Unlimited resources web hosting
Can you benefit from it?
Today many hosts can be seen advertising either unlimited bandwidth or unlimited disk space usage to attract new hosting customers, but is there a catch? In most cases the answer is undeniably yes.
Often you’ll find the answers in the fine print. Many hosts will place restrictions on allowable content, CGI access, and even CPU usage. These hosts are still placing limits on your web site’s traffic level, but they are doing it in a way which is much less straightforward than simply measuring bandwidth. In addition, many of these hosts either don’t offer technical support or will charge a professional rate for it, usually $50-100 per hour.
Okay, so you’ve read the fine print and you still don’t see any limitations. Have you found a needle in the proverbial hosting haystack? Most likely the answer is still no. The reason: simple economics.
Connectivity for the average commercial web server costs $250-500 per month and data transfer costs average around $1-5 per GB when purchased in bulk. An average server like this could probably sustain at most 25 mid to high volume hosting accounts, each using around one GB of data transfer per day. At $25 per month for each account, the hosting company would be hard pressed to turn a profit — and that’s before you consider the costs of maintaining a competent support staff.
As a result, many of these hosting companies cram hundreds of accounts onto their servers and simply let them battle for the available bandwidth, disk space, CPU usage, and other system resources. This means that it only takes one truly bandwidth intensive site to bring the entire server to a standstill.
But don’t write off hosts advertising unlimited resources just yet. There may still be some bargains out there. You should, however, seriously consider whether this type of service is for you.
In some cases you may still be able to take advantage of these companies’ offers. If, for example, you have a limited budget and reliable connectivity is not a major concern, finding a reputable company offering unlimited data transfer may be very beneficial. This may apply to those wishing to set up personal web sites, those distributing graphics or software on an amateur level, or those wanting to experiment with web design on a limited budget. Just remember to read the fine print and question the hosting provider as to the specifics of what is included in the plan.
On the flip side, if you are looking to set up a commercial or e-commerce site, you should probably look elsewhere for your hosting needs. You won’t want to have to worry about slow page loads, a lack of customer service, or unexpected downtime.
Just remember, when it comes to web hosting — as with most other things in life — you always get what you pay for. No more, no less.
