What’s the Difference Between Bandwidth and Latency? An Internet Connectivity Expert Sheds Some Light
Everyone wants to be fast Family InternetBut this pursuit may be complicated, “”Internet speed“It may be a vague concept. Bandwidth and incubation period are the two key factors that affect our perception speed Internet connectionEssence But they are not the same thing. Understand what they are and the difference between them can help you solve the family Internet-whether you are in cable,,,,, fiber,,,,, DSL,,,,, 5G or satelliteEssence
This is the simple subdivision of network strategic director Mike Conlow CloudflareAn Internet infrastructure company: “Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that can be transmitted immediately. Delayed measurement data from the time required to get from the computer (usually to get the receipt to return to your computer).”
Conlow’s metaphors using cars and highways illustrates the concepts of bandwidth and latent periods. The bandwidth is the number of lanes (more lanes mean higher bandwidth), and delay is the time when the highway reaches the destination on the highway (faster travel time means lower latency).
Bandwidth explanation
Bandwidth is the maximum data that can be transmitted through the Internet within a certain time. This is expressing Big trual per second (MBPS) or GBPS (GBPS) per second. Assume you Shopping Internet And compare the plan of cable TV provider xfinityEssence You can choose from different layers of bandwidth. You may see the plan ranging from 150Mbps to 1,200Mbps. If I have many devices, large files, and Internet users with large files and harsh streaming media and game needs, I will be interested in higher bandwidth plans, such as 1,200Mbps options.
How do I figure out my bandwidth?
Check the detailed information of the Internet provider plan. Suppose you have Google fiber 1 performance core plan. Your potential bandwidth is 1,000Mbps (or 1Gbps), which is used to download and upload, because optical fiber usually provides symmetrical connections (that is, the same speed of downloading and uploading). If you have 5G Internet (Just like I am on the T-Mobile family Internet), Bandwidth becomes blurred. The bandwidth available in your home may fluctuate according to the strength of your wireless signal, the placement of equipment and network congestion.
Is the bandwidth equal?
When we talk about “speed”, we usually refer to the download and upload speed of advertising promotion in the Internet plan. However, when the family Internet is involved, you will hear the speed in various cases. CONLOW said: “When it actually refers to the width, the ‘speed’ does become very confused.”
Bandwidth is just a part of your Internet expression. More importantly, how your plan will serve you day by day. The higher bandwidth plan can be related to faster experience, but other factors also work-including the device you use, the delay of the Internet connection type and connection (more information).
Use the Internet speed test to understand what you are happening. Check the speed testing recommendation of CNETIncluding our best choice, OuklaEssence (OOKLA’s CNET, which is owned by the same parent company of Ziff Davis.) A good speed test will pass on data about your download speed, upload speed and delay. If you don’t reach the maximum speed of the plan, don’t be surprised. The actual speed may vary due to advertising speed Most Internet connections.
Do I need higher bandwidth or lower latency?
Delay is a neglected factor in the Internet performance. The time required for data movement has a great impact on your experience speed or slowing speed. This is especially the case for online game players who need to order quickly. If you want to save the world, then you don’t want to twist your thumb and wait for the final boss to load.
But for any Internet users, it is necessary to have a low incubation period. Conlow said: “This is a common misunderstanding. Only gamers need to care about the low -delayed Internet connection, and most users should have a high bandwidth connection.” CONLOW takes Netflix as an example. Netflix is ​​recommended to use 15Mbps to download the connection for streaming 4K videos. Mathematics, you need 67 people to watch 4K on their devices so that 1Gbps is saturated. Of course, many other devices in our families are competing for width. However, for most houses, this gigabit connection is still too killing.
Let’s insist on using 1Gbps connection. “At the same time, using the Internet to browse is just like what everyone does on the Internet. Academic research and Cloudflare’s own work shows that more than 25Mbps will not load any speed faster-the user has not benefited from the 1Gbps connection,” Conlow said. Essence In contrast, he emphasized how to help web pages load speed and provide a better overall experience. Looking for a low latency period? generally, The fiber Internet has a lower incubation period Compared with other connection types.
What about ping?
You may swap “ping” and “delay”, especially when you participate in the game community. These terms are related, but they are not exactly the same. Ping is a delay measurement, which is expressed in milliseconds (MS).
Don’t judge me based on my Internet speed test results.
You can tell you your ping rate for you to get the speed test of the internet connection snapshot. Find the results marked as “ping” or “delay” below the download and upload number. For example, I performed an OOKLA test on my laptop through Wi-Fi T-Mobile Family Internet Gateway. The test used the server with me in the same city. It gave me three ping numbers: 54ms (when the test was idle at the beginning of the test), 230ms (performed in the download test) and 621ms (while uploading the test).
When using the network, download and upload ping simulation conditions. If I am a gamer, I may shop for the new Internet provider. Ideally, I want Ping of 50ms or at least 100 mm. In fact, I sometimes notice that the website will slowly load or eat the video when I attend the ZOOM meeting. Are you a game player? Read these Reduce ping promptEssence
Keep in mind that speed test is a snapshot connected to the Internet connection with specific devices at a certain point point. You may see different results, specifically depending on the server, speed test connection to the server, the time of the day, and whether you connect through the wired or wireless network. Understand the difference between Wi-Fi and EthernetEssence
Bandwidth and delay: What can you control?
Bandwidth is often the easier to control. If so, you can upgrade your Internet plan. For example, I transferred from the 20Mbps DSL plan to the T-Mobile’s home Internet service, and sometimes I downloaded 100Mbps in the speed test. This is the obvious upgrade of my family. If the bandwidth is a sticky point, consider a higher bandwidth plan or Move to another ISPEssence
Conlow recommends that you upgrade your family Internet devices, whether you get equipment from ISP or provide your own equipment. He said: “Wi-Fi and other technologies in the latent period of management have improved significantly.” He also suggested that hard wire devices (such as television and desktop computers), which do not need to move around. He explained: “Wi-Fi itself may be the cause of the incubation period, and Hard Wildering will be a faster and more stable connection.” Finally, don’t avoid contacting your ISP. At the end of your ISP, there may be a solid problem or room for improvement.
Bandwidth and delayed common questions answers
Bandwidth is the amount of data that you can transmit within a given time, which is usually expressed as MBPS or Gbps. Just like lanes on highways. The higher the bandwidth, the more lanes you have. Therefore, the slow DSL plan is like sending data along the soil road, and the fast fiber plan is like sending data along the highway.
What is more important for bandwidth or delay?
it depends. Both are important. If you crawl with the outdated 3Mbps DSL, you will notice the lack of bandwidth. Similarly, if you have a house full of gamers and 4K video streaming media, you may need to find a higher bandwidth plan. The low incubation period is more important than having a huge bandwidth is the Internet experience that responds quickly (faster). In the ideal world, you will have a low incubation period and sufficient bandwidth to meet your online needs.
As artificial intelligence is integrated into the online experience, the search for delay is to play a greater role in the family Internet. “As we are getting closer to AI to become part of our daily life, whether it is text chat robots or you are performing oral dialogue with AI robots, the low lurking period is important.” Conlow said.
How does bandwidth affect delays?
Although the bandwidth is different and the incubation period, they will fall into the dance that affects your Internet performance. If your bandwidth is too small, you can cause congestion on the Internet, you may notice that the dance will slow down. Think about that highway, if there is only one lane and 50 cars who want to get on the same slope, what will happen. Effectively, your Internet will feel slow. Peeping these secrets to enhance your InternetEssence
