How to reduce bandwidth usage ?

ricmic2009 · 03-23-2009, 08:43 AM

Hi, can anyone please tell me how can I reduce the bandwidth consumption of my website.

My website is MyOpenTheatre dot com - Watch movies online free

It does not contain any videos but every post has a small image of size around 20kb.

I have never optimised any of the webpages and I'm using WordPress wherein Iam using a lot many number of plug-ins. can anyone please suggest me what should I do to reduce the bandwidth usage of my website.

PatientZero · 03-23-2009, 04:25 PM

Remember to put javascript and css to external files. That will shave few kilobytes off.

robertstr · 03-24-2009, 04:19 AM

Hi there!

I think that if you want to reduce bandwidth usage, you should do such things:
- You html code could be much better optimized (css based using shorthands)
- Optimize your images: checking your main page I see that at least you can save a few kb. If you have a lot visitors (that's why you want reduce bandwith right?) you'll save a lot.
I hope this can help you. Wish you success.

Plinko · 03-25-2009, 01:09 AM

Get the "yslow" plugin for firefox, which will give you hints. Most aspects are based on size/speed, which would help your bandwidth.

On reloading your page I noticed I was getting 304 response for the images, but no "expires" header. An expires header set far into the future will help browser and proxy caches store those images for longer periods of time, speeding up accesses, particularly repeat accesses or accesses from behind ISP caches.

A far future expires header on the CSS pages will serve the browser cache on each page load saving you from launching another process and serving another request.

IF you are going to server that many images on a page, consider using lighttpd or something smaller than apache to do it. You could then have lighttpd serving images (efficiently) while apache was handling the WP requests.

There appears to be a lot of dynamic stuff from WordPress like the polls and ratings and such. That would eat up some time too.

Overall there is a lot of action there. Probably close to 100 requests being served for each page load. There is a lot you could do to speed that up but you may need the services of a consultant to do it in a quick time frame.

photoads · 03-25-2009, 01:29 PM

Are you really using that much bandwidth? How much are you using & is your host charging you? If not I would not worry the pages seem to load fine

ricmic2009 · 03-25-2009, 11:20 PM

I took a basic plan of 15 GB Online storage and 20 GB monthly transfer. Since my site is getting popular people have started to almost residde and browse my site for hours !!!! Many of them are browsing 20 30 pages with 15 Images in each !!!!

Help: Plinko explained to increase image expire time so that image cache stays longer in the visitors computer and in one way would reduce my bandwidth. But how to do that ? Sounds really a very good idea !

Plinko · 03-26-2009, 01:14 AM

Here's what I've been using on some sites lately:

ExpiresActive on
ExpiresDefault A600
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 week"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 week"
ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 week"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 week"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 1 week"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 week"
ExpiresByType text/xml "access plus 1 day"
ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 1 week"

<FilesMatch "\.(php|php4)$">
ExpiresByType text/html "now"
</FilesMatch>

If your images and css files never change then you can set those to "1 month" instead of "1 week."

This is for a virtual host root config file but should work similarly in an .htaccess file in your root www directory. For info on what these do, httpd.apache.org has information. Just search the site for mod_expires in the 2.2 documentation.

Here's a couple more links to help:

High Performance Web Sites: Rule 3 - Add an Expires Header (Yahoo! Developer Network Blog)
Best Practices for Speeding Up Your Web Site
Rule 3 - Add an Expires Header

Wish I could help more but I'm passing thru right now...

regan · 04-01-2009, 09:25 AM

A lot of good advice. Thanks for all!

alexandervintii · 04-16-2009, 01:37 AM

Thanks everyone just looking for this tips

pavan6993 · 04-19-2009, 08:17 AM

Excellent post and thanks for sharing the views , as i was looking for this from some time now.its very useful for people like me.

ayaw · 04-20-2009, 02:42 AM

Here is how I manage to reduce my bandwith to 50%

1. Instead of storing your own photo, try to upload the images to picassa / flickr / photobucket. This will save the most of your bandwith.

2. Have you tried the Gzip compression method ? If your sites is using heavy CSS or Javascript, use it to compress all the css and javascript files. For example, if you have those prototype / jquery, you will be saved soo much with this compression method.

Hope it helps...

03-23-2009, 08:43 AM	#1
ricmic2009 Warrior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Hi, can anyone please tell me how can I reduce the bandwidth consumption of my website. My website is MyOpenTheatre dot com - Watch movies online free It does not contain any videos but every post has a small image of size around 20kb. I have never optimised any of the webpages and I'm using WordPress wherein Iam using a lot many number of plug-ins. can anyone please suggest me what should I do to reduce the bandwidth usage of my website.

03-23-2009, 04:25 PM	#2
PatientZero Warrior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Remember to put javascript and css to external files. That will shave few kilobytes off.

03-24-2009, 04:19 AM	#3
robertstr HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Isla de Margarita VE Posts: 124 Thanks: 2 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Hi there! I think that if you want to reduce bandwidth usage, you should do such things: - You html code could be much better optimized (css based using shorthands) - Optimize your images: checking your main page I see that at least you can save a few kb. If you have a lot visitors (that's why you want reduce bandwith right?) you'll save a lot. I hope this can help you. Wish you success.

03-25-2009, 01:09 AM	#4
Plinko Technology Adviser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 74 Thanks: 5 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Get the "yslow" plugin for firefox, which will give you hints. Most aspects are based on size/speed, which would help your bandwidth. On reloading your page I noticed I was getting 304 response for the images, but no "expires" header. An expires header set far into the future will help browser and proxy caches store those images for longer periods of time, speeding up accesses, particularly repeat accesses or accesses from behind ISP caches. A far future expires header on the CSS pages will serve the browser cache on each page load saving you from launching another process and serving another request. IF you are going to server that many images on a page, consider using lighttpd or something smaller than apache to do it. You could then have lighttpd serving images (efficiently) while apache was handling the WP requests. There appears to be a lot of dynamic stuff from WordPress like the polls and ratings and such. That would eat up some time too. Overall there is a lot of action there. Probably close to 100 requests being served for each page load. There is a lot you could do to speed that up but you may need the services of a consultant to do it in a quick time frame.
	There's a difference between effective and efficient programming. Anyone can be effective. I strive to be efficient.

03-25-2009, 01:29 PM	#5
photoads Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 39 Thanks: 5 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Are you really using that much bandwidth? How much are you using & is your host charging you? If not I would not worry the pages seem to load fine

03-25-2009, 11:20 PM	#6
ricmic2009 Warrior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? I took a basic plan of 15 GB Online storage and 20 GB monthly transfer. Since my site is getting popular people have started to almost residde and browse my site for hours !!!! Many of them are browsing 20 30 pages with 15 Images in each !!!! Help: Plinko explained to increase image expire time so that image cache stays longer in the visitors computer and in one way would reduce my bandwidth. But how to do that ? Sounds really a very good idea !
	MyOpenTheatre.Com - Watch free movies Online

03-26-2009, 01:14 AM	#7
Plinko Technology Adviser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 74 Thanks: 5 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Here's what I've been using on some sites lately: ExpiresActive on ExpiresDefault A600 ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 week" ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 week" ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 week" ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 week" ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 1 week" ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 week" ExpiresByType text/xml "access plus 1 day" ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 1 week" <FilesMatch "\.(php\|php4)$"> ExpiresByType text/html "now" </FilesMatch> If your images and css files never change then you can set those to "1 month" instead of "1 week." This is for a virtual host root config file but should work similarly in an .htaccess file in your root www directory. For info on what these do, httpd.apache.org has information. Just search the site for mod_expires in the 2.2 documentation. Here's a couple more links to help: High Performance Web Sites: Rule 3 - Add an Expires Header (Yahoo! Developer Network Blog) Best Practices for Speeding Up Your Web Site Rule 3 - Add an Expires Header Wish I could help more but I'm passing thru right now...
	There's a difference between effective and efficient programming. Anyone can be effective. I strive to be efficient.

04-01-2009, 09:25 AM	#8
regan Active Warrior Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 37 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? A lot of good advice. Thanks for all!
	Split pdf files with Adolix Split and Merge PDF. It's free. Free contact forms for your website.

04-16-2009, 01:37 AM	#9
alexandervintii Active Warrior Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 51 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Thanks everyone just looking for this tips

04-19-2009, 08:17 AM	#10
pavan6993 Warrior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Excellent post and thanks for sharing the views , as i was looking for this from some time now.its very useful for people like me.
	GayBars GayFace LesbianFace

04-20-2009, 02:42 AM	#11
ayaw Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Borneo Island Posts: 712 Thanks: 88 Thanked 89 Times in 54 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How to reduce bandwidth usage ? Here is how I manage to reduce my bandwith to 50% 1. Instead of storing your own photo, try to upload the images to picassa / flickr / photobucket. This will save the most of your bandwith. 2. Have you tried the Gzip compression method ? If your sites is using heavy CSS or Javascript, use it to compress all the css and javascript files. For example, if you have those prototype / jquery, you will be saved soo much with this compression method. Hope it helps...