> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.console.zenlayer.com/welcome/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.console.zenlayer.com/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview.md). # Public Network Bandwidth ## What "public network billing" means on ZEC Every ZEC resource that talks to the public internet — an Elastic IP, a NAT gateway egress, an instance's bound EIP — pushes bytes through an uplink that Zenlayer prices. The **public network billing method** is the contract you pick for *how* those bytes turn into cost. It does not change the path the packets take; it changes the meter that runs against them. There are two independent choices here. You pick both when the EIP (or the instance's public interface) is created: 1. **Network type** — which carrier carries your packets (Zenlayer Premium BGP or Standard BGP). This sets the per-Mbps *unit price* and the path the packets take. See [Network Types](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/02-network-types.md). 2. **Billing method** — how those Mbps (or GB) turn into a bill. This is what the rest of the page covers. The three valid billing methods on ZEC are: | Billing Method | Meter | Scope | | ----------------------------- | -------------------- | --------------------------------- | | **Data Transfer** | Gigabytes | One instance | | **Flat Rate** | Fixed Mbps | One instance | | **Aggregated Burstable 95th** | 95th-percentile Mbps | All opted-in ZEC EIPs (50+ ideal) | ![Billing methods overview](/files/1XeUPZ97h0EW3ruwyY04) The console surfaces these same choices as **Data Transfer** and **Flat Rate** when you create an EIP. Aggregated Burstable 95th is exposed on the instance creation flow rather than on the EIP form. *** ## What's the same across every method Regardless of which meter you pick, three things are always true: * **You can set a bandwidth cap.** Every billing method accepts an optional upper bound in Mbps — the point beyond which traffic is shaped. For EIPs the default is **10 Gbps** on the console (raisable via ticket for larger workloads). See [Bandwidth Cap](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/07-bandwidth-cap.md). * **The cap has a limit mode.** The shaping can be *loose* (allow short bursts near the cap) or *tight* (clamp evenly across flows). Also covered in [Bandwidth Cap](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/07-bandwidth-cap.md). * **Packets follow the same data plane.** The billing method is a meter in front of the uplink; it is not a routing decision. Switching from Data Transfer to Flat Rate does not move your traffic to a different network. *** ## What's different The three methods differ along two axes: **Meter shape.** Data Transfer counts bytes; the others count throughput in Mbps. Among the Mbps-based ones, Flat Rate is a fixed commitment with no burst metering, while Aggregated Burstable 95th commits a base size and then bills the monthly 95th-percentile of what rode above it. **Scope.** Data Transfer and Flat Rate are **per-instance** — each EIP carries its own meter, with no sharing. Aggregated Burstable 95th pools all opted-in ZEC EIPs into one meter. The practical consequence: narrow-scope meters are simpler but waste capacity when workloads don't peak at the same time. The aggregated meter amortizes that capacity across the opted-in EIPs. *** ## When to pick which The short version: * **One instance, small and predictable traffic?** Data Transfer. Cheap per GB, you pay only for what you use, and a monthly package keeps the price flat up to a point. * **One instance, steady and heavy traffic?** Flat Rate. You pay for the pipe you need and don't worry about the meter. * **50+ EIPs with peaks that don't line up?** Aggregated Burstable 95th. The aggregated 95th is almost always much lower than the sum of individual 95ths once the fleet is large enough. The detailed trade-offs — overage pricing and 95th exemption rules — are in the per-method pages and in [Comparison](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/08-comparison.md). *** ## In this guide | Page | What you'll learn | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [Network Types](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/02-network-types.md) | Premium BGP vs. Standard BGP — pick the line before the meter | | [Data Transfer](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/03-data-transfer.md) | Package sizes, overage behavior, and when per-GB billing beats per-Mbps billing | | [Flat Rate](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/04-flat-rate.md) | Pick a bandwidth cap in Mbps — that's what you pay for | | [Aggregated Burstable 95th](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/05-aggregated-95th.md) | Pooling all opted-in EIPs into one 95th meter, ideal at 50+ EIPs | | [Bandwidth Cap](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/07-bandwidth-cap.md) | The optional upper bound, the 10 Gbps default, and limit modes | | [Comparison](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/08-comparison.md) | All three methods side-by-side | | [EIP Line Split](/welcome/elastic-compute/networking/01-overview/09-eip-line-split.md) | Splitting one EIP's bandwidth between domestic and international lines | *** ## Terminology * **EIP** — Elastic IP. A public IPv4 (or IPv6) address you allocate and bind to a resource. Every EIP carries one billing method. * **Commitment** — the Mbps you promise to pay for every month, regardless of whether you use it. Applies only to 95th-percentile methods. * **Burstable 95th** — at the end of the month, bandwidth samples are sorted and the top 5% are discarded. You pay for the highest sample that remains (above the commitment). Short spikes don't inflate the bill. * **Bandwidth cap** — the upper bound on throughput. Shaping kicks in once you reach it.