How Much Bandwidth Does Your SMB Actually Need?
Sizing your relay server for performance without overspending on infrastructure.
How Much Bandwidth Does Your SMB Actually Need?
One of the most persistent myths in remote desktop is that you need a “supercomputer” with a 10Gbps connection to run a relay server. For most SMBs, this is overkill. Here is the realistic math.
The Typical Session
A standard RustDesk session (1080p, moderate movement) typically consumes between 100 Kbps and 3 Mbps.
- Office work (Word/Excel): ~200 Kbps.
- Browsing/Active UI: ~800 Kbps.
- Full-motion Video: ~3-5 Mbps.
Calculating Your Peak Load
If you have 10 technicians working simultaneously:
- Worst case (High motion): 50 Mbps.
- Average case: 10-15 Mbps.
A standard $5/month cloud VPS usually comes with a 1Gbps port and 1-2TB of monthly transfer. This is enough to handle hundreds of concurrent office sessions without any sweat.
The Real Constraint: Latency, not Bandwidth
A technician will complain about lag on a 100Mbps connection if the latency is 200ms. They will be happy on a 5Mbps connection if the latency is 20ms.
Conclusion
Don’t overpay for “high performance” bandwidth. Focus on geographical proximity. A small server in your local city will always outperform a giant server across the ocean. At DeployRD, we help you pick the server that hits the “sweet spot” of cost and performance.