Website bandwidth

Do images that are linked from another website cost the site where they are viewed, bandwidth?

I'm talking about a message board where pictures are allowed to be posted through url links.

We have exceeded our bandwidth limitation from the server and are trying to find a solution.

 

I'm sorta confused...but if I would post a picture that is located on say, www.cnn.com, none of this forum's bandwidth would be used, other than the url that I post. The picture itself is on cnn's servers, so their bandwidth is used, not TGS'.

 

I thought that would be the case. Thanks.

 

That's called hotlinking and is not good netiquette in most cases.
Most website owners don't appreciate it because it is, in effect, stealing their bandwidth.

 

I try to only post pictures from my website or ones where I have permission.

 

thats right - the account on the server where the picture is comming from will be charged for the bandwidth

lots of our clients dont realise how much bandwidth one or two pictures on a popular site can use