Bandwidth Explained

The term Bandwidth refers to how much data is sent (uploaded) and retrieved (downloaded) from one source to another through the internet. Bandwidth is a term commonly used by both Internet Service Providers (ISP), and Website Hosting Providers to track and limit the data that is transferred using their services.


Data transfer over your Internet connection is measured at bits per second. One kilobit per second, or kbps, is a unit of data transfer rate equal to 1000 bits per second, or 125 bytes per second. One megabit per second, or Mbps, is equal to one million bits per second, or 125000 bytes per second. The higher the number of your download and upload speeds, the faster your data will transfer across the network.

The uploading of files is typically slower than downloading files. This is because most Internet connections are designed to provide much better speed for downloading than uploading. Most users spend more time downloading (which includes viewing web pages or multimedia files) than they do uploading and ISPs have designed their systems to give priority to downloading.

Your upload and download speeds will not match the maximum advertised speed of your connection. It's normal to only get 80-90% of the advertised maximum, and in the small print of your service provider's terms you'll find that they only promise "up to" the advertised speed, not that you will always get that speed. This happens for several reasons. First, your connection may be shared with other people in your building or neighborhood, so if a lot of other people are using the Internet you may experience a slowdown. Second, servers may be busy uploading and downloading files for many different users, so they are unable to provide the maximum possible speed for your files. Finally, other network activity on your computer may slow down your transfer, since it must all share the same connection.

When evaluating options for ISPs, choose one that offers the appropriate amount of bandwidth for your needs, along with good service and support for a reasonable cost. Plans can be compared by the monthly bandwidth included and the download and upload speeds.
Bandwidth prices have been gradually dropping over the last few years and capacity is constantly increasing as consumers demand more bandwidth. As cloud services/data centres become more common place, the need for more bandwidth will also continue to grow.

 

- Janet F, IT Consultant

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca