Internet connections and bandwidth are measured by a ratio of amounts of data over time, bits per second (bps) or bits per month (bpm). An easy way to understand this is by relating data to water. Your kitchen faucet may be capable of delivering 400 gallons per hour (gph). By increasing the diameter of your piping you will increase the flow of water, ultimately exhausting your cityês water supply. Data flows through the Internet similarly; you are limited by your ISP connection speed (how big your pipe is), and by the connection speed of the web site you are accessing. In other words, the slowest link between your browser and the web site you are viewing will determine your actual connection speed.
Regardless of your visitorês connection speed, every bit and byte not only generates bandwidth when accessed; it also takes up valuable web space. It may be obvious that the size of your images and web files occupy disk space on a web server, just as they do on your personal computer, but the fact that unchecked email, database files, and visitor access logs also share server space may not be obvious. Remember to account for all potential space requirements when selecting your hosting plan. If you have individuals who require personal email accounts, you may need extra server space.
