Upload/download speeds... what are they?

sudzs

I know, I know, probably a very basic question... but I have the dreaded Clearwire affliction and am just recently checking my speeds. (with the view to getting out of my contract!)

Please can someone explain to me what upload and download speed means?

kaizersoze

Your download speed is the speed at which you receive files (webpages, images, music, etc) from the internet to your PC.
Upload speed is the speed you can send files from your PC to websites and other people (typically sending emails for the average user).
Is that the basic answer you are looking for or is it too basic?
You can check your speeds at www.irishisptest.ie/myspeed

watty

It's a bit confusing when you add in contention(Slower when other people on line) and protocol overhead (makes your real spead slower), inline compression (makes your real spead faster) and Bytes versus bits (800kbps = 80kBps and packet loss (makes it overall slower).

Also some kinds of traffic are deliberately made slower by some ISPs, other ISPs make certain traffic work "better" (i.e. VIOP = phone calls via Internet).

Some systems upload and download are independant. Some wireless systems upload or download will reduce speed of simultanous updload/download.

www.irishisptest.ie/myspeed tests each direction separately in a specific fashion. It is an indication, not the whole picture.

adox

Hope its alright to tag this onto this thread.Ive been checking my speeds for the last week and the download speed is consistently reaing 1.29Mbps even though Im on a 3Mb service.

I thought initially that maybe I had somehow been changed to a lower package by mistake,but checking my upload speed it reads 323 kbps which is fine and which wouldnt be so high on any of the other BT packages.

Anyone got any ideas or having a similar problem?

sudzs

kaizersoze wrote:

Your download speed is the speed at which you receive files (webpages, images, music, etc) from the internet to your PC.
Upload speed is the speed you can send files from your PC to websites and other people (typically sending emails for the average user).
Is that the basic answer you are looking for or is it too basic?
You can check your speeds at www.irishisptest.ie/myspeed

Not too basic at all! Thanks... I'd an idea what they were but just had them mixed up!

Anyway thanks all for the replies. I have been using the www.irishisptest.com site.

Download speed is around 490 kbps, lowest ever was 107.
Upload speed is around 134 though has been as low as 93.

Is that terrible???

Liam Byrne

800kbps = 80kBps

Isn't 800kbps = 100kBps, or are you including error-check/parity bits or whatever ?

kaizersoze

adox wrote:

Hope its alright to tag this onto this thread.Ive been checking my speeds for the last week and the download speed is consistently reaing 1.29Mbps even though Im on a 3Mb service.

I thought initially that maybe I had somehow been changed to a lower package by mistake,but checking my upload speed it reads 323 kbps which is fine and which wouldnt be so high on any of the other BT packages.

Anyone got any ideas or having a similar problem?

Did you log onto your modem to check what speed it's actually syncing at?
It may be your line isn't able for the full 3 meg speed or there could be something connected to the phone line causing interferance.
Could also be a faulty filter.

watty

Liam Byrne wrote:

Isn't 800kbps = 100kBps, or are you including error-check/parity bits or whatever ?

Yes. for real bits that make up a byte.
However dividing by 10 is more realistic for stored PC data versus raw line bit rate, probably what I was thinking of. In fact the overhead can be higher for things like VOIP and lower (negative) due to streaming compression for HTML, Text, program files etc.

adox

kaizersoze wrote:

Did you log onto your modem to check what speed it's actually syncing at?
It may be your line isn't able for the full 3 meg speed or there could be something connected to the phone line causing interferance.
Could also be a faulty filter.

I cant remember my password:(

Ive had proper speeds for the 3 meg before so the line should be fine.
I have a spare filter lying around so I'll change that and see if it makes any difference.

I recently changed from a windows based laptop to an imac so I dont know if that would have anything to do with it.

adox

I got it sorted.
I was using another splitter at the phone point for when I got Sky+ installed and had never bothered to disconnect the phone line again.

Anyway I disconnected it and my speeds back up to 2.6 - 2.7 mark.:)


Silly me.:o