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The
Truth About
UNLIMITED
Web Hosting is a commodity.
The main elements of any web
hosting plan are disk space and
bandwidth. Disk space is the
space you have allotted on the
web server to store your website.
Bandwidth is an amount you have
available to transfer web pages
from the web server to the
browsers of visitors to your
site. Web pages and graphics
consume bandwidth or capacity on
the web. Bandwidth and disk space
cost money.
The
network lines that carry data
around the web (optic fiber,
cable, copper wire etc) have a
finite capacity. There is a limit
to the amount of data that can be
transferred at any point in time.
Likewise, the hard drive of a web
server has a limited amount of
space determined by the physical
size of the hard drive.
Many
hosting companies claim to offer
"unlimited" plans (both disk
space and bandwidth), but be
aware that there are physical
limitations to both disk space
and bandwidth. Before you buy an
"unlimited" plan, know what
you're getting into.
The
Attraction to Unlimited
When
consumers decide they want to
place a website on the internet,
they are often unaware of the
fact that there are limitations.
Unlimited is attractive because
it requires no further thought.
If it's unlimited then I never
need to worry about running out,
right? Although this is
understandable, there are risks
with purchasing unlimited
plans.
The
Unlimited Myth
Many
web hosting companies offer
"unlimited" as a plan feature. It
is impossible for any provider to
actually provide an unlimited
amount of bandwidth or disk
space. It's just not possible.
So
Why Do Unlimited Plans Exist?
Most
websites only consume a very
small amount of bandwidth and
disk space. Web hosting companies
that provide unlimited anything
as a plan feature are banking on
the fact that you won't use very
much. Unlimited is a marketing
trick to get your business. The
web hosting market is very
competitive. Although selling
plans that pretend to be
unlimited can seem dishonest, it
does not mean that the hosting
company will not provide good
service. Check in the hosting
company's Terms of Service: there
will probably be a note about
what "unlimited"
really means. Be aware that there
are many dishonest webhosting
providers on the net. Many will
set up as many "unlimited"
hosting plans as they can, and
when the server is about at the
breaking point, the seller will
dissappear, along with all your
accounts if you are a reseller.
Be sure you are dealing with a
reputable company.
When
Are Unlimited Plans Ok?
If
you have a small website and know
that it will not consume too much
space or bandwidth, then
unlimited plans make your choices
a bit easier to understand. Most
plans that offer unlimited will
have some restrictions such as no
audio or video downloads. The
reason audio or video downloads
are typically not allowed in
unlimited hosting plans is
because these types of files
consume significant bandwidth and
disk space which exposes the host
to the risk of having to add more
hard drive space and bandwidth,
which costs them more money. If
you choose an unlimited plan and
you know your needs won't be very
intensive then you won't run into
any problems.
When
Are Unlimited Plans Not
Ok?
If you intend to have a lot
of visitors to your site, lots of
downloads, including audio or
video files, do not choose an
unlimited plan hoping to get
unrestricted bandwidth. You will
find yourself with problems. Your
web host is not going to run at a
loss for long - they could shut
down your website or even charge
you extra (read
the terms of
service).
So
What Is The Best Thing To Do?
The
best course of action is to plan
ahead. Calculate what type of
bandwidth and disk space you will
need then multiply it by 2 just
to allow for expansion. Remember,
you can always buy more bandwidth
or disk space if you need - often
for only a few dollars or pounds
a month extra. Look for plans
that meet those
requirements.
Only
consider an unlimited hosting
plan if you know your disk space
and bandwidth requirements are
very low. If, on the other hand,
you have an ecommerce site or a
site that you expect to grow in
size and bandwidth in future,
avoid any plans that offer
unlimited bandwidth or disk
space.
(If
you're still hoping to find a
real unlimited
disk
space/bandwidth
deal, I have a car to sell you
that gets unlimited mileage from
a single tank of
petrol.)
Still
not convinced? Do a
Google
search
for unlimited web hosting
myth.
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