The bandwidth is, in simple terms, the rate of transmission from your computer to and from the network. The measure tool distinguishes between these two types of speed, the first one is called sending speed and the second one is known as receipt speed.

Nowadays it is common for access providers and Internet services offer asymmetric connections solutions, some in which the speeds of receipt or sending of data are different. It relies on the fact that most of the flow of information that comes from the network goes to the client (for example, when you open a web page). The information that flows from the client to the network is much lower (in the above example, to send a page request).

The results of the test are provided in two units of measure at first different but interlinked. They are: bits per second (bps) and bytes per second (bytes / s). The main and only difference between both is the number of bits in a byte, since a byte contains 8 bits so that one unit can be translated into another easily multiplying or dividing by 8. Other measurement units are:

Kilobits per second (kbps): 1000 bits per second

kilobytes per second (kbytes / s): 1024 bytes per second

For example, for a connection via 56 kbps modem, the theoretical maximum speed would be 7 kbytes / s.

The measure of the speed depends on many factors, which may change anytime. Among these factors are the speed of the link between your computer and the site that is accessing, the state of the network at that time, the number of users accessing via the same service provider, or simply the number of applications running on your computer at that moment. That is why we recommend users to perform several tests at different times and not take values provided by the test as absolute, but as approximations.

The speed of data transfer on the Internet depends on numerous factors, including geographic location of the service that is accessed, that is why the results may differ slightly between some test speed and others. In addition the different tests that are available on the Internet are based on different methods to deliver the results, an aspect that can make change the above mentioned.

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that offers its customers Internet connectivity. This connectivity can be based on numerous technologies, from access through a telephone line to access via ADSL, ISDN...

ADSL is an acronym for "Asymmetric Digital Suscriber Line". This is a technology to access the Internet that uses an asymmetric connection. There is a difference between speed for receipt of information and transmission, the first higher than the second. Different types of ADSL exist depending on the speed of receipt of information, we will speak about ADSL of different number of kilobits per second. These are permanent connections made on the traditional telephone line and are able to make phone calls simultaneously.

ISDN is the acronym for Integrated Services Digital Network. This is a network technology evolution of the existing analog telephone network to offer end-to-end digital connections and be able to integrate a multitude of services on a single access. It offers the possibility of simultaneously maintain a phone connection, and other different connection of data at a speed of 64 kbps.

Service offered by the providing companies of Cable TV that presents a permanent connection to Internet with a higher speed data transfer.

It is a private line leased to a certain telecommunications company for a permanent connection between two points with a bandwidth reserved and guaranteed.

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