How is Internet speed measured - short answer, explanation with examples

Quick Answer: Internet speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps), data download speed is measured in megabytes per second (MB/s). 8 Mbps = 1 MB/s.

Hello! Due to the specific nature of my work, I often communicate with people who use the Internet and experience difficulties while doing so - online videos freeze, movies take a long time to load through file sharing services, characters twitch during online games, etc. All this is unnerving and interferes with comfortable interaction with content.

To properly check, you need to know how Internet speed is measured and how it differs from data download speed.

I wrote a short article without technical clutter. Only those parameters that are required in practice - for a general understanding of the Internet and its diagnostics.

What does speed depend on?

The movement of the World Wide Web simply depends on the network equipment and communications that are carried out in the room. If one of these devices is installed poorly, the cable is not connected correctly, or the equipment (router, network adapter, etc.) is faulty, then the Internet will have low speed or stop working altogether. Therefore, you need to monitor the serviceability of the equipment.

Connection types and Internet speeds

In the modern world, everything changes very quickly. It is not surprising that the world of the World Wide Web is expanding its capabilities and more and more options for connection and connectivity are appearing.

The most popular and frequently used connection types:

• Satellite communication is one of the newest and most progressive methods of connecting to the Internet. This type is divided into two subtypes: one-sided and two-sided. The first subtype uses communication with a satellite to receive information, and transmits information using regular communication. Two-way is more progressive, since in addition to receiving, it transmits information. But this requires expensive equipment. This type of connection is available anywhere in the world and is one of the most popular.
• GPRS, 3G, LTE are also popular, since almost everyone has a smartphone. Where there is no access to WiFi or other networks, people use mobile Internet. Its main advantage is that it is always at hand. But there is also a drawback - this is a limited limit, which forces you to check the availability of megabytes every time
• WiFi is the most common type of connection and connection, since any device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, TV) has a special WiFi module. It provides a good connection to the Internet, but only in a certain area depending on the radius of the territory it is designed for.
• xDSL leased line - this type of connection is one of the very first, which began this whole modernization of the Internet world. Today, such a connection is not relevant, especially for megacities.
• FTTB (ETTH) is a more modernized xDSL technology that is now used almost all over the world. This method works using a communicator, which in turn connects to an Internet service station.
• Fiber optic channel is one of the newest, modern and progressive types of network connection. To ensure this type of connection, you need to run a special optical cable in the room, which is then connected to the necessary equipment (optical terminal, SFP module, in other words it can be called business Internet).

Download speed: Mbit/s and MB/s, how many Megabytes are in Megabit

Good afternoon!

Almost all novice users, having connected to the Internet at a speed of 50-100 Mbps, begin to be violently indignant when they see a download speed that does not exceed several Mbps in some torrent client (how many times have I heard: “The speed is lower declared, here in the advertisement...”, “We were misled...”, “The speed is low, the network is bad...”, etc.).

The thing is that many people confuse different units of measurement: Megabit and Megabyte. In this article I want to dwell on this issue in more detail and give small calculations of how many Megabytes are in a Megabit...

All Internet providers (note: almost all, 99.9%) indicate the speed in Mbit/s when connecting you to the network, for example, 100 Mbit/s. Naturally, when a person connects to the network and starts downloading a file, he hopes to see such speed. But there is one big “BUT” here...

Let's take such a common program as uTorrent : when downloading files in it, the “Download” column shows the speed in MB/s (i.e. MB/s, or as they say Megabyte).

That is, when connecting to the network, you saw the speed in Mbit/s (Megabit), and in all downloader programs you see the speed in MB/s (Megabyte). This is where all the “salt” lies...

Torrent file download speed.

Why is network connection speed measured in bits?

A very interesting question. In my opinion, there are several reasons here, I will try to outline them.

1) Convenient network speed measurement

In general, the unit of information is Bit. A byte is 8 bits, with which you can encode any of the characters.

When you download something (i.e. data transfer occurs), not only the file itself is transferred (not only these encoded characters), but also service information (some of which is smaller than a byte, i.e. it is advisable to measure it in bits ).

That is why it is more logical and expedient to measure network speed in Mbit/s.

2) Marketing move

The larger the number that people are promised, the more people will “fall for” the advertisement and connect to the network. Imagine that if someone starts writing 12 MB/s instead of 100 Mbit/s, they will obviously lose the advertising campaign to another provider.

How to convert Mbit/s to MB/s, how many megabytes are in Megabit

If you don’t go into theoretical calculations (and I think most people are not interested in them), then you can present the translation in the following format:

• 1 byte = 8 bits;
• 1 kByte = 1024 bytes = 1024*8 bits;
• 1 MByte = 1024 kByte = 1024*8 kBit;
• 1 GB = 1024 MB = 1024*8 MB.

Conclusion: that is, if you are promised a speed of 48 Mbps after connecting to the network, divide this figure by 8 - you get 6 MB/s (This is the maximum download speed you can achieve, in theory*).

In practice, add that service information will also be transmitted, the provider’s line will be loaded (you’re not the only one connected to it :)), your PC will be loaded, etc. Thus, if your download speed in the same uTorrent is around 5 MB/s, then this is a good indicator for the promised 48 Mbit/s.

Why is the download speed 1-2 MB/s when I am connected to 100 Mbit/s, because according to calculations it should be 10-12* MB/s

This is a very common question! Almost every second person asks this question, and it is not always easy to answer. I will list the main reasons below:

1. Rush hour, line load at the provider : if you sit down at the most popular time (when the maximum number of users on the line) - then it is not surprising that the speed will be lower. Most often, it is in the evening when everyone comes from work/school;
2. Server speed (i.e. the PC from which you download the file) : may be lower than yours. Those. if the server has a speed of 50 Mb/s, then you will not be able to download from it faster than 5 MB/s;
3. Perhaps other programs on your computer are downloading something else (this is not always clearly visible, for example, your Windows OS may be updating);
4. “Weak” equipment (router for example). If the router is “weak”, then it simply cannot provide high speed, and the Internet connection itself may not be stable and often break.

In general, I have an article on my blog dedicated to slow download speeds, I recommend you read it:

Note! I also recommend an article about increasing Internet speed (by fine-tuning Windows):

How to find out your Internet connection speed

To begin with, when you connect to the Internet, your taskbar icon becomes active (example icon: ).

If you click on this icon with the left mouse button, a list of connections will pop up. Select the one you need, then right-click on it and go to the “Status” of this connection (screenshot below).

How to check Internet speed using Windows 7 as an example

Next, a window will open with information about your Internet connection. Among all the parameters, pay attention to the “Speed” column. For example, in my screenshot below the connection speed is 72.2 Mbps .

Speed ​​on Windows.

How to check your connection speed

It should be noted that the declared Internet connection speed is not always equal to the real one. These are two different concepts :). To measure your speed, there are dozens of tests on the Internet. I'll list just a couple below...

Note! Before testing the speed, close all applications that work with the network, otherwise the results will not be objective.

Test No. 1

Try downloading some popular file through a torrent client (for example, uTorrent). As a rule, a few minutes after the download starts, you reach the maximum data transfer speed.

Test No. 2

There is such a popular service on the Internet as https://www.speedtest.net/ (in general there are many of them, but this is one of the leaders. I recommend it!).

Link: https://www.speedtest.net/

To check your Internet speed, just go to the website and click Begin. In a minute or two you will see your results: ping (Ping), download speed (Download), and upload speed (Upload).

Test results: Internet speed test

The best methods and services for determining Internet speed:

That's all for me, high speed and low ping for everyone. Good luck!

Characteristics of optimal Internet speed

One of the most optimal speeds for comfortable Internet use is 4 Mbit/s. Well, these are averages. In more detail, this is from 2 Mbit/s to 8 Mbit/s. It also depends on what kind of activity will be performed using the Internet: just a regular search in a browser or watching an online movie.

Option Description

Why is it convenient and profitable to use this service? Because you pay once a month and don’t count traffic balances. At the same time, at any point in vast Russia that is included in the MTS coverage area, the speed of receiving and transmitting information will remain high.

Important information! The option was designed and released by the mobile operator for use on routers and modems.

For the opportunity to use any online services and sites without any limits, you must pay 750 rubles per month. This is an excellent price, considering that 4G modems from MTS work anywhere the operator’s network is available.

“Sounds very good, but what exactly can I do if my Internet modem provides a speed of 4 Mbps?” - you might be thinking. We answer. You can listen to online radio or listen to music on any streaming platforms without any interference. This is also a guarantee of stable viewing of online videos in standard quality (at a resolution of 720x576).

Important information! The ability to connect the option is open only to subscriber accounts that are serviced under the terms of the MTS Connect-4 tariff plan.

The option can be used on 4G and 4G+ mobile modems and routers, which are sold on the company’s website with the option of pickup and free home delivery.

Compatibility

Since the service provides subscribers with a certain level of privileges, there are tariff plans and options with which it is incompatible due to mutual exclusion.

How to connect the “Internet 4 Mbit” option

The service can only be used if you have a 4G Wi-Fi router or modem from MTS. However, the option “Internet 4 Mbit/sec.” Either by default it comes bundled with the tariff plan for devices, or it is connected independently. In the second case, it is necessary that at least 14 days have passed since the purchase of the router or modem and the conclusion of the contract.

To independently connect the option “Internet 4 Mbit/sec.” in addition to the MTS Connect-4 tariff, go to a special website designed to control and manage Internet services. Log in using your phone number and personal password (if not, click “Receive by SMS”). After authorization, go to the services and options section, find “4 Mbit Internet” in it and click “Connect”.

The mobile operator has not provided any other ways to activate the tariff option.