Major Help Required!

[Sisyphus]

Hi there,

I'm looking for some advice on where to try for a new server. It's for a football site – quite a large one.

Our current server uses around 650GB a month – although we expect that to drop to less than 500GB for a while.

We have specific moments – since we're a football site – where our bandwidth bursts double or even triple. If a goal is scored, for example, we'll have 20 posters trying to start a thread explaining this!

I have more detailed info when needed. Is this the right place to ask?

[eUKhost.com]

Yes this is the right place. You can let us know all your questions in details so that we can assist you.

[Sisyphus]

Hi eUK!

Sorry for the delay.

As I understand it, you may be a company we are already in talks with.

Now, I have all the info any companies might require here. I just need to know what I should post, what people looking in might need.

E-mail addresses of reliable server providers would be very helpful!

[eUKhost.com]

Hi eUK!

Sorry for the delay.

As I understand it, you may be a company we are already in talks with.

Now, I have all the info any companies might require here. I just need to know what I should post, what people looking in might need.

E-mail addresses of reliable server providers would be very helpful!

Advertising of Hosting is not allowed here. You can let us know more about your forum , databse size, Total no. of posts, Total members,Total number of users online at a time.

[Sisyphus]

Right, I will post the words of our main Admin:


Bandwidth:
The present service provider has advised that up to 650 GB are used monthly. One reason for moving to a new host is the hope of the site growing. However, the chances are high that the initial bandwidth demand will be less than 500 GB because the site is moving right now from a donation based model to a fee based model.
People post all day from work, and from around the world although the majority by far post from within the UK. There is some level of activity 24-hours each day. Posting in the evening is routinely busy and generally is merely social networking and chit-chat with a large volume of very short posts.
Posts are fast and furious on game days, announcement days, etc. During a game, 20-30 or even more “YES!” threads might be started at the same time in the event of a goal, while hundreds of posters are also refreshing their browser, etc. For important games and events, intense spontaneous bandwidth burst loads likely that could easy be
doubled or tripled.
So, bandwidth is consumed not just on peak times of day, and peak dates, but also peak moments. To date, we have struggled to maintain a server able to handle the peak demands.
Presently attachments to posts are not supported.

[Sisyphus]

Some current statistics (approximates): 1
20,000 members (a large number are NOT active)
464,000 threads (all are presently maintained active on-line n a single database)
5,740,000 posts
1,200 online simultaneously (maximum to date but with a desire to be able to grow to
facilitate perhaps 1,500 or more at peak times)
500-700 online simultaneously normally between 10am – midnight
4,000 unique member visits daily
10,000 new posts daily
1,000 new threads daily
Users with more than 1 posts = 7,583
Users with more than 100 posts = 2,857
Users with more than 200 posts = 2,251
Users with more than 500 posts = 1,489
Users with more than 1,000 posts = 1,030

[harrysmith]

Hmm, so your forum is much popular :) with heavy traffic. You should go with a host who can provide you excellent hardware with good bandwidth.
Initially you can go with 10MBPS Unmetered with a good processor which can handle such heavy traffic on some particular days/events.

If you have a good budget you can also consider setting up a loadbalanced server for your forum. ( but it may be a costly option ).

Try to get a host from UK itself this will help for faster update and transfer of data.

Cross about your host before paying them at few webmaster related forums as WHT or hostingtalk etc...

[express]

Sisyphus,

How did this turn out for you?

Joey