When you opt for a server or colocation service, it typically includes an Internet connection with a certain amount of inclusive bandwidth. Exceeding this bandwidth may result in additional charges.
To calculate bandwidth usage, we employ the 95% or 95/5 method.
Here's how it works:
- We measure the used bandwidth every 5 minutes. In these measurements, we only consider the higher value between ingress (incoming traffic) and egress (outgoing traffic).
- These measurements are conducted continuously throughout the month, amounting to approximately 8,640 readings.
- At the end of the month, we arrange these measurements in descending order. The top 5% of these readings are discarded and not factored into the final calculation.
- The highest value remaining after this exclusion is the bandwidth we charge for. This approach ensures you are not billed for short-term traffic spikes.
In summary, the 95% method offers protection against additional charges for traffic peaks that occur for about 36 hours each month.
By the way: You can view your current traffic at any time in the customer portal.
Click on Orders in the menu on the left. In your orders with the order type Colocation and Dedicated Server, you will see a button labeled WAN traffic under the heading Network.