Fair Usage Policy

Last updated: May 03, 2026

1. Introduction

This Fair Usage Policy applies to all shared hosting services provided by Comsys Web Design & Hosting. Our shared hosting environment is designed to provide reliable, affordable hosting for typical business websites.

2. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all customers receive fair access to server resources and that no single account negatively impacts the performance of other hosted websites.

3. Resource Limits

3.1 CPU Usage

Shared hosting accounts should not consistently use more than:

• Starter Plan: 25% of one CPU core
• Business Plan: 50% of one CPU core
• Professional Plan: 75% of one CPU core

3.2 Memory (RAM)

Memory usage limits:

• Starter Plan: 512 MB
• Business Plan: 1 GB
• Professional Plan: 2 GB

3.3 Disk Space

While we advertise specific disk space allocations, usage should be for legitimate website files, databases, and email. Disk space should not be used for:

• File storage or backup services
• Media streaming repositories
• Large file distribution
• Personal file storage unrelated to your website

3.4 Bandwidth

Bandwidth is typically unlimited for normal website usage. However, excessive bandwidth usage that impacts server performance may be subject to review.

3.5 Inodes

Inode limits (number of files):

• Starter Plan: 250,000 inodes
• Business Plan: 500,000 inodes
• Professional Plan: 1,000,000 inodes

4. Prohibited Activities

The following activities are prohibited on shared hosting accounts:

4.1 Resource-Intensive Applications

• Cryptocurrency mining
• Continuous video/audio streaming
• Large-scale file sharing or torrents
• Proxy or VPN services
• Game servers
• IRC servers or bots

4.2 Excessive Processes

• Running more than 25 simultaneous processes
• Cron jobs running more frequently than every 5 minutes
• Long-running scripts (>60 seconds execution time)

4.3 Email Usage

• Sending bulk email or spam
• Sending more than 500 emails per hour
• Using the server as an email relay
• Maintaining large email archives (>5GB per account)

5. Database Usage

Database usage should be reasonable:

• Database size limits as per your plan
• Queries should be optimized
• No more than 50 simultaneous database connections
• Regular database maintenance and optimization

6. Monitoring and Enforcement

6.1 Monitoring

We continuously monitor server resources to ensure optimal performance for all customers. Monitoring includes:

• CPU and memory usage
• Disk space and inode usage
• Bandwidth consumption
• Database performance
• Email sending patterns

6.2 Notifications

If your account exceeds fair usage limits, we will:

1. Send you an email notification
2. Provide details of the resource usage issue
3. Suggest solutions or optimizations
4. Recommend upgrading if necessary

6.3 Temporary Suspension

In cases of severe resource abuse that affects other customers, we may temporarily suspend your account to protect server stability. We will notify you immediately and work with you to resolve the issue.

7. Upgrade Options

If your website consistently exceeds fair usage limits, we recommend upgrading to:

• A higher shared hosting plan
• VPS hosting (contact us for availability)
• Dedicated server hosting (contact us for availability)

8. Typical Usage Examples

8.1 Acceptable Usage

• Business websites with moderate traffic
• Blogs and content management systems
• Small to medium e-commerce stores
• Portfolio and brochure websites
• Email for business communication

8.2 May Require Upgrade

• High-traffic websites (>100,000 visitors/month)
• Large e-commerce platforms
• Resource-intensive web applications
• Video hosting or streaming
• Large file downloads

9. Optimization Recommendations

To stay within fair usage limits, we recommend:

• Using caching plugins (for WordPress, etc.)
• Optimizing images and media files
• Minimizing and combining CSS/JavaScript files
• Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
• Regularly updating and optimizing databases
• Removing unused plugins and themes
• Implementing lazy loading for images

10. Exceptions

We understand that legitimate websites may occasionally experience traffic spikes. Short-term resource usage increases due to:

• Viral content or media coverage
• Seasonal traffic increases
• Marketing campaigns

...are generally acceptable. However, if high usage becomes consistent, an upgrade may be necessary.

11. Support and Assistance

Our support team is here to help you optimize your website and stay within fair usage limits. We offer:

• Performance analysis and recommendations
• Optimization guidance
• Assistance with upgrades
• Custom solutions for specific needs

12. Policy Updates

We may update this Fair Usage Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated via email. Continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Fair Usage Policy or need assistance with resource usage, please contact us:

• Email: info@comsys.co.za
• Phone: +27 (0)78 743 9602
• Support: Available 24/7 for hosting clients