Bandwidth

[wireflix]

Hello every1,

I want to setup a web hosting server to give free and paid service. My main issue is that I'm seeing many hosting providers promising unlimited bandwidth! I will like to know the magic behind these offers. Somebody help!!!

I'm just starting from home and cannot think of hosting my server in a data center, maybe in the future.

is there any workaround for a home-based 10Mbps ADSL?

BTW Merry Christmas and Happy new year to all. thank you.

[papokergod]

I would make sure having a web/mail/etc server is not against your hosing provider's terms of service agreement. Most providers block smtp ports etc to help deter their customers from doing so. You might have to at the very least pay for a business type internet service. Also upload bandwidth will definitely be a concern with more than 1 or 2 websites going at the same time depending on how many people visit each site. Especially on on DSL. Also you will need a static IP address with is most likley only available from your service providers business accounts. Also keep in mind security as well. If someone is being hosted on your servers other than yourself they will expect that their websites are secure from any type of risks including privacy issues. Which opens server admins up for lawsuits as well. There is more into running a hosting service than just operating the servers themselves.

[wireflix]

Thank you for your reply! I'm aware of all the issues you've mentioned. I'm just thinking of doing business lawfully from home but waiving the expensive data center "housing" costs from the start. I don't really see any sense behind putting up a server and baring data center housing + other related costs just to have a handful of subscribers using the hosting service.

An alternative is to go for a reseller solution which am considering right now but even there, one is conditioned to the extent that you cannot beat the competition where providers are offering unlimited bandwidth, diskspace etc. etc.to end users. So you see why my initial question.

Does server virtualization make any difference in the number of users, bandwith consumption and service delivery speed?

Does cloud computing play any important or strategic role in this case?

Again thank you.

Merry christmas and happy new year!