What internet speed

[bradleyy]

When I click on my internet connection it says my speed is 1.1Mbps what does that mean? Would it be worth me upgrading? What speed are you all on?

[mattfox]

That's the speed at which information comes down your phoneline to your computer. The bigger the number, the faster your connection.

As for upgrading, it really depends what you use the internet for. If you download a lot (music, video clips, program demos etc) then you might want to consider upgrading. If all you're doing is checking some emails, reading the news, researching on text-based websites, then a 1Mb connection is really more than enough.

[tomd]

1Mbps is a fairly fast broadband connection, definately adequate for web browsing, downloading and streaming video. I would have thought the only home application that might need a faster connection would be running 3D multi-player internet games on your computer.

My connection speed is currently at around 0.8Mbps, but I pay for a 2Mbps service. Where I work the internet is rubbish, around 20Kbps. (There are around 1000 Ks to an M.)

[ugly_bob]

My home one is no longer at the moment. Was on 2.3Mbps, but unreliable, waiting for new connection - this week hopefully.
At work, was 2Mbps, BT just upgraded us to 8Mbps, but speed test has it running around 3Mbps, although that may be a limit imposed by some hardware in the office - My PC goes through a couple of hubs before it gets it's hands on the outside line

[Chappers]

Ooooh goody! I get to explain something first for once!

1.1mbps as you may have gathered is fairly quick...here's the techy bit:

Mbps means mega BITS per second, there are 8 BITS in a byte. So you divide your speed by 8 and you get your maximum upload speed (there is always some variation)

56k dial up connection = 7kps upload speed
128k isdn connection = 16kps upload speed
512k broadband = 64kps
1.1mb (1,100k) = 137.5kps
2.2mb (2,200k) = 275kps

And that goes on and on right up to the maximum that seems to be regularily available in this country which is 8mb and if you are lucky enough to have that you can download a speeds of up to 1000kb, or 1mb per second!!

To put that into some kind of context, you can get just over 1mb onto a floppy disk, it also works out at about 1mb per minute of MP3 audio.

I'm on 2.2mbps at the moment but am patiently waiting for my upgrade to 8mbps, you will find that the speed will generally be dictated by the speed of the website that you are connected to. The only times I ever max out my connection is when downloading from good websites, microsoft, symantec (norton) that sort of thing or indeed, dare I say it...peer to peer websites :-S

[ugly_bob]

chappers - upload speeds aren't related like that.
You'l find that most standard ADSL connections have a 256Kbps upload speed regardless of their download speed.

Also, 8Mbps = 1MB/s - sorry, just being pedantic with notation there

[Chappers]

Oh sorry! I can't believe I wrote that! I didn't mean upload speed, I meant DOWNLOAD speed!

And yes...you are being pedantic with notation, but that's ok! ;-)

[qapmoc]

I would have thought that the question of ''should I upgrade'' is easily answered by asking yourself if your internet experience is causing you frustration with waiting for things to happen, if you are happy with the speed you have don't get into the ''his is faster than mine'' sydrome just for the sake of it.

On that type of subject I did see somewhere that some millionare is getting a yacht specially made at 45.5 feet long because someone he knows owns one which is ''only'' 45 feet long!!! nice to be rich and stupid isn't it?