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Pffft! Who cares about internet jargon, right?
Mbps meaning? Don’t you mean MBBS?
If you just felt secondhand embarrassment and want better internet in your life, you probably should begin by learning the difference between bandwidth vs latency.
Today’s broadband terminology guide will pave the way to your ideal internet plan and teach you to interpret internet lingo like a pro!
Internet Speed Terms Explained
In simple words, internet speed can be defined as the data transfer rate, i.e., how fast data can travel from the World Wide Web to your computer/mobile device and the other way around.
Internet speed is typically measured in megabits per second, or Mbps nowadays.
Mbps Meaning
In essence, a megabit is one million bits of information. The number of megabits that can travel over your internet connection in a second is the standard measure of your internet speed, and is represented as Mbps.
P.S. Previously, internet speed was measured in kilobits per second (Kbps) – 1 Mbps equals 1000 Kbps.
Download vs. Upload Speed
You may have noticed that most internet service providers (ISPs) focus on download speed rather than upload speed. This is due to the fact that most common online activities, such as streaming music/videos, loading websites, and downloading files, benefit from high download speeds.
Download speed is a measure of how fast data comes to you from a server on the internet, whereas upload speed is a measure of how fast you can send or upload data to an online server.
High upload speeds are favorable for real-time activities, such as multiplayer gaming and video conferencing. Moreover, it is crucial for content creators and remote workers who frequently share stuff online.
A fiber-optic connection can offer symmetrical internet, i.e. equally fast download and upload speeds.
Latency (aka Ping)
Even when the speeds are good, the connection can feel slow and patchy if the latency is high. Latency or ping, is the amount of time it takes data to travel from your device to a server and back. In other words, it is the time gap between request and response.
Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms); the lower it is, the smoother your online experience. A latency range between 0 - 40ms is considered ideal, and up to 100ms is reasonable. Lag becomes noticeable in real-time
What is Ping in Gaming Internet?
Ping in gaming can be described as the time it takes for an action to generate a response. For clarity, the delay between you pressing a key/button for your avatar to jump and seeing it play on screen is the ping.
applications when latency exceeds 100ms.
Bandwidth
When comparing internet plans, speed and bandwidth are often mistaken as the same thing, but technically, they’re not. Internet speed represents how fast you can download or upload data, whereas bandwidth is the total capacity or maximum quantity of data that can be transmitted over your network per unit time.
Networks with greater bandwidth can support a larger number of users and devices simultaneously. An internet connection with low or limited bandwidth is prone to network congestion during peak usage or internet rush hours.
Wi-Fi Signal Strength Meaning
Wi-Fi signal strength can be defined as the power and quality of wireless internet signals transmitted (by a router or Wi-Fi access point) and received (by a user’s device). It is measured in decibels (dBm), and the optimum range is between -50dBm to -60dBm.
Wi-Fi signal strength above -50dBm can deliver blazing fast speeds, whereas signal strength below -70dBm significantly slows down speeds. The further you move away from the Wi-Fi source, the weaker the signal strength.
Packet Loss & Jitter
Poor Wi-Fi signals or low-quality internet can lead to packet loss. This means that packets of data transferred over the internet are either missing or incomplete. High packet loss may result in disrupted video/audio, screen freeze, call drops, etc.
Jitter measures the stability of your internet connection and is measured in ms. It is the variation in latency or ping over a given time; jitter below 30ms is considered excellent. Too much fluctuation in ping can cause high jitter, which translates to game lags, video buffering, choppy audio, etc.
Wrapping Up
With all the internet speed terms explained and understood, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test.
Find out if your ISP is delivering quality internet and matching the speeds promised in your internet plan:
Run a FREE Speed Test NowIf the speed test results are shockingly bad, it might be time to upgrade your internet or switch to a better provider.
Glossary
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FAQs
What is bandwidth vs latency?
Bandwidth is the limit of data that can be transferred between two points, whereas latency is the time taken to transfer data from one point to another and back.
What is the difference between Mbps and MBps?
Mbps is sometimes confused with MBps. While Mbps is megabits per second, MBps is megabytes per second. One byte equals 8 bits, which means 1 Mbps is the equivalent of 0.125 MBps.
