Bandwidth, And Your Web Site's Host

Article Posted by Expert Author: Nancy Ruskus  on 02/07/2013

Anyone on the hunt for a web site host or having an account with an internet provider will encounter the term 'bandwidth'. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data which is transferred over a specified period of time. Higher bandwidth will mean faster transfer of files from one location to another. Any web host can offer a number of bandwidth options for those looking for web site space.

Where web sites are concerned, bandwidth means the amount of traffic which can travel between your site and the internet itself. The amount of bandwidth you will be allowed to have for your web site will depend on the network connections that your web host has internally to their data centers and externally to the rest of the internet. Bandwidth is akin to the number of lanes on a highway, and traffic to the number of cars.

Hosting plan prices are largely determined by bandwidth, and the amount of bandwidth you require will be unique to your situation. Most web site hosts will offer monthly bandwidth allowances, which means you will have to estimate how much bandwidth your site will need each month.

Bandwidth throttling occurs when a web site customer uses a high amount of the memory on the web host's server. When excessive use occurs, many web hosts will throttle, or close some lanes of the data highway to your site, making it more difficult for visitors to get to. Should the excessive load on a host's server continue, the offending web site can face suspension or termination.

Bandwidth throttling is most often applied by web hosts who offer shared hosting services. In throttling the bandwidth of one offending customer's account, the other accounts on the server are saved from experiencing slowdowns at their own sites. Before signing up with a web host, it is always advisable to find and read their policy regarding bandwidth.

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