Quick answer: The port speed is the maximum rate of your server's network connection: 1G = 1 Gbps (~118 MB/s real-world), 10G = 10 Gbps (~1.1 GB/s), 20G is typically two 10G links aggregated. Faster ports are mainly a dedicated-server option; availability and pricing depend on location and configuration — confirm via ticket.
Overview
Every server attaches to the data-center switch at a fixed link speed — its port. The port caps burst throughput no matter how fast your disks or CPU are. Most websites never fill 1G; content delivery, backups at scale, video, and busy databases replicating across hosts are the workloads that justify 10G+.
Before you start
- Know your peak bandwidth estimate — the port should comfortably exceed it.
- Understand that a single TCP connection over long distances won't fill a big port; total capacity is consumed by many parallel flows.
What each tier means in practice
- 1G — the standard tier; saturating it means pushing ~10 TB/day. Fits the vast majority of sites, apps and small clusters.
- 10G — for sustained heavy transfer: media/content servers, storage and backup nodes, database replication, busy reverse proxies.
- 20G — usually delivered as 2×10G with link aggregation (LACP): capacity for many parallel flows plus link redundancy. A single flow still tops out around one member link — aggregation multiplies lanes, not per-car speed.
- Choosing: measure or estimate peaks; if they approach ~70% of a tier, take the next one or discuss an upgrade.
Common issues
- "iperf3 shows 3 Gbps on my 10G port from one client" — single-stream over distance; test with
-P 8and multiple sources. - Paying for 10G "just in case" — vnstat data first; upgrade when peaks justify it.
- Expecting 20G on one download — LACP balances flows, so one connection rides one 10G member.
When to contact support
Port options vary by location and hardware: open a ticket to confirm 10G/20G availability, pricing and whether your workload actually needs it — we'll tell you honestly.
Frequently asked questions
Who actually needs a 10G port?
Sustained heavy transfer: content and media servers, storage/backup nodes, database replication, busy proxies. Typical websites do not saturate 1G.
Is 20G one link or two?
Usually 2x10G aggregated with LACP — total capacity for parallel flows plus redundancy; a single connection still rides one 10G member.
Are 10G/20G ports available on VPS?
Faster ports are primarily a dedicated-server option; availability depends on location and configuration — confirm via ticket.
Related articles
- How to estimate bandwidth needs
- What is the difference between traffic and bandwidth?
- How to request additional bandwidth
- How to test network speed
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