Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Dedicated Server : Gbits vs. Gbytes

[Learner]

Originally posted by stat_man in
WebHostingTalk > Dedicated and Co-Location Hosting > "host2own.com -- Anyone?" http://www.webhostlink.com/showthread.php?threadid=2241


...actually 400 Gigabits of transfer can be anywere from 25 Gigabytes to 50 Gigabytes...

Hello all,

In a previous thread stat_man had commented as above.

Would stat_man or anyone else please explain why 400 Gigabits of transfer does not equal a definite amount of Gigabytes but instead a massive range anywere from 25 Gigabytes to 50 Gigabytes???

Learner

[Edited by Learner on 10-01-2000 at 01:14 AM]

[CFoxHost]

I was wondering the same thing! The way I figure it, 8 bits equal one byte. So 400 gigabits divided by 8 equals 50 gigabytes. Exactly.

Or am I missing something here also?

[kunal]

Originally posted by CFoxHost
I was wondering the same thing! The way I figure it, 8 bits equal one byte. So 400 gigabits divided by 8 equals 50 gigabytes. Exactly.

Or am I missing something here also?

You hit the nail on its head!

[Chicken]

Please correct me if I am wrong here, as I surely don't know everything there is to know about server connectivity, (nice disclaimner eh?)...

I'm not sure if we are talking about the size of the pipe here. If so, then this is a bit different than just saying, you get xGB of transfer a month. Instead, you are paying for a certain size pipe, which will allow a certain amount of data to pass through per month. This limit is set either by capping the line, or by the restriction of the pipe itself (you can't shove elephants through a garden hose). At some point the amount of data going in, may excede what the pipe can actually handle. This can affect peak traffic more than anything, or steady heavy traffic continuously.

[stat_man]

Yes mathimatically speaking it would be 50GB, but as we all know 50GB of bandwidth doesn't mean 50GB bandwith. Depending on the accounting methos the host uses 50GB could be as low as 25GB, so I was being general because, of this issue.

[Félix C.Courtemanche]

Now, you can most likely see the difference between a bandwidth of 50GB and transfer of 50 GB

Transfer is the data you transfered and are paying for.
Bandwidth is the 'size' of the pipe, which allow 50GB (per month) of traffic.

50 GB is the top value and can be reached, but logically you should be able to go over it unless you have burst hability on it.

So...
bits and bytes, the conversion is 1/8, but it all depends if you are talking of transfer or bandwidth.

[webfors]

Unfortunately hosts use the two words "Transfer" and "Bandwidth" interchangeably.

Therefore, what you need to do is ask the host more specific questions, like:

1) Is the data transfer speed of my server capped (if so, what is it capped at)? Or is it uncapped (burstable)?

2) How much data can be transfered to and from my server in a month before I begin to incur extra fees? What is the cost if I go over and how is it calculated?

3) What method do you use to calculate numbers 1 and 2?

So, just be careful using certain terminology. If everyone used the same definitions for these terms, then it would be easy, but not everyone does.

Example: Dialtone states "65 GB of Burstable Traffic". What does that mean and how is it calculated? Unless you pose specific questions to the host you probably will never know.

[Learner]

Tabs, would like to clarify what is the actual meaning of the following:

Is the data transfer speed of my server capped (if so, what is it capped at)? Or is it uncapped (burstable)?

1. Is the amount of *data transfer* capped, or is its *speed* capped?

"65 GB of Burstable Traffic". What does that mean?

2. Exactly !!! So what does *burstable traffic* mean generally?

3. Other words I come across frequently are *redundant network* and *redundancy*... what do they mean?

Thanks for all your clarifications, guys. Wow... there are so many confusing little things out there few of us give thought to !!!!

Learner

[Chicken]

Originally posted by Learner
Tabs, would like to clarify what is the actual meaning of the following:

1. Is the amount of *data transfer* capped, or is its *speed* capped?

2. Exactly !!! So what does *burstable traffic* mean generally?

3. Other words I come across frequently are *redundant network* and *redundancy*... what do they mean?

Thanks for all your clarifications, guys. Wow... there are so many confusing little things out there few of us give thought to !!!!

Learner

1. It is the speed that is capped, though this affects the amount of data as well. They are limiting you to a certain size garden hose, and by doing so, you won't be able to shove an elephant through it.

2. Burstable: You'll be able to shove an elephant through it every now and then if you need to.

3. Redundant: We have 3 garden hoses, not just one, so that if one springs a leak, your data can flow through the other two without problems. Note that it generally requires more than just another pipe to work well (redundant routers, etc.).

[webfors]

Good analogy Chicken.

Chicken, did you see my dancing chicken at:

http://gallery.uunet.be/sureyya/chicken.gif

Thought you might like it.

[Edited by tabernack on 10-07-2000 at 03:59 PM]

[Learner]

All understood clearly... except for this little thingy !!!!!

You said above: "You'll be able to shove an elephant through it every now and then if you need to".

So does that technically mean the garden hose is a larger pipe *all the time* ???? ... so that I can shove elephant in whenever I desire.

It's just that this burstable thingy has still not seeped through my garden soil as yet !!!!!!

Gee... so now I know the answer to the popular riddle: "How do you shove an elephant into your refrigerator?"

Answer: "Simple. Connect your refrigerator with a burstable electric cord."

LOL@Chicken

Learner

[Félix C.Courtemanche]

Learner.
A burstable connection means that you have a fixed rate but can TEMPORARILY increase that rate to... double or so (depending the burst type).

You can't ahve a SUSTAINED higher rate than your pipe, or it will automatically drop after the burst _timer_ has expired.

Technically it means that the ISP has some free bandwidth available but keep it only for burst.

[Learner]

So a burst-timer is the answer !!!!

Okay, now the water from Chicken's garden hose has completely seeped through my garden soil with your help !!! Thanks !!!

By the way, Felix... could you suggest some informative web-site that explains most of such terms comprehensively?

Learner

[Félix C.Courtemanche]

I seriously have no idea. Anyone interested, we could try and create a glossary for these kind of words and make it public somewhere accessible by everyone.

[Annette]

We have a domain called hostingsupportforum.com that we were planning to turn into a generic kind of support center for clients. Wouldn't be averse to setting up a FAQ/glossary type of thing within it somewhere.