We are doing in the 500gb a month range just for the web traffic for this one web site. 5.4 terabytes so far this year so should be at or near 6tb by the end of the month. That is not counting the traffic generated by email, IRC, Minecraft, Remote backups etc, just the web server. In 111 days just 3.7 months the server reports it transmitted RX bytes:230.1 GB TX bytes: 2.9 TB. Multiplied by 3 to figure rough numbers for the full year, I get numbers of of around 10 TB a year. and actually 111 x 3 only equals 333 days, so we are still shy a full month. That is also not counting the bandwidth I personally use at all, probably another 3 or so tb.
We have exceptionally large databases 6.3gb in size. Most providers will run very fast from databases of that size. The forums database by it's self is 4.1GB.
Another benefit of this setup is that I can have as many servers as I have room for and there is no additional monthly costs beyond the electricity that they consume.
Monthly hosting costs run about $600 give or take each month.
I keep the ac on all summer at 65-68 degrees to keep the servers as cool as possible. The servers use the majority of the electricity, so the site pays the electric bill. Believe me I would rather keep it in the 75-80's I am constantly freezing my butt off. But I willingly sacrifice my personal comfort for my members.
We also pay a premium for Enterprise level network priority, service, and support. I recently had ISP techs at my house on a Sunday.
I have had nightmares with remote hosting in the past including a 4 day outage one year because the provider was closed over labor day and it would have cost a minimum of $700 to gain access after hours to the server to do a repair. ($350.00 per hour, 2 hour minimum)
$1,400 of the monthly goal is to allow me to work full time on running the site. I hope no one feels I shouldn't be compensated for the time I dedicate to providing this web site, administering it, and keeping my members safe, and secure, it is a full time job. I make on average around $3.50 per hour putting in around 400 hours per month, a number that one of these days needs to increase...
From 1995 until 2013 I paid the full cost of running the site out of my own pocket. I didn't have any member support options at all. Cindy had to basically beg me to accept the first donation which came from her, and I will say it helped me out immensely!
We started accepting member contributions and support in 2013.
I also did not start receiving any personal compensation from the site until December of 2014/January of 2015. So that's means for 19 years I didn't personally receive a dime from this web site.
All I can suggest for those who think they can do it better or cheaper, is to point out that many have thought so and tried, they are gone, I am still here after 21, almost 22 years.
