“Bandwidth” gets thrown around a lot in conversations about Internet- and hosting-related things, but what exactly is bandwidth? Well, bandwidth refers to the amount of digital information that a network can transfer within a given time frame.
To visualize the concept, bandwidth is being transmitted as a road and data is being transmitted as vehicles moving at the same speed. If the road has more lanes, or if your bandwidth capacity is greater, it can accommodate more cars or a path of data. Otherwise, cars or data may get stuck and congestion may occur.
The purpose of bandwidth is to allow data transmission over the Internet and various networks, preferably at medium or high capacity. Read on to learn more about bandwidth and its types.
understanding bandwidth
To further understand the concept, you must know how it is measured and how it affects some users.
measurement, calculation and allocation
Bandwidth is usually measured in terms of Gbps (billion bits per second) or Mbps (megabits per second). The higher the value, the faster the bandwidth.
Any modern device – including a smartphone – can measure bandwidth by accessing special websites designed for that purpose. These websites calculate bandwidth by sending data through the connection and waiting for that data to be sent back.
Bandwidth is a finite resource that is automatically allocated based on traffic load and interference. However, it is possible to allocate it manually among your home devices. There are hardware and software solutions available that can distribute bandwidth and create traffic priorities.
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Importance for web hosting users
Bandwidth is important for all internet users, especially those related to web hosting. More visitors can flow in and out of your website if you have a higher bandwidth allocation. This increases your ability to manage internet traffic and increases your chance to rank well in search listings.
Conversely, having less bandwidth will cause your website to struggle as more people try to log in. This results in long loading times and occasional pauses. This is not good for web hosting users as the users have lower waiting times. Nearly 70% of Internet consumers are less likely to continue interacting with a website that is slow to respond.
Type of bandwidth
There are different types of bandwidth, with dedicated and shared bandwidth being particularly important:
Dedicated bandwidth
A dedicated bandwidth is one that only you, the customer, can access and use for your website needs. This is a completely personal allocation set by your provider. Since you don’t share your bandwidth with others, you get a more reliable and stable connection. This type is ideal for people or businesses that do time-sensitive or critical work.
Shared bandwidth
In contrast, shared bandwidth is divided between different devices, Internet users, or websites. It is cheaper than dedicated bandwidth. However, there is always a risk of Internet speed being compromised when many users connect to a site at once. Since data congestion can occur in shared bandwidth, it is recommended for most websites and setups that can deal with delays.
Conclusion on what is bandwidth
From the importance of bandwidth to web host users to its types, there’s a lot to know about this key Internet concept.
