Bandwidth 101

Highlights

Bandwidth and bandwidth usage are measured in gigabytes ("GB"). The measure uses U.S. notation, with a period marking off whole numbers from fractions of GB; for example, 3.3GB for 3 and three-tenths GB.

There are bandwidth thresholds to the particular plan you choose, but there are no overall limits on bandwidth for your account. That's because, regardless of plan, you can pay for as much bandwidth as you need at any time. You can go beyond the plan threshold as needed in any of the following ways:

• Pay overage for any usage over the plan threshold.
• For the 100 plan only: Purchase prepaid bandwidth beyond the plan threshold.
• For the 100 plan only: Set up autopurchase of bandwidth when your level goes down to a point you define.

You can set your own bandwidth limits for monthly or overall usage.

In this article, we show you how to establish, monitor, and update your bandwidth settings.

Bandwidth thresholds and free trials

The free-trial bandwidth limit is 100GB. If you go over that, you are prompted to select a paid plan.

For any overage on a free trial, you are not charged until after you sign up for a paid plan. Overage on a trial is added to any overage from your first month's usage on a paid plan.

How to set bandwidth limits for paid plans

• Dashboard - Set Bandwidth Limit

On the dashboard, under Account Settings, click Set Bandwidth Limit

• Monthly Bandwidth Limit

Limits monthly bandwidth usage, which resets for each billing cycle.

• Total Bandwidth Limit

Limits total all-time bandwidth usage.

Complete the form fields as needed. When finished, click Save Limit.

To disable a bandwidth limit, set it to 0.

Notifications

• 509 Response Code

When a bandwidth limit you've set is exceeded, you will get a 509 status code from the proxy server. This will continue until you raise the limit, or for the monthly bandwidth limit, when your next bill is processed.

• Alert Email

You will receive an email every time the bandwidth limit is reached.

Monitoring

Actual bandwidth usage records are updated hourly.

That means your actual usage may exceed the limit until the next hourly update.

Keeping track of plan thresholds and usage

"Subscription Plan" near the bottom of the dashboard tells you:

• How much bandwidth is included in the plan you're on.
• Any remaining (unused) prepaid bandwidth
• How many sub-accounts remaining (to be created) under your account

Sub-accounts

The bandwidth limit is per account profile (account or sub-account).

A limit set on a parent account does not apply to sub-accounts. Sub-account limits must be set individually on each sub-account.

Prepaid Bandwidth

Prepaid bandwidth is available only on the ProxyMesh 100 plan. With the ProxyMesh 100 plan, and using Crypto -- the preferred prepayment method -- you can buy an unlimited amount of prepaid bandwidth at a reduced rate of $0.05/GB.

If you're on the ProxyMesh 100 plan, the right side of your dashboard will display a link labeled "Buy Prepaid Bandwidth." When you click the link, the screen below is displayed.

On the Buy Prepaid Bandwidth screen, you can:

• set up a one-time prepaid bandwidth purchase in any amount, or
• set it up so that it automatically renews when you reach a GB threshold that you specify.

With autopurchase, you can buy between 100 and 100,000 GB.

Quantity: The amount you want to buy right now, or each time the threshold is reached.

Checkbox: Leave it unselected if you're making a manual (not automatic) purchase.

Select it to activate the automatic purchase.

Threshold: The GB threshold you specify. In this example, you would automatically buy paid bandwidth when your remaining bandwidth is down to 10GB.

Total charge: Displays the amount you're paying for the automatic purchase at $.05/GB.

Buy Bandwidth: Click this button when you've completed the form fields.