Bandwidth

What Is It?

Bandwidth is the amount of information you receive each second, while speed refers to how quickly that information is received or downloaded. Let’s compare it to filling a bathtub: If the faucet has a wide opening, more water can flow at a faster rate than if the faucet were narrower. Think of the water as bandwidth and the rate at which it flows as speed.

In other words, it refers to the maximum capacity and the amount of data that can be transmitted through a connection (such as the internet) at a given moment. It’s important to understand that network bandwidth is essential for ensuring the quality and speed of the connection.

Bandwidth is measured in bit/s or in its multiples such as k/bits or m/bits per second. Always ensure you have the highest bandwidth possible to achieve better and faster data transfer.

For virtual servers, the bandwidth used by VPS cloud exceeds 20 Mbps. In contrast, the average mobile broadband speed in Latin America reached 24.1 Mbps in the fourth quarter of 2020. If we compare that to the global average, which was 43.9 Mbps in the same period, no country in the region even comes close.

How does it work?

Bandwidth denotes the transmission capacity of a connection and is a crucial factor when determining the quality and speed of a network, which is especially important for any VPS cloud service.

There are various ways to measure bandwidth. Some methods calculate the flow of data at a given moment, while others measure the maximum flow, typical flow, or what is considered an optimal flow.

Bandwidth is also a key concept in other technological areas. For instance, in signal processing, it’s used to describe the difference between the upper and lower frequencies in a transmission, such as a radio signal, and is typically measured in hertz (Hz).

Going back to the previous example, bandwidth can be compared to water flowing through a pipe. Bandwidth would be the speed at which the water (data) travels through the pipe (connection) under various circumstances. Instead of bits per second, we could measure it in liters per minute. The amount of water that could potentially flow through the pipe represents the maximum bandwidth, while the amount of water flowing at any given moment represents the current bandwidth.

How to express bandwidth?

Remember that the bandwidth allocated to VPS cloud is approximately 24.1 Mbps with unlimited transfer? Originally, bandwidth was measured in bits per second and expressed as bps. However, nowadays, networks usually have much higher bandwidth, making it impractical to express them using such small units. Today, larger numbers are commonly seen, denoted with metric prefixes like Mbps (megabits per second), Gbps (gigabits per second), or Tbps (terabits per second).

• K = kilo = 1,000 bits
• M = mega = 1,000 kilo = 1,000,000 bits
• G = giga = 1,000 mega = 1,000,000,000 bits
• T = tera = 1,000 giga = 1,000,000,000,000 bits

After terabit, we have petabit, exabit, zettabit, and yottabit, each representing an additional power of 10.

Bandwidth can also be expressed in bytes per second, generally denoted with an uppercase B. For example, 10 megabytes per second would be expressed as 10 MB/s or 10 MBps. One byte equals eight bits. Thus, 10 MB/s = 80 Mb/s.

The same prefixes can be used for both bytes and bits. Therefore, 1 TB/s means one terabyte per second.

Why measure bandwidth?

There are several reasons to measure bandwidth. A low usable bandwidth compared to the theoretical maximum can indicate network issues, especially if there are significantly different usable bandwidths from different parts of a network that are designed to operate similarly.

Moreover, measuring bandwidth is necessary to ensure that paid connections fulfill their promises. Users can run a speed test to measure bandwidth online and verify they are receiving the appropriate service. Doing this is essential to ensure the optimal performance of your VPS cloud.

Why is it important to understand bandwidth?

It’s easy to dismiss bandwidth as a technical term that doesn’t really apply to you unless you're interested in tech products or setting up internet hardware. However, learning what bandwidth means and how it applies to your network can help you adjust your setup to get a faster internet connection when needed.

You may become curious about bandwidth if your internet connection suddenly becomes slower than usual. You might wonder if you should purchase more bandwidth or if you aren’t getting what you’re paying for to ensure an excellent VPS cloud service.

Remember that with WIN Internet, you get at least 70% of the contracted speed, and the internet is symmetrical, allowing multiple devices to connect simultaneously.

What is bandwidth in computing?

In computing terms, bandwidth is essentially the amount of data we can send and receive within a communication per unit of time. We can consume a range of resources or data expressed in bits and their various multiples, so bandwidth can be understood as the range for transferring data or the data transfer rate.

Thus, bandwidth can be measured in bits per second, bps, or b/s. Of course, this unit is relatively small, and from a networking perspective, we typically use kilobits (Kb/s), megabits (Mb/s), and increasingly gigabits (Gb/s).

Bandwidth can also be referred to as digital bandwidth, network bandwidth, or available bandwidth; all of these terms mean the same thing, and they always involve bits being transmitted. If I can send 100 megabits of data per second in a connection between two computers, for example, it means I have a bandwidth of 100 Mb/s or Mbps, which is ideal for VPS cloud support.

What is Wi-Fi bandwidth?

When we refer to the bandwidth consumed on our network, it means the average amount of data that has been successfully transmitted during a communication. This is also known as throughput or goodput.

Earlier, we mentioned bandwidth in terms of a wave, which was measured in Hz. This now becomes important from a Wi-Fi network perspective because Wi-Fi works via waves transmitted through the air.

At this point, we can differentiate between the two frequencies at which a Wi-Fi network typically operates: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The higher the GHz, the closer the peaks of the transmission wave are, or the faster a period completes. Additionally, the 5 GHz frequency has a greater bandwidth since the waves are “closer together,” allowing more information to be carried within them.

It’s essential to understand your bandwidth and its type to provide your company with optimal working conditions, streamline processes, and achieve better results. Do you know another way to streamline processes? By using a VPS cloud, a virtual private server, to take your company to the next technological level.