth you will use, an unmetered server may the choice for you.
Most server providers use a shared connection whereby several servers share a single connection. The speed a shared connection provider offers will be split between multiple servers. The speed that an individual customer gets will depend on how many servers they are sharing with. The service is more affordable but limits the amount of available bandwidth. Dedicated server lines are the other unmetered option. The speed can range from 5 Mbps up to 1 Gbps. It can be quite expensive. For those with extremely intensive bandwidth needs, dedicated lines are a good choice. Speeds available can include 5 Mbit, 10 Mbit, 100 Mbit, and even 1 Gbit.
When it comes to your server’s network connection, an unmetered server will allow you to pay for up-link speed instead of the data transfer. The advantages of unmetered servers are numerous and include nearly no downtime, cost-efficiency, and improved security. More bandwidth allows for faster downloads of your website. Dedicated connections will satisfy the demands of just about any bandwidth intensive application. If you have a high traffic website, are looking for a server upgrade, unmetered servers are a good choice to making sure you are not overwhelmed with bandwidth overage fees. When choosing the unmetered service that best meets your specific needs, it is important to understand the differences between the two types of services – shared connection and dedicated lines, so that you make a well-informed and wise decision.