Hosting terms
What is website bandwidth, and how much do you need?
Key takeaway
Bandwidth is the capacity to move data over a connection. A hosting plan may instead use the word for the amount of data transferred each month. Ask which meaning applies. Large pictures, downloads and traffic patterns affect requirements, so a visitor count alone does not describe the hosting your website needs.
In this guide
Capacity and monthly usage are different
Bandwidth describes how much data a connection can carry in a given time. In hosting advertisements, the same word is sometimes used for a monthly transfer allowance. Check whether a figure describes connection capacity or the amount of data sent during the billing period.
Website storage is different again: it is the space used by your files and data. A small stored website can still deliver many copies of its pictures to visitors. Ask the provider to explain the figures in the quote in ordinary terms.
A simple page-size example
Imagine a page delivering 2 MB of files on each of 5,000 views. That is roughly 10 GB before allowing for reused copies and other requests. This is an illustration of transfer, not a prediction of a particular website’s bill.
The example shows why page weight matters. A page full of original camera pictures can send much more data than a lighter page with the same text. File downloads, galleries and video arrangements also belong in the discussion.
A CDN changes the delivery route
A CDN can deliver a reusable public file from a saved copy rather than asking the original hosting server for every request. That reduces repeat work at the original server. It does not mean that no data is travelling to the visitor.
CloudFront CDN is included with both Lightning Web Hosting plans. Ask about the complete service arrangement instead of assuming that a CDN creates unlimited capacity or removes every possible usage consideration.
Sources: AWS: CloudFront delivery and cached copies (opens in a new tab)
Describe what your business expects
Tell us whether the site is a small service website, a gallery, a shop or a place for large downloads. Mention campaigns or busy periods. Several people downloading a large file together can create a different requirement from occasional visits to an information page.
We assess the website and confirm its hosting setup before moving it. If you have an existing usage report, it can help that conversation. You do not need to guess a server specification or accept a plan simply because it says “unlimited”.
Compare the service as well as the allowance
Thunder is NZ$55 + GST per website a month and Lightning is NZ$99 + GST with everyday Arc updates. Both include domain registration, DNS, SSL, CloudFront CDN, platform security and daily AWS website backups.
Start with the website address and its important functions. We explain the suitable transfer or rebuild route and agree separate work before starting. Hosting is billed when the website is live with us, rather than while we prepare it.