High Traffic Sites and Servers

They have: 218 posts

Joined: Apr 2001

If you have a high volume traffic site, like over 100, 000 hits a month, do you need a special server? If so, how much would you expect to pay for it?

Thanks,

TonyMontana

Jaiem's picture

They have: 1,191 posts

Joined: Apr 1999

Depends how much transfer 100k hits is.

They have: 218 posts

Joined: Apr 2001

Can you be a little more specific, Jaiem?

Jaiem's picture

They have: 1,191 posts

Joined: Apr 1999

IOW, how many bytes, megs or gigs does each visitor (on average) transfer?

If each visitor views on average 10 pages, each page averages 25k (including graphics) then that's 250k per visitor. But if they only average 10 pages of 10k each that's only 100k per visitor.

Most hosts won't charge per hit but they do have limits on the amount transfered (viewed) each month - even the ones that say "Unlimited" (nothing is ever unlimited).

mjames's picture

They have: 2,064 posts

Joined: Dec 1999

By "special server", do you mean dedicated server? If that's the case, I thought I'd throw in my recommendation for RackSpace.com. These things don't come cheap, but are golden if you can afford it.

They have: 218 posts

Joined: Apr 2001

Would a 'dedicated server' be the best choice if your site is generating the realm of 50, 000 hits or more a month, with video streaming content?

Also, what other options would be suitable for this kind of situation?

TonyMontana

mjames's picture

They have: 2,064 posts

Joined: Dec 1999

You cannot always decipher if you need a dedicated server just by your traffic. What you need to figure out is your monthly transfer from your host and how much space you're using. Really, 50,000 isn't nearly enough for a dedicated server. On another note, I recommend RackSpace.com for dedicated servers.

Brian Farkas's picture

They have: 1,015 posts

Joined: Apr 1999

It depends how much bandwidth you're using... If it is in the area of 10-20 GB/month, then you should probably go with a dedicated server. You could also go with a dedicated server if you need to install special perl modules (e.g. mod_perl) or have access to system resources that wouldn't be available in a shared hosting environment.

But remember- getting your own server is a BIG step up from shared hosting. You should probably have a good understanding of UNIX, or know at least the basics if you're going to go with a managed hosting solution.

Good luck,

Brian Farkas

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