Understanding Bandwidth vs. Latency
Your internet connection is slow, and you don’t know why; have you ever heard of bandwidth and latency? If not, keep reading and get to know the meaning of those terms. They are quite often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to two separate concepts. How are they different?
Bandwidth explained
Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that your internet service provider can transfer from one point to another. The two components of bandwidth are download speed and upload speed, which are measured in megabits per second. Bandwidth is crucial when you need to move large files or replicate data. The higher the bandwidth, the better.
What is latency?
Latency describes the time a signal takes to travel to its destination and back. It’s dependent on the physical distance that data must travel through cords, networks and the like to reach its destination.
Most people focus on bandwidth as the main reason for poor network user experience, but actually latency should be blamed too. It does not matter how much traffic you can move if it doesn’t arrive precisely when it's needed.
How do bandwidth and latency affect the user experience?
When it comes to gaming, most online games do not require a very fast internet connection, so the impact of bandwidth is fairly minimal here. Latency is vital to a good experience when gaming online, though —especially in fast-paced games. High latency may cause significant delays in action. Bandwidth tends to be the major factor in video and audio streaming. Low bandwidth means longer buffering time and bad video quality. Bandwidth and latency impact also video chatting and browsing.
How to improve your internet connection
If you think your network is not performing optimally due to low bandwidth or high latency, you might want to investigate a bit. First, check your router and sure your settings are not creating bottlenecks. Running multiple speed tests may help you identify the problem. You should compare the results to what your plan advertises. If it doesn’t help, and you are still concerned about your connection speed, try these other tips before you consider switching plans or changing your internet provider.
