How to manage many downloads?

I am going to open a site soon offering a free program which I expect will be very popular. I erxpect hundreds of downloads per week. How would I manage this? With a dedicated server? With an "unmetered" server? Or are there any places where I can host the download and maybe pay a fee?

 

You could use bittorent.

 

No, nothing like that, I want to have a website offering the file for download

 

I host my downloads directly from my own server, 30GB of traffic a month. You could try a dedicated file download service like http://www.filekicker.com/

 

If you want performance:

http://www.mediatemple.net/

 

The best thing to do is to submit it to download.com. They have a free listing option now (used to be $75, stil a good deal). They wil host it for you, then you link to the download page. Most software are distrubuted this way.
Almost 90% of all my downloads come from download.com

 

That is a great idea!

 

I know from a visitor standpoint that I trust stuff a bit more when it goes through there. Not sure if they do any checks or have a TOS but that percieved safety may boost your downloads too.

 

Just make sure get a couple of 'favourable' reviews first - If you get a few bad reviews early it can cut the number of downloads.

 

I use these guys too, cnet owns them. The program I have through them is over 110MB abd I have about 20 downloads per day.