When people interact with your website, data is being transferred from your server to their device and vice versa.
This data transfer (called network bandwidth) is measured by your server hosting provider, and is oftentimes limited: you can’t transfer/receive more than a set amount of data every month.
This can be a huge pain for certain types of websites which transfer a LOT of data monthly (e.g. video streaming, gaming servers, etc.).
Thankfully, though, there are unmetered dedicated servers on the market which allow you to use up as much network bandwidth as you need. Dedicated servers with unmetered bandwidth are usually the same bare-metal servers where you host your projects. The difference lies in the bandwidth caps that differentiate these servers with other solutions.
Read on to learn what an unmetered bandwidth server is, how they work, and more!
What is Unmetered Bandwidth?
When you use the internet, websites you visit exchange data with your devices. All this data travels on the internet network.
Bandwidth is the amount of data that is transferred on a network during a period of time.
Bandwidth is measured in bits, megabits, or gigabits per second. Usually, there is a limit of how much bandwidth you can use during a period of time. After you hit the limit, your service provider will start charging you additional fees.
But with unmetered bandwidth, you can use as much bandwidth as you need, and never face overcharges.
What is an Unmetered Dedicated Server?
An unmetered dedicated server comes with an unmetered dedicated internet connection.
Unlike regular bare-metal servers that have a limited bandwidth of 10 or 100TB, dedicated servers with unmetered bandwidth don’t have a limit set on the bandwidth usage.
Here’s an example to understand this better.
Let’s say you rent a dedicated server with 10TB of bandwidth. That means a total of 10TB of data can be transferred between your hosted services and your users within the rent period.
If you go over the limit, your hosting provider might continue offering additional bandwidth at an extra charge or limit it to a speed that’s pretty much unusable.
With an unmetered server, you can forget about overcharges or slow loading speeds. As a result, a dedicated server with unmetered bandwidth is a great platform for your hosted services because you don’t have to worry about users bouncing off because of bandwidth overage.
Unmetered Dedicated Servers vs. Unlimited Dedicated Servers
You might have noticed that server hosting providers label their bandwidth differently: unmetered or unlimited. So, you might be wondering – what’s the difference between the two?
To break it down, there’s no such thing as unlimited bandwidth. When data is travelling to or from your dedicated server, it’s always limited by another part of the server. It’s either the speed of the internet connection limiting the bandwidth, or there’s another hardware limitation.
Unmetered bandwidth means the amount of data is not measured – and you won’t be charged a different fee if you use only 50GB or 10TB of data. You’re free to use as much data as the server physically allows.
Nonetheless, there’s always the network speed limit that directly affects how much data can travel in one moment. Commonly, dedicated servers come with an internet connection of 5Gbps or 10Gbps, so even though your bandwidth might be unmetered, your servers will still slow to a crawl if too many people are using it at the same time. On the other hand, a dedicated server with unmetered bandwidth might have the same challenge, but with unmetered bandwidth, the number of users serviced would be higher.
Unmetered Dedicated Server Benefits
Many first-timers think that dedicated server benefits come with all the benefits you’d need for smooth operations.
Unmetered servers bring even more to the table!
When you have an unmetered dedicated server, you don’t need to worry about using too much bandwidth and going over your limit.
Say you launched a new product in your store, or you released a software update to your SaaS. This brought in more visitors to your site than usual, using way more bandwidth than you expected.
Or in a worse case scenario, someone attempted a DDoS attack on your website, and your bandwidth was used up to the limit.
An unmetered dedicated server will save you from such cases, as you don’t have a limit on your bandwidth. In addition, a dedicated server with unmetered bandwidth also ensures a steady platform for your projects.
5+ Use Cases For Unmetered Dedicated Servers
The main use for unmetered bandwidth servers is for streaming media as that takes up a ton of bandwidth. But that’s not the only thing unmetered dedicated servers are good for.
Let’s take a detailed look at the top 5+ use cases for unmetered servers:
#1. E-commerce Stores
Large e-commerce stores have tens of thousands of daily visitors on their website, which as you can guess, takes up a lot of bandwidth.
If you’re running a large e-commerce site, getting an unmetered dedicated server is a good investment. You’ll prepare your website for scaling in the future, and you’ll be ready to welcome more customers as your business grows.
#2. Video Streaming
This one is obvious – streaming videos absolutely requires an unmetered network connection.
Video streaming websites take up a ton of bandwidth as the average video can be anything from 200 megabytes to 10+ gigabytes.
And if your streaming website has a lot of daily users, this can easily add up.
#3. Media Broadcasting Outlets
Any media outlet, such as a news channel, television, or magazine is similar to a video streaming platform in a way.
When you’re streaming videos or live broadcasts from your website, a lot of bandwidth is used up.
This is especially true when you get a surge in traffic (e.g. when you cover an important event).
As such, having an unmetered server can really help avoid unnecessary fees.
#4. Gaming Servers
Hosting a gaming platform won’t be easy on your network. On one day, you might have a thousand concurrent users, on another, you might have 10,0000.
Having an unmetered server allows you to prepare for both scenarios.
#5. File Hosting
Web services that offer file hosting will deal with frequent file uploads and downloads. In order to facilitate a file hosting service, you’ll absolutely need to have an unmetered connection on your dedicated server.
#6. Backup Servers
If you’re setting up a backup system on a dedicated server for your company, you’ll benefit from using an unmetered network.
You’ll be able to upload as many files as you need to your backup server and download them at any time without reaching your bandwidth limit.
Why Choose an Unmetered Dedicated Host?
If you’re running a large e-commerce website or a video streaming platform, chances are you will quickly hit the bandwidth limit on a regular dedicated server.
The biggest reason to choose an unmetered dedicated host provider is to avoid additional fees. If you go over your bandwidth limit, any extra bandwidth usage will cost you a fortune.
But with an unmetered server, you can avoid paying expensive fees when you use up a lot of bandwidth.
And if you need help picking a dedicated server host, head over to our comprehensive summary of the top 10 dedicated server hosting providers!
Conclusion
We hope that you now have a clear idea of the benefits offered by unmetered bandwidth servers.
At RedSwitches, we offer servers with top-quality hardware and unmetered bandwidth for the best hosting experience you can buy.
Our dedicated servers are located in data centers all over the world – the US, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, India, and in many other countries.
And for an extra layer of security, at RedSwitches you can also pay for your dedicated server with Bitcoin!
Let us know in the comments below if you think unmetered bandwidth is a good idea and how it adds value to your projects.
FAQs
#1. What is an Unmetered Network?
On an unmetered network, the amount of data being transferred is not measured. You can use as much bandwidth as the network speed allows. The network speed on unmetered servers is typically 5Gbps or 10Gbps.
#2. Are Dedicated Servers Better than Shared Servers?
Yes, dedicated servers are better than shared servers. When comparing shared vs dedicated servers, it’s clear that dedicated servers offer much better performance thanks to the dedicated hardware they use.
#3. Do I Need an Unmetered Dedicated Server?
If you run a large e-commerce store, or a streaming platform such as a video streaming service, video conferencing, or online schooling platform, you definitely need a dedicated server with unmetered bandwidth to avoid overcharges.
#4. How Much Do Unmetered Dedicated Servers Cost?
You can get a dedicated server for about $250/month, or you can upgrade your current dedicated server to unmetered bandwidth. At RedSwitches, the unmetered bandwidth upgrade costs $180/month.
