How to calculate the required bandwidth
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2025 3:53 am
Simply put, hosting companies simply cannot offer unlimited bandwidth - it is too expensive to provide unlimited access to every client. However, most companies fall into the “normal range” of bandwidth usage by default, and this is the range that hosting providers use when creating their “unlimited” packages. Unlimited hosting providers can serve most of their customer base, however, there is an absolute limit on the bandwidth included in this package; the trick is to know what it is.
By comparing your site's actual required bandwidth to the bandwidth offered in this "unlimited" guise, you can better determine what level of hosting you really need and whether or not a given provider will really meet your needs.
Think of the bandwidth, for example, two pants: you need the right size. It doesn't make a lot of sense to buy up the size, but at the same time, there is a number that comes up. If your waist is a size 36, you're just not going to fit into that 32. Simple math.
Here are the steps to calculate how much bandwidth you need
The bandwidth also doesn't make sense to buy - which is why it makes sense to work with hosting providers offering scalable solutions. As for buying a small one, it will only get you in trouble. Know your real need to get a service that works for you - here's how to calculate the required bandwidth:
Estimate the average page size of your site in kilobytes (MB). *
Multiply this average phone number library page size (in KB) by your average monthly visitors.
Multiply the result from step 2 by the average page views per visitor.
If you don't know, use Pingdom Load Time, test on multiple pages and take the average of the pages tested as your baseline test count. Here are some real-life examples:
This is the basis for determining the required bandwidth - however, you are not finished yet. You also need to enable the provision of an additional "room" in case of a traffic spike. Generally speaking, I recommend giving at least a 50% spread. But you need to allocate additional space for growth and traffic surges - leave at least 50% of the tolerance.
By comparing your site's actual required bandwidth to the bandwidth offered in this "unlimited" guise, you can better determine what level of hosting you really need and whether or not a given provider will really meet your needs.
Think of the bandwidth, for example, two pants: you need the right size. It doesn't make a lot of sense to buy up the size, but at the same time, there is a number that comes up. If your waist is a size 36, you're just not going to fit into that 32. Simple math.
Here are the steps to calculate how much bandwidth you need
The bandwidth also doesn't make sense to buy - which is why it makes sense to work with hosting providers offering scalable solutions. As for buying a small one, it will only get you in trouble. Know your real need to get a service that works for you - here's how to calculate the required bandwidth:
Estimate the average page size of your site in kilobytes (MB). *
Multiply this average phone number library page size (in KB) by your average monthly visitors.
Multiply the result from step 2 by the average page views per visitor.
If you don't know, use Pingdom Load Time, test on multiple pages and take the average of the pages tested as your baseline test count. Here are some real-life examples:
This is the basis for determining the required bandwidth - however, you are not finished yet. You also need to enable the provision of an additional "room" in case of a traffic spike. Generally speaking, I recommend giving at least a 50% spread. But you need to allocate additional space for growth and traffic surges - leave at least 50% of the tolerance.