| As you may already know, the term overselling | | | | Having said that, if done correctly overselling can |
| refers to when a host offers more disk-space | | | | be a good thing. It can bring in a lot of customers |
| and bandwidth than they can actually provide to | | | | quickly, and if managed correctly there's no |
| each of their customers. | | | | reason why an extreme overselling host has to |
| They do this since most customers only use a | | | | offer bad service. |
| fraction of the disk-space and bandwidth offered | | | | And in the case of someone like HostGator, this is |
| to them, meaning that hosts can then (in theory) | | | | certainly true. They are an "unlimited" host, but |
| balance things out by allowing other customers to | | | | yet their service is typically good. |
| use a relatively large amount of disk-space and | | | | The issue for some people, though, is that whilst |
| bandwidth. | | | | HostGator (and other extreme overselling hosts) |
| Whilst this can be a good thing (and indeed many | | | | provide a great service, they still can't provide |
| great hosts oversell a little bit), some practices of | | | | you with 'unlimited' or even hundreds of gigabytes |
| overselling - which I prefer to call extreme | | | | of disk space and bandwidth for a low monthly |
| overselling - can be very problematic. | | | | fee. It simply wouldn't be possible without that |
| Extreme overselling is when a host will offer a | | | | host making a huge loss. |
| much higher amount of disk-space and bandwidth | | | | Hence extreme overselling can be problematic |
| than they can realistically expect to provide, even | | | | since if a website is too popular, a host may |
| to one customer. | | | | simply suspend/cancel it (as they are probably |
| An example offer would be (for argument's sake) | | | | entitled to do as per their Terms Of Service). |
| "500 GB disk-space, 5,000 GB bandwidth, $5 per | | | | In addition, because such hosts claim to offer |
| month". | | | | very high (or 'unlimited') amounts of disk-space |
| Whilst this sounds great, a typical server (which | | | | and bandwidth, how can you know when your |
| usually hosts hundreds of hosting clients) comes | | | | hosting account will in-fact be suspended/cancelled |
| with around 500 GB hard-drives and usually less | | | | due to using "too much" disk-space or bandwidth? |
| than 5 TB (5,000 GB) of bandwidth - and such a | | | | I therefore usually recommend to others to try |
| server would cost $150 per month or more. | | | | and go with a host who don't massively oversell. |
| Therefore it'd then be economically impossible for | | | | This will mean that you know how much |
| a host to actually offer what they were | | | | disk-space and bandwidth you can use before you |
| advertising. | | | | will be suspended (and if you are using too much, |
| An extension of extreme overselling is "unlimited" | | | | you can simply pay more and upgrade). |
| offers. This is where a host advertises "unlimited" | | | | However at the end of the day, it is completely |
| disk space and/or "unlimited" bandwidth. | | | | down to personal preference. As I mentioned |
| Of course, there is no such thing as an unlimited | | | | earlier, there are many good extreme overselling |
| hard drive (or an unlimited internet connection - | | | | hosts out there. As long as you know you can't |
| despite what ISP's advertise!), thus such an offer | | | | use too much disk space and bandwidth - and |
| is completely impossible. If it was possible, why | | | | you do your research and ensure the host has |
| wouldn't Google, Facebook (etc) all go with such a | | | | good reviews - you should be safe. One final |
| host and pay them $5 per month, instead of | | | | thought: how much is 'too much' disk space and |
| spending $100,000s per month for hosting like | | | | bandwidth? Well that's the problem. There's no |
| they currently do? | | | | way of knowing... |