Bandwidth is used to understand the quality and speed of your network connection by measuring the data transfer rate, usually in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps).

This is not to be confused with internet or WiFi speed, which is how fast data can be uploaded or downloaded on your computer. The higher your bandwidth is, the faster your internet will be, but they are not the same — and it’s important to understand the difference.

In this guide to bandwidth, we’ll cover:

• What is bandwidth?

• What factors affect network bandwidth?

• How to plan bandwidth

What is bandwidth?

Bandwidth is a measurement of how many bits, kilobits, megabits or gigabits can be transmitted from your device per second. It’s essentially the rate of data transfer over your network.

It can be easier to describe what bandwidth is not. It is not:

• Internet speed — this is the upload/download speed in Mbps between your device and the internet.

• Throughput — similar to internet speed, throughput is the total amount of data transferred over a network connection, divided by the time taken for the transfer.

• Latency — this is the time it takes for the data to be transferred from one point on the network to the next. It’s closely related to load time, as the higher your latency, the more load time you’ll have.

Your broadband has a maximum amount of bandwidth, which acts as the technical measure of your connection’s capacity. Community Fibre uses future-proof full fibre technology to offer high bandwidth availability with as little variation in quality as possible. 

How is network bandwidth measured?

Bandwidth is measured in bits per second, but is typically measured in Mbps or Gbps depending on the amount of data you’re sending or receiving. Your broadband speed determines the maximum amount of data your bandwidth will allow. For example, if your broadband offers a bandwidth of 100 Mbps and the video you want to stream requires more bandwidth than this, then your speed will slow down to process the larger request. This can result in long buffering times, especially for video streaming and gaming.

You can check your broadband speed using several online tools, which can help you understand its quality.

Bandwidth vs speed

Broadband speed refers to the rate at which you can transmit data, and like bandwidth it is measured in Mbps, Gbps, or simply bits per second. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted at any given time.

Your speed and bandwidth can be impacted by how many people and devices are using the same network. A few factors can be the difference between the fastest broadband speeds, and slow, restrictive speeds:

• Effectively positioning your router within your home to allow your devices to get the best signal.

• Turning off or disconnecting other devices — this will mean your bandwidth is less fragmented and more ‘focused’ on your device.

• Choosing the right provider and plan — not all broadband providers will be suited to your needs, so it’s important to understand the broadband package you’re signing up for in advance.

• Type of broadband — older, copper connections are not able to deliver the fast speeds offered by full fibre technology.

Bandwidth vs throughput

Put simply, a high throughput means high efficiency for your broadband connection. You’ll be able to quickly transmit large amounts of data across your network with a high throughput. However, it can be confused with bandwidth as it is also measured in bits per second.

If bandwidth were comparable to a motorway, throughput would be the measurement of the number of cars (data) travelling on that motorway, factoring in network conditions like congestion or latency. It is possible to have a high bandwidth but low throughput due to issues like high traffic or hardware problems.

Bandwidth vs latency

Latency, also known as ‘ping rate’ is a measurement of the time it takes for data to travel from one location to another. As such, it is measured in fractions of seconds, rather than any bits per second standard, which sets it apart from bandwidth.

What factors affect network bandwidth?

Different networks have different capacities, but often the experience you receive depends on more than just the network your provider uses. For example:

Type of connection 

A full fibre connection is the best way to see a consistent broadband connection, as these are least likely to be affected by adverse weather conditions, and are less prone to congestion. Unlike older, copper-based networks, full fibre cables are able to transmit data at the speed of light.

As a result, many people have begun prioritising a full fibre broadband connection. Recent industry guidelines also mean that in the near future, all broadband connections will offer full fibre.

Latency

We know that latency relates to the amount of time it takes for data to transmit along a network, but this also affects your network bandwidth. Latency can never be completely omitted from your broadband experience, but it is best to have a low latency. This is because lower latency means less time spent loading pages and buffering videos, and more time enjoying your online experience.

However, If you have high latency, you’ll suffer from longer load times, which is always frustrating. While 50-100ms might be sufficient for slower-paced games that don’t require lightning-fast reflexes, you might still experience some delays. Between 20-40ms is ideal for lag-free online gameplay.

There are a few at-home ways to improve latency, such as:

• Moving closer to your router.

• Updating your device and/or router.

• Checking for issues with your internet provider.

Number of connected devices

Put simply, every device you connect will ‘consume’ a little bit of bandwidth. If everyone on your home network is video calling, streaming, or sharing posts on social media, this can mean everyone gets a slightly smaller ‘piece’ of the bandwidth. In turn, this results in slower traffic, higher latency, and lower speeds.

Bandwidth ‘hogs’

A bandwidth ‘hog’ could be as simple as an app or device using a large portion of your bandwidth. This can be almost anything, from a large app to uploading or downloading large files, or even streaming live videos.

Their presence can compound issues with bandwidth by increasing latency. As such, it’s important to be aware of when or if you are performing an online activity that could take up a lot of bandwidth.

Especially if you or multiple members of your household work from home, it’s important to prioritise your ‘hog’ time accordingly. For instance, try to avoid taking meetings at the same time, or if one of you is streaming a 4k movie, the other should avoid high-intensity activities that could lower the bandwidth for the other person.

How to plan bandwidth

Having a high-speed broadband package can help minimise bandwidth-related issues. However, it’s always good to have a plan B if the bandwidth is compromised. This may happen during evenings, weekends, or holidays, as many people find themselves at home or with plenty of free time to dedicate to their favourite online activities, like live streaming, gaming, or video calling.

There are several ways you can plan for low-bandwidth periods:

• Schedule any big updates outside of peak hours (this can even be overnight while you sleep).

• Limit non-essential traffic during peak times and close tabs when you’re not using them.

• Use an online speed checker to understand what is normal for your connection and recognise dips in performance.

How to monitor and increase bandwidth

If speed tools tell you your connection is consistently slow, you may need to improve your network bandwidth. Luckily, there are several ways to do this:

• Rebooting or moving your router.

• Updating your device, browser or router.

• Scanning and fixing any computer viruses.

• Switching to a full fibre broadband connection — or a different provider offering a connection with a higher speed.

Boost your bandwidth with Community Fibre

Community Fibre offers broadband packages with average upload/download speeds that range from 350 Mbps to 3,000 Mbps. This is more than likely to be enough to handle your day-to-day browsing, even across multiple devices and activities that might otherwise put bandwidth under strain, like live streaming and loading HD videos.