Unlimited Bandwidth - What do you think?

I am sure it will create a large discussion as it is a VERY HOT TOPIC on the 'net right now. My feelings on unlimited bandwidth are simple: don't do it! VenerNet doesn't even offer unlimited because it is indeed unlimited with their policies. No host can offer unlimited (big period here). If I were in need of a host now, I would not even look at a host that advertised unlimited, I wouldn't even think of e-mailing them to find their limit... No matter how well their prices are and how many features I would receive. I am a very strict person when it comes to "morals" and I believe that unlimited is very deceptive which is morally incorrect.

Just my humble opinion of course!

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Chad Simper
Dynamic Internet Solutions

I do agree and having a unlimited bandwidth can draw alot of customers to join thier service and end up got limited so that how company can profit by do adversitment all over and try to fool the dummy customes.

I dont like unlimied bandwidth either anwyay.

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Carolina Web Net
www.carolinaweb.net

I think that there are two types of webmasters:
1.) The types that are generally uneducated about hosts, maybe it will be their first paid host or they do not have a popular site.
2.) Webmasters that hang around in forums like these and educate themselves.

#1 webmasters will easily be fooled into unlimited bandwidth, unlimited disk space for $10/month. Then, when they find that the service is bad and that the unlimited isn't really unlimited, they will wonder what went wrong.

#2 webmasters will look for hosts which do not try to deceive users by offering unlimited bandwidth, and look for a host that is truthful and provides good customer service. They realize that this can cost them maybe $20-30/month or even more, but also are aware of the alternative.

Unfortunately, it seems that most webmasters are type #1, although in this forum I like to think that they are #2. Therefore, it is very hard as a host to satisfy both types of customers. One suggestion is to put something like unmetered bandwidth up to 10 GB, and then link to an explaination that shows how many hits that you can receive.

Brian Farkas

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InfoStar: Web Design - Hosting - Programming
http://www.infostardesign.com

True, and that is the sad part. I remember that Pegasus offered unlimited bandwidth and it said on their page that that unlimited was really only up to 2 GB. Hopefully, in the future as the Internet grows more people will be educated about web hosting and realize that unlimited doesn't always mean unlimited.

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InfoStar: Web Design - Hosting - Programming
http://www.infostardesign.com

Bingo! Brian has the point, really.

I have my own hosting services and they aren't unlimited course its only 10GB and this is good enough unless just hosting HTML and Graphic Files but if CGI, then it's gonna be more than the requirement limitation. Most people want to have more bandwidth for CGI and other scripts, they will need a Dedicated Server so it can handle high bandwidth that cna handle up to 500GB a day or month either.

My opinion that all host should not offer unlimited anymore and start limit the bandwidth so people will have to accept it.

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Carolina Web Net
www.carolinaweb.net

The thing is though, hosts that advertise unlimited bandwidth are bound to attract more clients than those who advertise unmetered bandwidth up to 10 GB.
Simply due to the fact that many prospective clients are in the #1 category.
JP

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The Webmaster Promotion and Resource Center.
http://www.what-next.com

I think Unlimited means Unlimited up until a dedicated server is required. I guess you can say that you can have all the bandwidth you want until you are using up enough CPU and bandwidth which will require a dedicated server.

Thanks
Curtis

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Well, sometimes that's true and sometimes it's not. For example, from Pwebtech:

Quote:
We are pleased to offer our clients unlimited Web page traffic. To
maintain the integrity of our service the following limitations apply:

Multiple hosts resolving at an ip or domain name that we
provide.
Sites with Banners, graphics or cgi's running from their
domain used on other domains.
Sites with archives or galleries (.gif, .jpg, exe, zip, tar, etc ...)
Sites offering download files. (This is any site where 20% or
more of there monthly traffic is from file downloads)
No unauthorized reselling of disk space.
Sites using more than 10% of system resources. For those
that do not qualify for the unlimited service, traffic will go
unmonitored until you reach 3 gigs. Thereafter, normal data
transfer cost of $10.00/1 gig will apply.

This description could really fit anyone. For example, say that someone would like to link to your site. Even one person linking to site.com/banner.gif would reduce your limit from unlimited to 3 GB. Fairly big drop, wouldn't you say ?

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InfoStar: Web Design - Hosting - Programming
http://www.infostardesign.com

Well, I'm a type 1 webmaster as detail in an above post. I'm just hanging tight and waiting to see what my host does because I'm steadily burning up bandwidth and cpu (cgi) more and more everyday.

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Just a question, but isn't there a cgi script that stops people from linking to your images/files etc.? Would this help in reducing the bandwidth used?

Zee,

This URL may lead your answer for the question you are asking for:

http://cgi.elitehost.com/bandwidth/demo.shtm

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Carolina Web Net
www.carolinaweb.net

Hi,
I think i'm a #2 type of webmaster and have learned alot hanging around and reading what you all have to say. I even put my .02 cents worth in occasionally and hope you learn from me in turn.

Anyway, here's my question? Based on averages of typical websites with graphics and moderate cgi use with say 1000 hits per day, what would the average bandwidth use be? Or is this a real loaded question?

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Dan
[email protected]

That's kind of a hard question. You would have to multiple the file size accessed by the number of visitors. For exampe, if 1000 users hit a 100 KB file, you would have used 100,000 KB, or 100 MB, or .1 GB of bandwidth. If 1000 users hit 10 100 KB files, you would have used 1 GB of bandwidth.

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InfoStar: Web Design - Hosting - Programming
http://www.infostardesign.com

Dan,
Brian pretty much explained it. That is one of the biggest problems - companies will say that they give you a whole GB which can easily provide 500,000 hits and the newbie goes "WOW! 500,000 Hits!" In reality, the file size could only be 2.1 kb (not even a graphicd) and can only be hit 500,000 times. There is NO (I repeat NO) way to change bandwidth into hits! It is impossible! There is no way to say a Web Site is average because even if you were to have one page that is 25kb and another that is 26kb, sure they are both very close to the same size but when you compare the hits each could take given 5 GB of bandwidth, there is a significant difference (209,715 hits for the 25kb page and 201,649 hits for the 26kb page = a difference of 8,066 hits). I hope all that made sense and proved my point

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Dynamic Internet Solutions : http://www.dids.com
UNIX and Windows NT Hosting

Thanks Brian and Chad,
Think I understand. Course i might just think i understand;)

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Dan
[email protected]

Interesting discussion!
I've started my webhosting service in 1994 and am currently hosting 800+ websites for small businesses from 46 countries.
I'm truly offering unlimited hits and unlimited bandwidth without any hows and ifs (period).
It has cost me a relatively small investment in server technology, on the other side I've nothing to do on checking and monitoring client's traffic, no additional maintainance on tracking software, no additional billings etc., and the best of all I've satiesfied customers providing alot of word-of-mouth promotion.
All the con postings in this discussion seem to be allegations, that I'm kindly asking for real facts. What's wrong with my policies?
You may visit me off the list at <http://linz1.net/aboutus.html>
Thanks!
Joseph Jobst

No offense Joeseph,

But the reason you don't have to worry about charging for bandwidth is that you are priced higher for all of your accounts... so those that don't have high bandwidth sites are actually paying for the excess of any that do.

I would rather see a web host that is fair and resonable with overall webspace and charges a small fee for higher traffic than one that charges higher amounts for everyone and has 'no limit'.

My website has debunked the 'no limit' on two different web hosts in the past and it has cost my reputation. We are our website and if it goes down, our users only see it is down and may never come back to see why.

But I ramble... I am glad to see you are doing well with your enterprise and wish you continued success.

Matt

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