Every server offer has a line about network and traffic, and the terms mean different things at different providers. Here is what metered, fair use and unmetered mean, and how much traffic you really need.
Port speed and traffic are two things
The port speed (1, 10 or 40 Gbit/s) says how fast data can flow at one moment. The traffic says how much data you may send in a month. A fast port with little traffic is good for short peaks; steady high traffic needs both.
The three models
| Model | How it works |
|---|---|
| Metered | A fixed amount per month is included, for example 5 TB. Above that you pay extra or the speed is reduced. |
| Fair use | A large amount is included, sometimes called unlimited, under a policy that rules out constant full use of the port. |
| Unmetered | Traffic is not counted at all; the only limit is the port speed. Read whether the bandwidth is dedicated to you or shared. |
95th percentile billing
Some providers bill by bandwidth instead of traffic. They measure your speed every five minutes over the month, drop the highest 5 % of the readings and bill the highest remaining value. Short peaks are free, steady use counts.
How much traffic do you need?
A connection that runs at 1 Mbit/s for a whole month moves about 0.32 TB. So 100 TB per month is an average of about 310 Mbit/s, day and night. Look at your current average in your monitoring, multiply, and add room for growth.
| Average speed | Traffic per month |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbit/s | about 3.2 TB |
| 100 Mbit/s | about 32 TB |
| 310 Mbit/s | about 100 TB |
| 1 Gbit/s | about 324 TB |
Traffic at Evolushost
Our Ryzen servers in Vienna and Berlin include 100 TB per month under our fair use policy. Our VPS include a fixed amount per plan, and you can add more traffic when you order.