Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted through an internet provider during a certain period of time.
It is related to the capacity of the communication link of a network to carry data from one node to another, and not to the speed of that data transfer as it may seem; for that, you have to take into account latency.
Networks with higher bandwidth like Unifi package can transfer a greater number of data packets than those with lower bandwidth. Imagine data transfer as water flowing through a pipe, if the pipe is wider, it can carry more water.
Although bandwidth does not influence the speed at which data packets travel from node to node, low-capacity bandwidth can create a bottleneck in the network, resulting in slow and slow applications. slow navigation speed for the end-user.
For example, low bandwidth could quickly display a basic web page, consisting of only text, but would have difficulty loading large data packets at once, such as supporting an online video game or displaying high-resolution video. This leads to increased latency, making the internet connection too slow, with consequent problems showing what is happening in real-time.
How do you measure bandwidth?
Bandwidth is measured in millions (Megabits, Mbps) or billions (Gigabits, Gbps) of bits per second. The bandwidth calculation is normally done by evaluating the time it takes for a file to leave its source node and reach its destination in its entirety.
The average speed of broadband in Europe is currently 46.2 Mbps, which means that in this type of connection, 46.2 million bits can travel along the network line every second. Since capacity refers to the amount of data being transferred rather than speed, multiple users in a household may put too much demand on a network that is not capable of delivering enough data packets to everyone. For businesses, it is important to assess how much bandwidth you will need to run your day-to-day operations. This not only involves calculating how many employees will be accessing the network at the same time but also taking into account the bandwidth requirements for whatever application they will be using. You should learn about this even when you work in banking and finance.