Disk Space Bandwidth & Website Hosting

There are primarily two versions of website hosting plans: Windows and Linux servers. While many website hosting companies offer several tiers of service, it is important to select the plan that is right for your business and personal needs.

To preface, when you purchase a domain name, which is the URL of your website, you need to store your files and folders on a server. Website hosting is what makes your website function properly - it provides backend technologies to interpret your pages and display aesthetically pleasing content.

In very simplistic terms, most website hosting companies provide limited and unlimited plans. You will need to decide how much disk space you will need - long and short term - in addition to how much bandwidth you require.

This is the amount of data you plan on transferring. Each time you upload files to your website, you use bandwidth. Furthermore, everytime someone accesses your website and downloads content, they use your bandwidth.

If you are not dealing with a lot of pictures and videos, you can use very little bandwidth. Music, movies, presentations, and other computer files require additional bandwidth.

The amount of disk space you require is easier to calculate when choosing the right website hosting plan. If your website will not use music or video, you can get away with 5 or 10 GB, including room for dynamic Web 2.0 content with or without a CMS in place.

Larger websites that are database heavy may require additional hard drive space - especially if you have lots of photographs. If you use a lot of multimedia, consider a plan with 50 GB or 100 GB disk space. Video-centric websites should strongly consider unlimited disk space AND bandwidth plans.

Choosing between Windows and Linux based website hosting is not a cut and dry decision. If you will be using ASP.NET or other Microsoft back end technologies now or in the future, consider signing up for the Windows plan.

If you are using WordPress, Joomla or other open source platform, consider using a Linux plan. It is always a good idea to consult your system or platform before signing up for website hosting. Certain platforms, such as Oracle, require specific hosting configurations.


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