What is bandwidth?
The expression bandwidth is found in several technical fields. Specifically signal processing and electronics. In computer networks, web bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can pass between web hosting servers and the public web. Its value is expressed in Megabits (or Gigabits) per second. This value is generally between 10 Mbps and 1Gbps. The bandwidth of a VPS server can be 100 Mbps for instance.
Difference between bandwidth and data transfer
Bandwidth is very often mentioned with data transfer. However, these are different settings for a different web hosting offer. Data transfer is also called traffic. It is the volume of data passing between the server and the rest of the web for a period. Usually, the period chosen is one month. These data can be web pages, files, etc…
Why you need to know the bandwidth of your web hosting?
When talking about web hosting, the performance of a website is strongly linked to bandwidth. It provides information on the speed with which Internet users access the content of a site. Whether it’s just to view a page or download this content. Likewise, the bandwidth informs about the number of possible simultaneous visitors. High bandwidth allows a high number of simultaneous visitors. Bandwidth is an important point to consider for proper sizing of your hosting plan. Therefore, it is important to think about future needs, also the scalability of the chosen solution.
Bandwidth consumption
It is sometimes difficult to determine which part of your site is abusing the bandwidth. However, there are two ways to calculate consumption. Considering the calls to the server or hit. When an Internet user loads a page with two photos and an animation, 4 hits are counted. Reducing the number of calls per page helps reduce its consumption. The calculation can also be done by evaluating the data weight of each element on a page. In this case, reducing the weight of its media is the solution.
External sources can also abuse your bandwidth. This is why it is always advisable to keep your website secured.