A computer is an amazing tool, but it has its limitations. One of them is speed, which can be affected by how much bandwidth a network connection offers. Bandwidth and speed are often the first things to change when deciding on extending your internet package or upgrading to faster connections such as fiber optic cables or LTE technology.
The “types of bandwidth” are a group of different types of connections. The “bandwidth and speed” are two important factors to consider when choosing the right type of connection.
Cable, Wifi, Bluetooth, and USB are some of the common network connection methods used by computers.
It’s tough for new users to grasp how fast one connection is compared to another since the acronyms used don’t tell us anything about the actual speed we can get at any given time. This holds true for Internet connections as well as any other sort of connection, whether wired or wireless.
To solve the problem and determine what each modern technologist’s true transmission speed is, we will reference the bandwidth and transfer rate of all modern technological connections in the following guide, so you can determine whether we are using a fast or a very slow connection once and for all.
We’ll utilize kilobytes per second, megabytes per second, or gigabytes per second for all connections so you can see how fast your internet connection really is (which is not always immediate using bits, megabits and gigabits as units of measurement).
READ ALSO -> Difference between Megabyte (MB) and Megabit (Mbps) in ADSL speed calculations
Connections to mobile data networks
Cellular data connections are arguably the most popular right now, since everyone has a smartphone and wants to receive the best speed possible. We would like to remind you that the bandwidth does not necessarily correspond to the real speed that may be achieved: a lot depends on the operator, the antenna, the phone, the signal, and the number of users connected to the same antenna.
From slowest to quickest, below are the most popular mobile data connections:
- 1.8 kB/s download and upload on GSM CSD (2G)
- GPRS (2.5G): download speed of 7.2 kbps, upload speed of 3.6 kbps
- EDGE (2.75G): download and upload speeds of 29.6 kB/s
- UMTS (3G): download and upload speeds of 48 kB/s
- HSPA (3.5G): download speed of 1706 kbps, upload speed of 720 kbps
- 5.25 MB/s download, 1.437 MB/s upload on HSPA+ (3,75G)
- 6.25 MB/s download, 3.375 MB/s upload on LTE Cat 2 (4G)
- LTE Cat 3 (4G): download speed of 12.5 MB/s, upload speed of 6.25 MB/s
- LTE Cat 4 (4G): download speed of 18.75 MB/s, upload speed of 6.25 MB/s
- 37.5 MB/s download, 6.25 MB/s upload on LTE Cat 6 (4,5G)
- LTE Cat 10 (LTE Advanced): download speed of 56.25 MB/s, upload speed of 12.5 MB/s
- 3GPP 5G (5G): download and upload speeds of 125 MB/s.
To get the most out of contemporary technology and the most demanding programs, we suggest connecting exclusively to LTE Cat 2 or higher networks, ensuring that you always have enough speed.
READ ALSO -> Connection speed from mobile: 3G (UMTS), HSPA, 4G (LTE) and 5G
Network connections that are fixed
In recent years, the fixed network has evolved at a breakneck pace, transitioning from the traditional telephone socket to optical fiber in all its forms.
The most popular Network connections that are fixed are, from slowest to fastest:
- 192 kB/s download, 128 kB/s upload using ADSL (G.lite).
- 1024 kB/s download, 128 kB/s upload with ADSL (G.dmt).
- ADSL2 has a download speed of 1536 kbps and an upload speed of 180 kbps.
- 3072 kB/s download, 448 kB/s upload over ADSL2+.
- VDSL: download speed of 7 MB/s, upload speed of 2 MB/s
- VDSL2: download speed of 12.5 MB/s, upload speed of 5 MB/s
- EVDSL: download speed of 37.5 MB/s, upload speed of 10 MB/s
- BPON (optical fiber): download speed of 77.7 MB/s, upload speed of 19.3 MB/s.
- EPON (optical fiber): download and upload speeds of 125 MB/s.
- GPON (optical fiber): download speed of 311 MB/s, upload speed of 155.5 MB/s.
- 1.25 GB/s download and upload using XGS-PON (optical fiber).
The finest connections are those marked with writing optic fiber, but if it is not accessible where we live, we can always rely on EVDSL or VDSL2, both of which provide extremely fascinating speeds. Let’s not forget about the ADSL connection, which is currently much too sluggish for modern technology.
Ethernet cable links to a local area network (LAN).
When we link two computers together or connect a PC to the modem via Ethernet cable, we may take advantage of the faster and more consistent speeds available for Ethernet connections over time.
From slowest to quickest, Ethernet cable connections on LAN networks are:
- Fast Ethernet (100BASE-X): download and upload speeds of 12.5 MB/s.
- Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-X): download and upload speeds of 125 MB/s.
- 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (2.5GBASE-T): download and upload speeds of 312.5 MB/s.
- 625 MB/s download and upload over 5 Gigabit Ethernet (5GBASE-T).
- 1.25 GB/s download and upload over 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GBASE-X).
Gigabit Ethernet is widely utilized on modems, home PCs, and office computers, but the latter two are presently exclusively used in business. We need at least Gigabit Ethernet to adequately leverage the optical fiber; otherwise, there isn’t enough bandwidth to take advantage of the connection.
READ ALSO -> Better a Wifi network or Ethernet cables? which is faster?
Connections through wireless (Wi-Fi)
We utilize Wi-Fi to connect wireless devices to the modem, which has variable speeds depending on the protocol. Various acronyms have developed throughout time, but we have now moved toward simplicity so that everyone can identify what Wi-Fi network they are accessing right away.
From slowest to quickest, Wi-Fi network connections are:
- IEEE 802.11g (Wi-Fi 3): download and upload speeds of 6.75 MB/s.
- IEEE 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4): download and upload speeds of 75 MB/s.
- IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5): download and upload speeds of 850–866.25 MB/s.
- IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6): download and upload speeds of 1375 MB/s.
The last two networks operate on the 5GHz frequency, while the first two operate on the 2.4GHz band, which is often the busiest and most susceptible to interference. We use modems and dual band devices wherever feasible so that we can connect to the quickest networks (Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6).
READ ALSO -> File Transfer Rate: Differences between USB, Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth and other cables
Connections through Bluetooth
Not all Connections through Bluetooth are created equal eithersince each wireless connection protocol has different speed and coverage reflex values, which should be known before buying any device with Bluetooth.
Connections through Bluetooth are, from slowest to fastest:
- Bluetooth 1.1: download and upload speeds of 125 kB/s.
- 375 kB/s download and upload using Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.
- 3.125 MB/s download and upload on Bluetooth 3.0 and 4.0.
- Bluetooth 5.0 download and upload speeds are 6.25 MB/s.
If at all feasible, we purchase devices that support Bluetooth 5.0 to ensure that we have the quickest headphones that are compatible with all protocols (even the older ones).
PC connects through USB
Furthermore, the numerous ports we utilize on a computer have varying bandwidths, which are often significantly different from one another (even if the port is the same, the speed can change). Let’s verify the speed of the most often used ports on the PC before attaching any USB stick or external drive.
From slowest to quickest, the USB port connections are:
- In download and upload, USB 1.0 full speed is 1.5 MB/s.
- USB 2.0 high-speed download and upload: 60 MB/s
- USB 3.0 SuperSpeed (USB 3.1 Gen 1): download and upload speeds of 500 MB/s.
- 1.212 GB/s in download and upload using USB 3.1 SuperSpeed+ (USB 3.1 Gen 2)
- 2.424 GB/s in download and upload using USB 3.2 SuperSpeed+ (USB 3.2 Gen 22).
- 5 GB/s download and upload on USB 4.0.
On PCs, the fastest ports are Type A (traditional USB port) and Type C, whereas on Macs, they are Thunderbolt connectors.
READ ALSO -> Differences between USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 3.1 and 3.2 sticks and which one to buy
Conclusions
The bandwidth values for the primary connections that may be used on smartphones, tablets, or PCs have been shown in this guide so that we always know what sort of connection we are using and at what maximum speed we can attain.
The aforementioned figures may not necessarily represent the real speed since there are so many variables that might impact it, from interference to the speed of individual components to the kind of cable or module utilized.
Sluggish fixed connections are often caused by the provider and modem used, but slow mobile connections are caused by the antennas’ inadequate coverage, which operators seldom upgrade to cover new subscribers.
The “bandwidth example” is an article that explains what bandwidth and speed of computer connections.
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