Question 1

What is the difference between bandwidth and throughput?

Accepted Answer

Bandwidth is the theoretical maximum data transfer rate of a connection (e.g., 1 Gbps fiber). Throughput is the actual data transferred over time under real-world conditions — always less than bandwidth due to protocol overhead, TCP congestion control, network latency, error correction, and infrastructure limitations. A 100 Mbps connection might achieve 90 Mbps throughput in ideal conditions. For planning, use 70-80% of rated bandwidth as realistic throughput.

Question 2

What is the difference between Mbps and MBps?

Accepted Answer

Mbps = megabits per second (lowercase 'b' = bits). MBps = megabytes per second (uppercase 'B' = bytes). Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 100 Mbps = 12.5 MBps. ISPs advertise in Mbps (100 Mbps sounds faster than 12.5 MBps). File sizes are measured in bytes (MB, GB). To convert ISP speed to file download speed: divide Mbps by 8 to get MBps. A 100 Mbps internet connection downloads a 100 MB file in about 8 seconds (100 MB ÷ 12.5 MBps = 8s).

Question 3

How do I calculate file transfer time?

Accepted Answer

Transfer time = File size (bits) ÷ Bandwidth (bits per second). Convert file size to bits by multiplying MB by 8,000,000 (using 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes for SI units). A 1 GB file over 100 Mbps: 1,000 MB × 8 = 8,000 Mb = 8,000,000,000 bits ÷ 100,000,000 bps = 80 seconds. For practical estimates, apply a 70-80% efficiency factor: 80s ÷ 0.75 ≈ 107 seconds. TCP slow start, protocol headers, and network congestion all reduce real throughput.

Question 4

What bandwidth do I need for video streaming?

Accepted Answer

Recommended bandwidth per stream: SD (480p) = 3-5 Mbps, HD (720p) = 5-8 Mbps, Full HD (1080p) = 10-15 Mbps, 4K HDR = 25-50 Mbps. Netflix recommends 15 Mbps for Full HD. For live streaming uploads: SD = 1-3 Mbps, HD = 3-6 Mbps, 4K = 15-25 Mbps. For video conferencing: standard = 1 Mbps, HD = 2.5 Mbps, 4K = 15 Mbps per participant. For a household with multiple simultaneous streams, add bandwidths and double for headroom.

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