What Is a Web Server?
A web server serves as a computer dedicated to storing and delivering websites to users across the internet. It operates akin to a librarian, efficiently organizing and distributing website information to anyone who requests it, allowing them to access the content through their computers or mobile devices. These computers run specialized web server software, with the most widely used software being Apache and Nginx. Web servers can be configured differently, akin to personal computers, which influences their power and performance.
Web servers are available for rent from specialized website hosting companies, offering a variety of configurations and pricing options to meet diverse needs. Clients have the flexibility to select an initial web server size, and they can subsequently enhance its capabilities by upgrading various components like storage space, processing power, memory, and more.
Determinants of Web Server Size
The dimensions of a web server hinge on the capabilities of its installed components. Higher-capacity components contribute to larger web server sizes, resulting in enhanced speed and power. In contrast, lower-capacity components reduce the server’s size and efficiency, making it less capable, particularly during peak traffic. Several key components determine the size and overall performance of a web server.
Processing Power (CPU)
Every web server is equipped with a central processing unit (CPU), often referred to as the computer’s brain. The CPU plays a crucial role in swiftly assembling all the elements of a website. It efficiently gathers text, images, videos, and arranges them for delivery to users’ computers or mobile devices, enabling website visibility.
The efficiency and swiftness of a web server significantly depend on the processor’s speed and power. This capability is crucial for faster website loading and seamless operation. Powerful processors often feature multiple cores, such as dual-core, quad-core, and higher. Each core serves as an additional processing unit, enhancing the speed by allowing the processor to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Memory (RAM)
Random access memory (RAM) refers to a high-speed memory section used by a web server to temporarily store necessary files. This temporary storage allows the server to quickly access all required files for displaying a webpage. Greater RAM capacity provides the web server with more temporary storage for these files, enhancing its speed and overall efficiency.
Storage (Disk Space)
Storage or disk space refers to the physical space available for computer storage. A larger storage capacity enables the hosting of more data on your website. You can visualize storage as a vast digital closet where the server stores all the website’s files, such as images, text, and videos. Just like an organized closet facilitates quick and easy access to items, having more space enables the storage of a greater volume of data and faster retrieval.
Analogous to a well-organized closet, having ample and organized storage for your WordPress website enhances its efficiency.
Internet Speeds & Bandwidth
Web servers need an internet connection to process user requests and transmit data back to them. Websites hosted on servers with high bandwidth can efficiently transmit data more rapidly. Bandwidth signifies the volume of data your website can send. You can liken bandwidth to a straw: a narrow straw (low bandwidth) restricts the amount of water you can drink, while a wider one (higher bandwidth) allows for a greater flow. Enhancing internet speed and bandwidth can significantly improve your website’s responsiveness to user requests and the efficient transmission of data.
How to Determine the Necessary Web Server Size
- Average Bandwidth and Data Served by Your Website Each time a user requests data, your web server delivers it. Increased data transmission equates to higher usage of server resources.
- Calculating Required Storage Space Assess the amount of storage your website needs by monitoring its present storage utilization.
Shared Hosting Web Server Specifications Shared hosting plans allow websites to share server resources, enabling hosting companies to provide cost-effective hosting for smaller websites and blogs.
Suitable For: Small websites and blogs with under 10,000 monthly page views. Web Server Size: Reputable shared hosting services invest in robust shared servers equipped with fast processors, ample RAM, and substantial storage. Resource allocations can vary significantly across hosts. If such information is unavailable on their website, it’s advisable to inquire with individual hosts before finalizing a subscription. Typically, starter shared plans offer a single-core CPU, 1 GB of RAM, and 10 GB of disk storage. However, the availability of web server resources for your website depends on the number of sites sharing these resources.
Managed WordPress Hosting Web Server Capacities
Managed WordPress hosting represents an advancement from shared hosting solutions, offering a custom platform designed specifically for WordPress websites. Providers of managed WordPress hosting deliver automated updates, heightened security features, and effortless options for website scalability. It can be likened to a tailored concierge service for your WordPress website.
Suitable For: eCommerce websites, expanding blogs, and small to medium-sized businesses, usually commencing from 25,000 page views. Web Server Capacities: The size of the web server is contingent upon your chosen plan. Managed WordPress hosting services impose precise limits on disk space and bandwidth to ensure equitable usage. Typically, the allocations encompass a minimum of 10 GB storage, 50 GB bandwidth, a single or dual-core CPU, and 1 GB of RAM.
VPS Hosting Web Server Capabilities
VPS hosting allows you to establish a virtual private server to serve as your website’s web server, an upgrade from managed and shared WordPress hosting plans. The advantage of VPS hosting is the ability to tailor your web server size and expand it as your website grows, ensuring access to the required resources without necessitating an upgrade to a dedicated server or enterprise hosting plan.
Suitable For: Ideal for eCommerce stores and large, multimedia-rich websites hosting numerous audio or video files, typically catering to a range of 30,000 to 100,000 page views, contingent on the server setup. Web Server Capabilities: Server configurations vary among providers and are priced accordingly. You can opt from various configurations or personalize your setup through a hosting control panel.
Our Recommendation: We suggest SiteGround VPS hosting plans due to their generous web server capacities, commencing from 4-core processors with 8 GB of memory and 40 GB of storage space.
Dedicated or Enterprise Hosting Server Specifications
Dedicated or enterprise hosting represents the highest tier of service, providing customized web server sizes tailored for optimal performance and handling extensive volumes of traffic. With a dedicated server, your website does not share its web server resources. You have the freedom to select processor speed and cores, RAM size, disk storage, and the desired bandwidth.
Enterprise hosting plans stand as the ultimate tier in dedicated hosting. Subscribing to such a plan grants access to the hosting company’s engineering team. This team will manage the hosting infrastructure as per your requirements, accompanied by 24/7 phone support from your dedicated assistance team.
Suitable For: Ideal for prominent brands, critical websites with substantial traffic, and sizable eCommerce outlets, typically addressing audiences ranging from 200,000 to millions of page views.
Server Specifications: Hosting companies offer dedicated servers with varying configurations. Generally, one can anticipate dual or quad-core CPUs with 4-8 GB RAM and 500 GB to 1TB disk storage. Alternatively, you can configure your dedicated server with distinct components.
Here are some of the most common inquiries regarding the selection of web server sizes.
- How much disk space is necessary for a web server? The required disk space for a web server depends on the volume of data you intend to upload to your website. Typically, entry-level hosting plans offer 5-10 GB of disk storage, which is adequate for a small business website or an introductory blog.
- What is the typical size of a web hosting server? A majority of websites operate on shared hosting web servers. The average capacity of a basic shared hosting web server usually comprises less than 10 GB of disk storage, 1 GB of RAM, and a single or dual-core processor.
- What is the significance of “unlimited bandwidth”? Commonly, shared hosting providers promote “unlimited bandwidth” as part of their hosting offerings. Nevertheless, bandwidth incurs expenses, and there are usually limitations imposed based on fair usage policies regarding the volume of bandwidth your website can consume. Seeking clarification from your hosting provider about the fair usage policy for bandwidth constraints is recommended for further information.