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What exactly is space and bandwidth in Web hosting
A technical requirement that you need to consider while getting your site hosted is how much disk space you will be needing and you much bandwidth you will be using. Disk space basically means the amount of hard drive disk space you are allowed to use from your hosting service.
The hosting company offers a certain amount of disk space along with every package. Everything that you put into your website, your documents, images, animations need to be stored in the server and must fit into this storage space. Its just the way you use your hard disk space on your personnel computer. Its just that here we are dealing with the hard disk space on the server computer. This space is filled by your web pages which get stored on this server. Its easy to estimate how much space you will need. Your web page will take similar amount of storage on the server as it takes on your hard disk. So just checking the size of your webpage folder on your PC will tell you much server space you need. Its always better to go with a package that has some extra space than you need so that you can later on upgrade your website.
Another important concept of web hosting is bandwidth. Bandwidth is the amount of traffic that is allowed to occur between your web site and the rest of the internet. In computer networks, bandwidth is often used as a synonym for data transfer rate – the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time period. If bandwidth is the number of lanes on the highway, traffic is the number of cars.
Thus, in case of a website having a 10MB net connection, if a 2MB mp3 is being downloaded by a maximum of 5 people simultaneously, no one has to wait. But if 6 people are doing it, there is a traffic of (2×6) 12MB being created, where as bandwidth is just 10MB. Thus someone has to wait. This is the significance of bandwidth and traffic.
The Disadvantages of Windows Hosting
Windows hosting certainly has its advantages; it’s easy to use, and is compatible with Microsoft Access, Microsoft Frontpage, .NET and Visual Basic. However, there are some disadvantages to Windows hosting, too. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t use a Windows hosting package, there are significant drawbacks to using one that you will need to know about before you choose. Let’s take a look at some of the best advantages that come with using a Windows hosting package; then, you’ll be able to make an informed decision.
Instability
Unfortunately, Windows is not as stable as, for example, UNIX. Therefore, if you are planning on running Windows instead of UNIX, you can count on having some downtime, perhaps significant. Most Windows servers will have some issues, because the platform itself is not particularly stable. If at all possible, it’s much more desirable from a stability standpoint to go with UNIX.
Slow performance
UNIX servers run much more quickly than do Windows servers. Therefore, if you want your content to come up quickly, you’re better off using UNIX. The slowness of a Windows server relates to the programming, and it’s not something you can easily fix.
System resources hog
Unfortunately, most Windows servers use many more resources than servers running on UNIX do. This means you’ll need more RAM, more bandwidth, and more disk space, likely, which can cost you significantly more money than if you were to go with a UNIX server.
Frequent reboots
You’ll need to reboot your Windows server more often than you will your UNIX server, which can mean your site will be down significantly more than if it were run on UNIX.
Incompatibility with Perl and CGI
Perl or CGI applications can cause Windows compatibility issues. These were developed in UNIX, which means that many scripts are going to be incompatible as written and you’ll need to be able to work around them. Many Perl and CGI scripts do indeed function correctly on Windows, but you have to do some research to find them, and they’re not particularly common.
No SSH or Telnet administration
You won’t be able to administer your site using SSH or Telnet, since these are UNIX based. If you’re used to being able to do so, you’re out of luck if you decide to go with a Windows server.
No “free lunch”
Because Windows is not a platform that is free operating, your Windows hosting package will likely cost more than if it’s based in UNIX. Very few free applications will also run on Windows server, which means you’ll have significant out-of-pocket expenses, likely, because you’ll need to pay for applications you could get free with a UNIX server.
What do these disadvantages mean?
Do these disadvantages mean you shouldn’t use Windows hosting? Not necessarily, but you most certainly need to look at the drawbacks a Windows server will give you versus one that runs on UNIX — as well as the advantages.
If your website is relatively basic AND you use FrontPage and/or Microsoft Access on your website, then Windows hosting may indeed be your best fit. For anything more complicated than that, though (and if you don’t need the “perfect fit” that Windows hosting provides FrontPage or Microsoft Access users), consider going with UNIX instead. UNIX provides you so much more flexibility and stability that it’s well worth your time.
The Disadvantages of Windows Hosting
Windows hosting certainly has its advantages; it’s easy to use, and is compatible with Microsoft Access, Microsoft Frontpage, .NET and Visual Basic. However, there are some disadvantages to Windows hosting, too. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t use a Windows hosting package, there are significant drawbacks to using one that you will need to know about before you choose. Let’s take a look at some of the best advantages that come with using a Windows hosting package; then, you’ll be able to make an informed decision.
Instability
Unfortunately, Windows is not as stable as, for example, UNIX. Therefore, if you are planning on running Windows instead of UNIX, you can count on having some downtime, perhaps significant. Most Windows servers will have some issues, because the platform itself is not particularly stable. If at all possible, it’s much more desirable from a stability standpoint to go with UNIX.
Slow performance
UNIX servers run much more quickly than do Windows servers. Therefore, if you want your content to come up quickly, you’re better off using UNIX. The slowness of a Windows server relates to the programming, and it’s not something you can easily fix.
System resources hog
Unfortunately, most Windows servers use many more resources than servers running on UNIX do. This means you’ll need more RAM, more bandwidth, and more disk space, likely, which can cost you significantly more money than if you were to go with a UNIX server.
Frequent reboots
You’ll need to reboot your Windows server more often than you will your UNIX server, which can mean your site will be down significantly more than if it were run on UNIX.
Incompatibility with Perl and CGI
Perl or CGI applications can cause Windows compatibility issues. These were developed in UNIX, which means that many scripts are going to be incompatible as written and you’ll need to be able to work around them. Many Perl and CGI scripts do indeed function correctly on Windows, but you have to do some research to find them, and they’re not particularly common.
No SSH or Telnet administration
You won’t be able to administer your site using SSH or Telnet, since these are UNIX based. If you’re used to being able to do so, you’re out of luck if you decide to go with a Windows server.
No “free lunch”
Because Windows is not a platform that is free operating, your Windows hosting package will likely cost more than if it’s based in UNIX. Very few free applications will also run on Windows server, which means you’ll have significant out-of-pocket expenses, likely, because you’ll need to pay for applications you could get free with a UNIX server.
What do these disadvantages mean?
Do these disadvantages mean you shouldn’t use Windows hosting? Not necessarily, but you most certainly need to look at the drawbacks a Windows server will give you versus one that runs on UNIX — as well as the advantages.
If your website is relatively basic AND you use FrontPage and/or Microsoft Access on your website, then Windows hosting may indeed be your best fit. For anything more complicated than that, though (and if you don’t need the “perfect fit” that Windows hosting provides FrontPage or Microsoft Access users), consider going with UNIX instead. UNIX provides you so much more flexibility and stability that it’s well worth your time.