| | | | In relation to computers, an expression of the data transfer rate between two points within a given time either within the buses and components of the machine itself or relating to external connections to a network. Typically shown "per second" (as opposed to it's use when referring for example to analogue television broadcasts, where it denotes the range of frequencies used in the transmission - usually in Hertz (Hz) or Megahertz (MHz)). Normally the rate is expressed in bps (bits per second) or sometimes as Bps (bytes per second). As an example, a modem working at 28,800bps has half the bandwidth of one working at 57,600bps (shown as 56Kbps). Broadband internet connections are much faster, transferring data at typically up to 8Mbps (megabits per second) or more. Bandwidth is also sometimes used to denote the total amount of data moved across a connection, for example in the case of a broadband internet service provider (ISP) where there may be a cap on the amount of data transferred per month, or possibly a charge for going over that tariff amount. Of course, any connection is only fast as it's weakest link and in any system there will be bottlenecks - whether it is an internet connection or one of the buses in a PC, the rate of transfer is frequently less than optimal due to one part of the pathway being slower than the rest. Examples of the different speeds include : Dial-Up Modem - 9.6, 14.4, 28.8, 33.6, 56Kbps, DSL Broadband - 144Kbps to 52Mbps (not common!), Fast Ethernet - 10Mbps/100Mbps, Gigabit Ethernet - 1000Mbps and 10 Gigabit Ethernet - 10,000Mbps. | | | |
|
