The Internet is the most important technology of current times and is not only important, but it is also arguably the most beneficial one for mankind. This vitality of the internet is due to various reasons and out of which the most major one is the adaptability of this technology. We see how the low cost internet is almost seamlessly integrated with all our day-to-day happenings ranging from our business activities to our leisure tasks, all these happenings have the involvement of the internet in some way, shape, or form which is why it is called the age of the internet of things.
IoT is a concept according to which the internet will transcend from just being an intangible service to forms that are manifested physically in the real world and we are already seeing this take place in the shape of “smart” devices. The whole trend of “Smart” gadgets is a major component of IoT since all these devices are internet-powered.
The pandemic has also become a major factor in making us realize how important is the internet since during the lockdowns all world activities were based over the internet and mankind saw the first glimpse of the digital world in which practically everything was being carried out through digital devices without any physical interactions.
Due to the world being so internet-dependent, the requirements of internet users have also been changed drastically. Back in the day, an internet connection in kilobits was considered fast enough because it was suitable for data requirements of that time. Now the world is becoming data-hungry with each passing day and more often than not internet speeds are not adequate enough for multiple users and data-heavy activities.
Similar trends have been observed in the cost factor as well when there was time that internet in kilobits was quite expensive while today you can easily get high-speed internet with Gig-speed at a very nominal cost through Spectrum deals and also through bundles and discounts offered by other major providers.
Why Knowledge about Internet Speeds in Necessary
Internet is the need of the hour, something which we have already established above that since the internet is involved in most of our daily activities it’s almost impossible to completely get rid of it out of our lifestyles. Now internet is the source of many people’s bread and butter due to the emergence of trends like work from home and online businesses which were prevalent during the pandemic and were primary pillars for economies of the world throughout these dire circumstances now even though the health situation is much better but still these trends are here to stay.
Apart from that education activities are also been carried out on these platforms. These all are important activities that are being performed in the majority of US households and this is also a fact that all these are data-hungry activities that require a good internet connection or to put it simply, a fast one.
Apart from work-related activities, leisure activities have also become quite data-hungry. Simple tasks like online video streaming and multiplayer gaming take GBs of data and all these activities are performed by a majority of people in every household.
If we analyze all this carefully, we conclude that since all these tasks are being simultaneously performed by most users that is why they need to have at least basic knowledge of how internet speeds work in order to calculate their usage and make a proper and informed decision when selecting an internet plan. Because in today’s world slow internet can potentially be even more dangerous than having no internet at all and since most people’s jobs are dependent on the internet, it is something you cannot be ignorant about as it can cost you your livelihood.
Workings of the Internet
Whenever we look at the internet it is classified in different speeds typically Mbps or Gbps. That’s ok to some extent but this is not the complete picture as the internet is way more complex than that. The Internet can be observed as a group of networks in which there are different devices connected to one another making a global network in which every device that is present on the internet is practically connected to every other device. After you realize this basic structure, 3 key things make up the internet speed which we are going to explain below.
Transmission Speed
This is the biggest factor which we often call the speed of the internet. As in the World Wide Web, there are servers and nodes, a simple device that users use the internet on is a node, and the website that they try to reach or the file a user is looking to download is present on a server. The back and forth that is conducted between a node and a server basically determines the transmission speed of the internet.
Since this transmission takes place in form of data packets thus we classify the upload and download speed in Megabits per second (Mbps) or Gigabits per second (Gbps). Where download is the flow of data from server to node and upload is vice versa.
Data
Data, also known as bandwidth is the amount of data that a particular connection is allowed to transmit. More often than not most users end up paying extra because they run out of data. Each time an activity is performed over the internet and the device receives data it is counted. For example, you watch a video on the internet a certain amount of data will be used that is the data that will be transmitted to the device. No matter how many times you stream the same video every time the same amount of data will be consumed depending upon the quality of the video. It is recommended to either download stuff so users don’t have to regularly stream the same thing online or go with a provider that offers unlimited data.
Transmission Medium
This is also a factor that heavily influences the speed of the internet as not every transmission medium works the same way. A physical medium like cable works way more efficiently in transmitting data than a wireless medium like a satellite. In physical mediums, there are different categories like DSL, Cable, and Fiber optics that all have their own pros and cons and these factors determine the transmission speed. For example, a fiber optic cable allows users to get symmetrical download and upload speeds as data is carried in the form of light in this medium which remains unaffected by external factors.
Conclusion
Internet is the most important and influencing technology in our lives, and since most of our activities have become internet dependent it is need of the hour that we gather some preliminary knowledge about the internet and its speed. This will help us control its usage and allow users to make better-informed decisions when selecting an internet connection at a nominal price and without compromising the quality of service. For this exact reason, we have developed this guide that will educate you about the workings of the internet and things you should consider while buying one.
