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Help me understand broadband speeds?

  • 28-02-2014 09:01PM
    #1
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭


    I googled a speed test and it came up with following:

    Download Speed: 4.08 MB/s
    Upload Speed: 304 kb/s

    Is this fast/slow/mid-range? I'm on wireless broadband.


«13

Comments

  • #2
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Your speed is

    Very good for boards
    Middling for radio
    Crap for porn


  • #3
    keith16
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,061 ✭✭✭keith16


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    Your speed is

    Very good for boards
    Middling for radio
    Crap for porn

    So with that in mind, crap overall OP.


  • #4
    Eutow
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,197 ✭✭✭Eutow


    Ugh, this high speed modem is intolerably slow. Hey, what the, huh, the Internet King? I wonder if he can provide faster nudity.


  • #5
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    keith16 wrote: »
    So with that in mind, crap overall OP.

    Yes, I sort of suspected that. Browsing is about the height of what it can handle. Thankfully my lack of access to porn doesn't bother me haha.
    I got a new laptop a few DAYS ago and had been blaming the slowness on the previous laptop. Didn't cop that it was the broadband until now, where it's still as slow with the new laptop. Locked into contract for another couple of months. Feic it.


  • #6
    wazky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,516 ✭✭✭wazky


    My broadspeed is so bad that I usually finish, bin the tissues and put jocks back on before the video starts.


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  • #7
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    sopretty wrote: »
    Yes, I sort of suspected that. Browsing is about the height of what it can handle. Thankfully my lack of access to porn doesn't bother me haha.
    I got a new laptop a few DAYS ago and had been blaming the slowness on the previous laptop. Didn't cop that it was the broadband until now, where it's still as slow with the new laptop. Locked into contract for another couple of months. Feic it.
    In fairness, a lot of fixed line customers would be happy to be hitting 4MB at this time of the evening. I'm on midband and would never get any higher than 2/2.5 at this time on a Friday evening when the Bulmers Pear Brigade hit the airwaves.

    Once they start getting the runs my speed goes back up though.


  • #8
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    In fairness, a lot of fixed line customers would be happy to be hitting 4MB at this time of the evening. I'm on midband and would never get any higher than 2/2.5 at this time on a Friday evening when the Bulmers Pear Brigade hit the airwaves.

    Once they start getting the runs my speed goes back up though.

    It's ridiculous really.


  • #9
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 99,619 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Is that at peak time when the passages are congested, or is that the best you get ?


  • #10
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    I heard a dude on tv saying UPC have the fastest speeds currently. Are they available all over the country?


  • #11
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    Capt'n Midnight wrote: »
    Is that at peak time when the passages are congested, or is that the best you get ?

    I don't know to be honest - I'll check it again a few times during the day tomorrow.


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  • #12
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    That said, personally, with no measurement, it seems to be slower during the day? Picking up a bit in the evening?


  • #13
    shaneon77
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 279 ✭✭shaneon77


    wazky wrote: »
    My broadspeed is so bad that I usually finish, bin the tissues and put jocks back on before the video starts.
    my speed is so slow that I've had to use my imagination.


  • #14
    Fr_Dougal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,167 ✭✭✭Fr_Dougal


    sopretty wrote: »
    I heard a dude on tv saying UPC have the fastest speeds currently. Are they available all over the country?

    They have a doohickey on their site where you can check if you're covered.


  • #15
    Zubeneschamali
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,644 ✭✭✭✭Zubeneschamali


    sopretty wrote: »
    I heard a dude on tv saying UPC have the fastest speeds currently. re they available all over the country?

    No, people in many parts of the country have to deal with that guitar playing wanker off the telly.


  • #16
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    TheZohan wrote: »
    They have a doohickey on their site where you can check if you're covered.
    Yeah, but how do you know if you're covered if you haven't got the internet so you can check the site?


  • #17
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    Yeah, the dude on tv was saying that while they (various providers) advertise speeds 'UP TO' blah blah blah, that you really would only get those speeds at 4am in the morning lol.
    Are they all operating through the same channels/wires or something? Does it make any difference who you go with if they are all linked in with the same basic hardware provider (can you tell I don't understand d'internetz? lol).


  • #18
    The_Valeyard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,452 ✭✭✭✭The_Valeyard


    Wireless connections are slower than wired. Have a suppossd 150mb connection. Sometime hit around 70-80mb speed with UPC.


  • #19
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    The_Valeyard wrote: »
    Wireless connections are slower than wired. Have a suppossd 150mb connection. Sometime hit around 70-80mb speed with UPC.

    So you're talking almost 20 times the speed I have? Maybe that's why I find it so slow, I'm comparing it to work internet access which would be through a phone line.

    What price per month do you pay for your connection Valeyard?


  • #20
    kowloon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 14,187 ✭✭✭✭kowloon


    Broadband companies seem happy to say nothing about the difference between MB/s and Mbit/s. Much like hard drive companies and stated capacity.


  • #21
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    kowloon wrote: »
    Broadband companies seem happy to say nothing about the difference between MB/s and Mbit/s. Much like hard drive companies and stated capacity.

    And you are going to tell me the difference? :)


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  • #22
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    Is my speed of Download Speed: 4.08 MB/s bits or bytes?


  • #23
    Holsten
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,971 ✭✭✭Holsten


    MB - Byte.
    Mb - bit


  • #24
    Aphex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 653 ✭✭✭Aphex


    There are 8 bits in 1 byte too


  • #25
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    Holsten wrote: »
    MB - Byte.
    Mb - bit



    It's to do with capitalisation is it? F***. Mine is 408 Mb/s.

    'Tis all making sense now I tells ya!


  • #26
    kjl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,127 ✭✭✭kjl


    Sure my broadband is so fast, my WiFi can't keep up with it.


  • #27
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    kjl wrote: »
    Sure my broadband is so fast, my WiFi can't keep up with it.

    Well, mine is so slow, I can type in something, go to the loo, come back, and it will be showing up the last letters I typed.


  • #28
    3wayswitch
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 310 ✭✭3wayswitch


    sopretty wrote: »
    And you are going to tell me the difference? :)

    One megabyte (MB) = 8 megabits (Mb). Your internet speed is measure in megabits per second.

    This can be a source of confusion for some people as they are more familiar with megabytes (what the files are your computer are measured in) and expect when they get an "8 meg" connection that they can download 8 megabytes per second when in fact it would only download 1 megabyte per second.


  • #29
    wazky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,516 ✭✭✭wazky


    Aphex wrote: »
    There are 8 bits in 1 byte too

    How many in a hang sangwhich?


  • #30
    sopretty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭sopretty


    3wayswitch wrote: »
    One megabyte (MB) = 8 megabits (Mb). Your internet speed is measure in megabits per second.

    This can be a source of confusion for some people as they are more familiar with megabytes (what the files are your computer are measured in) and expect when they get an "8 meg" connection that they can download 8 megabytes per second when in fact it only downloads 1 megabyte per second.

    Presumably my O2 lady telling me it was a fast speed was talking through her hat then? And mistook me bits for bytes?


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  • #31
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 99,619 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    sopretty wrote: »
    I heard a dude on tv saying UPC have the fastest speeds currently.
    I never get the advertised UPC speed. My own fault really for staying on the cheapest UPC package. Usually I get only about 6-8% over. So I'm stuck with speedtests of 53.3/5.3 until they upgrade me to 120 next month :(

    If it wasn't for the phone number and free minutes and the unlimited download cap and next month being able to use wifi and the new Horizon Phone App with any nearby UPC modem I really don't know how I'd justify paying €2 more a month than eircom want for their most basic phone only offering.

    Are they available all over the country?
    No only in the cities.

    Don't forget Cablesurf in Dungarvan too.


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