Connection speed vs download speed

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by whicky1978, Jul 13, 2007.

  1. whicky1978

    whicky1978 Staff Sergeant

    Correct me if I am wrong, but connection speed and download speed are the same, the difference is how they are measured, and connection speed is theoretical while download speed is hypothetical.

    1)Connection speed is usually measured in bits, while downloads are measured in bytes 8 bits = 1 byte (usually), and a kilobyte is 1024 bytes or rounded 1000 bytes. So a 56 kilobit dialup connection speed is only 7 kilobytes. 56 divied 8 equals 7. When I was on dialup, I connected at 28.8 kilobits per second, and I averaged about 3-4 kilobytes per download.

    With my current cable broadband (new), I could theoreticaly connect at 10 million bits per second, which equals 1250 kilobyte download speed, I have come close to this speed on internet speed test, with the lowest being 800 kilobyte download on a test. With the old 5mbs connections speed, I would get half this speed.

    In reality download speed is slower because of "overhead", speed is lost to other factors such as "hand-shaking". Cable slows down when there are lots of users online also.

    If my information and math is correct, then I getting close to my actual connections speed with my wifi b connection, and down't need to upgrade to wireless G or N?????

    BTW, how come cable and DSL are getting faster?
     
  2. cat5e

    cat5e MajorGeek

  3. UKARMYCADET

    UKARMYCADET Corporal

    Its because of competition with other ISP's also its all about hardware. we can easily access up 10 gigabits a second. but if 500 people are sharing that 10 gigabits it is not a lot. As time goes on faster and faster servers routers etc are becoming avalible cheap enough.

    In theory if money wasn't a object, we could all get fibre to the home witch is 16000 Mb/s

    So we are just waiting for price drops basically.
     
  4. cat5e

    cat5e MajorGeek

    The faster DSL is not cable, it is based on fiber optics.

    It going to take few years until big parts of the current "copper" system is going to be upgraded to Fiber Optics.
     
  5. whicky1978

    whicky1978 Staff Sergeant

    So, I take it that charter and other companies actually limit your speed. And if I have the fastest tier, then I get a greater portion of the server then someon with a slower tier?
     
  6. goldfinger7476

    goldfinger7476 Private E-2


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