[ubuntu-uk] Another broadband related q? Sorry!

[Robert McWilliam]

On Thu, 1 Nov 2007 09:53:29 +0000
STONE COLD <javad_ayaz at hotmail.com> wrote:
> So im getting regular speeds of 50kbs if im torrenting something....i
> have a 2mb line with virgin!!!If not what should it be? 
>  
> Am i getting the full capacity?
> how much is 2mb in kbs?

2 Mb/s is 2 Mega bits per second = 2 * 1000 kilo bits per second [1]

Normally when software reports transfer speeds it uses kilo (or if your
doing well, mega) *bytes* per second. A byte being 8 bits you multiply
this number by 8 to get the corresponding bits per second:

50 kB/s = 50*8 kb/s
	= 400 kb/s  [2]

That is possibly a measure of the useful data that the app is getting,
so ignores the overhead of the packet headers etc. These should be
fairly small compared to the useful data though. Apps will often use a
1024 kilo (which should really be Ki rather than k, but I've yet to
actually see that used...) as well so once turning it to the 1000 kilo
used for the line speed the number gets a bit bigger.


	Robert

[1] or sometimes 1024 depending on who you ask, I think 1000 is the
normal one for comms lines, and it's an easier number to work with for
explanations so I'm sticking to it :)

[2] Usually a B means byte and a b means bit but that convention is
broken often enough that you can't really rely on it.

________________________________________________________
Robert McWilliam     rmcw at allmail.net    www.ormiret.com

Cynicism is an unpleasant way of speaking the truth.