What is the Difference Between Unmetered vs Metered vs Unlimited Bandwidth on a Server?
When setting up a new server for your business or your next project, one of the first steps you’ll want to take is to determine your network and bandwidth requirements for the server. This is an important decision because choosing the wrong bandwidth plan may have costly consequences. However, it is up to you to choose whatever works for you and your business’s growth.
Choosing a solid hosting provider like ServerMania goes beyond just specs—it’s about peace of mind, too. Whether you’re diving into unmetered dedicated servers, scaling up to 10 Gbps on unmetered dedicated servers, or exploring cloud hosting options, ServerMania has you covered. We have a transparent reporting system that helps you stay on top of bandwidth, while flexible plans ensure you only pay for what you need. From small startups to mid-sized enterprises, ServerMania makes it easy to find a hosting fit that won’t hold you back.
Unmetered and unlimited bandwidth are not the same thing when it comes to bandwidth usage. There is a lot of debate around this topic. So, what is unmetered bandwidth? Does unmetered bandwidth mean infinite bandwidth? Is there a difference?
The simple answer is yes, there is a difference, but it often also depends on the fine print of your web hosting plan. Server hosting companies employ two common data allocation strategies: those that allocate by traffic and/or those that allocate by bandwidth, also known as metered and unmetered plans, respectively.
Metered vs. Unmetered Bandwidth Plans – What’s the Difference?
Metered Bandwidth
At ServerMania, most of our metered dedicated servers come with a 1Gbps port and metered bandwidth options ranging from 20TB to 100TB a month. This means that your server will be capable of transferring information at a speed of 1Gbps until you reach your bandwidth limit of 20TB to 100 TB, depending on the bandwidth restrictions on your metered server package.
Need faster port speed? No problem. We have 10Gbps and 2x10Gbps, unmetered servers, and unmetered dedicated server port options as well. Book a free consultation, and we’ll help you get exactly what you need for your business or next project.
Unmetered Bandwidth
With our unmetered dedicated servers network, you can choose between 10Gbps and 2x10Gbps port speeds and will not be hampered by bandwidth limits. This means you pay one monthly price for unlimited data transfer in and out at a speed of either 10Gbps or 2x10Gbps, depending on your package’s bandwidth limitations.
With our unmetered dedicated servers, you can use as much bandwidth as the purchased server port can handle.
Read More: How Dedicated Server Hosting Works
Getting the Crux of Infinite Bandwidth Usage
In most cases, hosting companies offer plans that are limited by bandwidth speed rather than by traffic—typically called unmetered hosting services—and do not have an upper bandwidth limit on the amount of data they can transfer in a given period.
However, with these ‘unmetered’ packages, there is still a physical limit to how much data you can consume in any given month. Although these packages are marketed as unmetered plans, they will be limited by the hardware capacity and speed of the port. For instance, a 1Gbps connection can really only transfer about 324TB in a month, running at full capacity.
Many hosting companies hide these details in the fine print, whereas ServerMania provides you with an expert consultant who will walk you through your bandwidth requirements and offer transparent advice to get you exactly what you need.
Bandwidth Capacity Worldwide
By 2023, the total global interconnection of bandwidth will increase from 4,991Tbps per second in 2020 to 27,762 Tbps per second in 2023, and North America will take 41% (approximately 16,300Tbps) of that in bandwidth usage.
Without an unmetered hosting plan, clients can use up to their traffic allocation, which limits website bandwidth and the amount of data they can consume at a single point. If they consume more bandwidth, they can expect additional costs at a set rate for each added gigabyte or terabyte.
Most business owners prefer physical servers with consistent, high-performing operating systems and plenty of runway for their business plans. An unmetered hosting plan is often an attractive feature for dedicated servers.
Standard ServerMania dedicated server plans range from 20TB to 100TB of monthly traffic, with most packages including a 1Gbps port speed. That’s more than enough for most business websites, publishing sites, web hosting providers with dedicated servers, and small eCommerce stores. But what happens when 100TB isn’t enough?
When Would an Unmetered Bandwidth Plan Be the Right Option?
For server hosting clients that frequently need to transfer huge amounts of data or frequently see spikes in traffic, unmetered plans can be more cost-effective and allow for predictable and secure monthly billing. They can move as much data as needed without worrying about their server incurring additional charges, fees, or penalties. The only limit is the bandwidth capability of their server specification, their network connection, and port speed.
Consider media businesses that serve videos or large game hosting providers that cater to a large subscriber base. With a metered plan, they would burn through 20TB of bandwidth very quickly and start racking up additional costs for the excess data they use. For businesses like these, unmetered bandwidth would be the way to go.
Metered connections may be the right choice for moderately sized eCommerce businesses, publishers, users, and web applications that may not have to scale but require storage and processing of a set amount of data over the Internet each month.
Bandwidth usage cannot be underestimated when it comes to hosting. To avoid poor site performance and visitor experience, you may want to consider unmetered dedicated servers. This will allow your business to scale seamlessly and without interruption.
Most websites do not require unlimited bandwidth from the outset. However, an unmetered plan becomes beneficial as traffic to your website grows. With an unmetered dedicated server, you don’t have to worry about the unpredictable extra fees at the end of each month.
Consequences of NOT having unmetered bandwidth
Consider the implications of not having more power and unmetered bandwidth as you get more customers:
- Website traffic congestion
- Overloaded servers
- Underutilized resources, like port speed
- Web pages are slow to load
Benefits of an unmetered bandwidth plan
Server hosting clients that may benefit from unmetered plans include:
- Game hosts that need to support lots of concurrent games with very low latency.
- Media businesses that stream video and audio to large audiences.
- News media sites, blogs, and e-commerce stores with a substantial amount of daily traffic.
- Businesses that use their servers to store and distribute large amounts of data.
Affordable Small Business Hosting Solutions
ServerMania’s small business hosting plans are designed to give our clients the best performance and most cost-effective infrastructure solutions. That’s why we provide a range of metered and unmetered bandwidth options for our small business servers.
Companies rely on us to process, store, and secure their data. Many of the largest industries require servers with both high bandwidth capacity and high connectivity speeds to process data and transactions in real-time. Our dedicated servers come in a plethora of hosting and bandwidth options. With data centers worldwide, many industries have benefited from our reliable service, security, and customer support.
Working with Cloud Hosting Providers To Manage Bandwidth
At ServerMania, we know bandwidth management is essential to keep websites running smoothly and businesses thriving. With their cloud hosting solutions, ServerMania does more than supply the necessary infrastructure—we provide the tools and support to help businesses make the most of it. From selecting a tailored bandwidth plan that fits your unique needs to offering insights on usage, ServerMania empowers businesses to understand and manage their bandwidth with clarity. We ensure network stability by carefully managing server resources and offer options like caching and CDN integration to boost load speeds and minimize bandwidth consumption.
Server optimization is also a priority, with load-balancing solutions that keep performance at its peak even when traffic fluctuates. This is particularly advantageous for businesses with seasonal or variable traffic, as they can scale bandwidth up or down as needed. With ServerMania, you get total control over a cost-effective, scalable solution that seamlessly balances high performance and reliability, supporting your growth without compromise.
As a leading cloud hosting provider, ServerMania stands out for delivering services designed to help customers manage bandwidth effortlessly. With a strong focus on reliability, top-tier performance, and dedicated customer support, we offer solutions that tackle the common pain points of web hosting head-on.
One of the standout benefits of choosing ServerMania is access to our unmetered server options, a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline their online presence without limits. ServerMania’s unmetered bandwidth comes with key features like predictable pricing, enhanced traffic handling, and flexible scaling, allowing businesses to grow confidently and consistently. Some other key features include:
- Load Balancing Solutions
- Bandwidth and Resource Usage Tracking
- Dedicated Hosting Packages
- Unparalleled Hosting Experience
Conclusion
We know that decisions on servers, processors, applications, high availability, and bandwidth can be complex and often require an equally complex solution. Fortunately, ServerMania has a team of experts to guide you through every step of the process.
Book a free consultation today to learn more about our range of dedicated servers and hybrid hosting solutions.
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