Bandwidth

measurementessential
speedcapacitynetwork performance

The maximum rate of data transfer across a given path in a network, measured in bits per second (bps). Think of it as the width of a highway - the wider it is, the more data can flow simultaneously.

Examples

Home internet plan

A 100 Mbps bandwidth plan allows theoretical maximum transfer of 100 megabits per second

Video streaming

Netflix 4K streaming requires about 25 Mbps bandwidth per stream

Typical Values

Basic web browsing5-10 Mbps
HD video streaming25 Mbps
4K video streaming50-100 Mbps
Large file transfers100+ Mbps

Common Misconceptions

  • Bandwidth and speed are not the same - bandwidth is capacity, speed is how fast data actually travels
  • Higher bandwidth doesn't always mean faster loading times if latency is high

Optimization Tips

Upgrade your internet plan for more bandwidth

high impact

Use QoS to allocate bandwidth to priority devices

medium impact

Limit the number of concurrent connections

medium impact

User Impact

Multiple device usage

Limited bandwidth gets divided among all connected devices

Peak hours usage

Available bandwidth may be reduced due to network congestion