When arranging internet service for your home or business, one of the terms you'll run into frequently is bandwidth. Your provider may offer several plans with different amounts of bandwidth. They may also describe the benefits of their service by telling you how much bandwidth you'll have. Here’s what you should know about bandwidth and why it's important.

What Is Bandwidth?

Bandwidth describes how fast your network can transfer data, so high bandwidth, for instance, means you’ll have high-speed internet. This is determined by the physical specs of your internet connection, such as your modem and router, and the internet service package you pay for. For example, if you're using a wireless connection, high Wi-Fi signal strength means you can transfer data over the network quickly.

However, if you are connected with an ethernet cable, then your hardware is capable of better speeds than your Wi-Fi. A wired connection is faster than Wi-Fi because a wireless connection has a slight lag time for the signal to be received and processed. This is because the signal is more likely to get lost or take longer to process due to digital interference.

What Are the Different Types of Bandwidth?

There are two types of bandwidth, asymmetric and symmetric. Additionally, when talking about data transfer speeds, it's important to note that upload and download speeds can differ. 

In a system with asymmetric bandwidth, the two speeds are unequal. Download speeds are usually much higher when compared to transferring (i.e., uploading) data upstream. Asymmetric systems are useful for making bandwidth usage more efficient for downloading larger files than uploading them.

For example, when you need the internet to stream a video, your computer quickly uploads a digital request for content access to a server. However, the video files, like the one in this case, are exceptionally large, while the commands you’re uploading are a small amount of data. Since the files and data needed for downloads are large, asymmetric systems prioritize bandwidth for downloads.

Symmetric bandwidth means the two are equal. However, symmetric bandwidth is used in high-tech areas where fiber optics and cable internet make higher bandwidth easy to achieve. This is also useful for applications like video conferencing, which require buffering times to be eliminated or minimized.

For internet service with plenty of bandwidth in Auglaize County, choose TSC. Based in Wapakoneta, OH, they've been the area's most trusted telecommunications provider since 1921. They provide everything from landline telephones to web hosting services for both commercial and residential clients. Call (419) 739-2200 or contact them online.