computer speeds

[Little Ed]

Just ran a speed test on my computer and got .35Mbs download speed and .49Mbs upload. Now for a simple question. Would that convert to 350Kbs or 35Kbs? It"s taking about 15 minutes to download a 3 minute video. Starting to drive me crazy, because when we first signed up for this wireless system, downloads were almost instantaneous. I am thinking of going with a DSL. They are advertising 768Kbs upload for 19.95USD, about half what I am paying now. Should be a no brainer, but I keep thinking that I am missing something. Thanx

 

[old bc]

I just checked my DSL and these are the results.
Download Speed: 1534kbps
Upload Speed: 265kbps

I am paying for 1.5 so this is good.
I am also using a Gigabit router and network card.

 

[MarkB_MI]

OK, first thing is that networks speeds are generally given in BITS per second, but it's often more sensible to use BYTES per second. So you have to know whether you are talking Kbps (little "b" for bits) or KBps (big "B" for Bytes). Although there are only eight bits per byte, there's overhead with network speeds so 10 bits per byte is close enough. So 350 Kbps = 35 KBps.

Now when converting from Mega to Kilo, technically one should multiply by 1024, not 1000. That's because everything in the computer world is base 2, not base 10. But disk drives are notorious for using base 10 rather than base 2 when stating drives, so a 100 gigabyte drive isn't really a 100 gigabyte drive but is actually significantly smaller.

Anyway, my whole point is that the figures used to quote network speeds are fairly ambiguous at best. The 768 Kbps download speed is theoretical, not actual. If you're getting an actual throughput of 350 Mbps, that's probably not much worse than you'll see with DSL. But chances are you aren't getting that good of throughput most of the time.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 22:34:48 03/27/10) OK, first thing is that networks speeds are generally given in BITS per second, but it's often more sensible to use BYTES per second. So you have to know whether you are talking Kbps (little "b" for bits) or KBps (big "B" for Bytes). Although there are only eight bits per byte, there's overhead with network speeds so 10 bits per byte is close enough. So 350 Kbps = 35 KBps.

Now when converting from Mega to Kilo, technically one should multiply by 1024, not 1000. That's because everything in the computer world is base 2, not base 10. But disk drives are notorious for using base 10 rather than base 2 when stating drives, so a 100 gigabyte drive isn't really a 100 gigabyte drive but is actually significantly smaller.

Anyway, my whole point is that the figures used to quote network speeds are fairly ambiguous at best. The 768 Kbps download speed is theoretical, not actual. If you're getting an actual throughput of 350 Mbps, that's probably not much worse than you'll see with DSL. But chances are you aren't getting that good of throughput most of the time.

ummmmmmm? Where did you get that little tid-bit that the K to M multiplier ie 1024? Sounds like one of those times where someone with a little bit of info is dangerous, to me.

 

[bc]

Hello JMOR. Thats standard computer nomenclature. 8 bits to a byte. Back when I bought my first original ibm pc it had a 64 kb processor (8x8). Then it doubled to 128 kb. Then doubled to 256 kb. That doubled again to 512 kb. That doubles to 1024 kb which is rounded down and called just 1 meg. Same goes for memory chips. A computer with 1 gig of memory technically has 1024 mb. Two gig is 2048 mb. Right click on "my computer" and go to properties. It has your memory in real numbers.

 

[MarkB_MI]

JMOR, all math in computing is base 2, because computers only understand ones and zeros.

1 kilobyte = 2¹⁰ bytes =1,024₁₀ bytes

1 megabyte = 2²⁰ bytes = 1,048,576₁₀ bytes

1 gigabyte = 2³⁰ bytes = 1,073,741,824₁₀ bytes

 

[550Doug]

I use the Opera browser as my default, and when I do a download, the Opera downloader gives me real-time throughput speeds. 2 months ago when I was signed up on 768 Kbps DSL I was getting a max of 93 KBps when I downloaded OpenOffice (at 3AM in the morning). So even using a factor of 10, that means that I was paying for 768 Kbps and getting 930 Kbps as my maximum. But this quickly degraded when I chose to download at busier times of the day.
I have since upgraded my DSL by a factor of 4 to 3.0 Mbps and the maximum throughput I've observed so far is 366 KBps (or 3.6Mbps) but realistically my average speed is more like half that. Even so at these speeds, a YouTube video can still stream in too slow for continuous playing. It all depends on network traffic, time of day, and which side of the bed you got out of!!

Doug

 

[guido]

Hello Little Ed,
Try this site on the link below.
Your speed test does nto appear right.
Usually the upload speed is slower then the down loads speed. On a 768k DSL you can expect 700 to 725k download speed and 125k for the upload speed.
Here is the link.
Guido.
Speed Test

 

[David G]

I have wireless and it is about the same as what you are getting. You are correct the 1000K = 1M. I would do DSL anyday over wireless if it were available in rural Iowa.

 

[rbel]

So using your tester, I get 40.32 Mb/s down, and 43.56 Mb/s up is zat good or what?

 

[guido]

Hello rbel,
I want some of that speed! What kind of turbocharger are you using, and how much boost.
That is something i don't understsnd.
It is not my test, i just use the site.
For the tests i have done it all seemed normal.
Your speeds are astronomical? Maybe someone else can tell you whats going on.? Ask the site, they may tell you why the odd numbers.
Guido.

 

[rbel]

It is really quite simple, I am on a 100MB fiber link directly to my carrier, and your speed test server is also on my carriers local network.(This was from work, at home I pray for a connection)

 

[Howard H.]

Those speed "tests" are only part of the story.

The results only show the speed between you and the test server - so if it is a test server with your local service provider, you may show an artificially high speed while the internet at large is slow. If it is a test server out on the internet somewhere - it may be more realistic for "true" internet browsing.

Our local service provider for example, way oversubscribed too many customers to high speed - while THEIR own connection going to the Internet was woefully underpowered for the number of customers they signed up.

Its better now than it used to be, but it was a little like having freeway from your home to the local provider - while their connection aggregating all the "little" customers to the internet was one big giant traffic jam.

It might pay to ask some neighbors what luck they have with their DSL service.

My network at the university serves about 1200-1400 PCs & other devices. My traffic patterns are very busy during business hours and a lot lighter at night.

The local ISP is just almost the opposite. Their network is loaded lighter during the day while everyone is at work and school - but from about 4:00PM til midnight or so, everyone comes home and wants to play on the internet, so that is their heaviest load periods.



Howard

 

[guido]

Hello rbel,
I still want some of that speed! its one of those things that i don't need but i want.!!!
Thanks for pulling my Leg, i shall return the favor someday when you least expect it.
You are now warned officially........Ha! ha! Ha!.
Guido.