Voyage Tech Blogs

Voyage Technology has been serving the Beaver Dam area since 1999, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Getting the Right Amount of Bandwidth Can Open New Possibilities

Getting the Right Amount of Bandwidth Can Open New Possibilities

Regardless of what you use it for, having the right amount of bandwidth to support your business’ needs is extremely important. Not only does it support enhanced productivity, collaboration, and business efficiency, it removes the bottlenecks that can stymie a business’ progress. Today, we will take a look at bandwidth, and tell you how to determine the bandwidth you need to support all of your business’ Internet-facing needs. 

What is Bandwidth?

Before we get into how to determine how much bandwidth you need, we should iron out what bandwidth means. Bandwidth is not speed per se, it is the amount of data that can be transmitted at one time with the current connection that you have. Think about a straw. If you have a small straw, the speed in which the liquid flows is the same, but there is less room for liquid to flow through it, reducing the amount of liquid you get in a period of time. Bandwidth works the same way. It is mostly represented in megabits per second, or Mbps.

Calculating your projected download speed is fairly simple, as long as you keep in mind that there are eight bits for every byte. This means that, if you were trying to download eight megabytes of data on a one Mbps connection, it would take approximately 8 seconds. 512 megabytes would take over an hour to download, and a gigabyte (which is 1,000 megabytes) would take close to two-and-a-half hours.

How Do I Know What My Business Needs?

In order to accurately estimate your business’ required bandwidth, you’ll need to do a little math. First, you will need to determine the estimated traffic that each of your processes take up, as well as the total users that are likely to be engaged in that process. You will want to assume that this is during peak operations, so you don’t inadvertently get less bandwidth than you need. Naturally, the bandwidth required by different processes will vary, but the following is generally the case:

  • 100Kbps and Under - Most single-line VoIP phones and e-fax machines. Some basic-use computers and laptops may utilize under 100 Kbps, but in business that isn’t the case.
  • 100Kbps to 500Kbps - It is common for computers and laptops to fall within this range, as they are more often used for streaming and downloading, emailing, and more rigorous browsing.
  • 500Kbps to 2.0Mbps - If yours is like many businesses today and utilizes cloud solutions and video conferencing, you’re likely using this much bandwidth. This is also the bandwidth necessary for centralized management platforms such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms. Also, if your business uses a point-of-sale system, you will probably fall in this range. 
  • Over 2.0Mbps and Up - This bandwidth is usually called for by a high-definition conferencing solution, a lot of remote access, heavy cloud access, and more. 

Of course, with any technology, you will want to get a professional perspective to help you plan for your technology costs before you implement solutions to avoid the costs of continuously upgrading and to make sure not to put your business under more pressure. If you would like more information about Voyage Technology or our bandwidth consulting services, call our IT experts today at 800.618.9844.

 

Comments

No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Already Registered? Login Here
Guest
Monday, 17 March 2025

Captcha Image

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Mobile? Grab this Article!

Qr Code

Tag Cloud

Security Technology Tip of the Week Best Practices Business Computing Data Productivity Business Software Innovation Hackers Cloud Network Security User Tips Hardware Internet Efficiency IT Support Malware Privacy Email Google Phishing Workplace Tips Computer Collaboration IT Services Users Hosted Solutions Mobile Device Ransomware Quick Tips Small Business Cybersecurity Workplace Strategy Microsoft Communication Data Backup Smartphone Passwords Saving Money Backup VoIP Business Management Smartphones Android Mobile Devices communications Disaster Recovery Data Recovery Managed Service Upgrade Browser Social Media Managed IT Services Microsoft Office Windows Tech Term Network Internet of Things Remote Facebook Current Events Automation Artificial Intelligence Cloud Computing Covid-19 Productivity Miscellaneous Gadgets Remote Work Server Managed Service Provider Outsourced IT Information Holiday Encryption AI Spam Employee/Employer Relationship Windows 10 Business Continuity Data Management Compliance Government Training Office Windows 10 Virtualization Blockchain Wi-Fi Business Technology Bandwidth Data Security Apps Two-factor Authentication Mobile Office Gmail Apple Networking App Employer-Employee Relationship Vendor Chrome Mobile Device Management Managed Services Budget Voice over Internet Protocol How To WiFi BDR BYOD Computing Applications Information Technology Hacker Access Control Avoiding Downtime Office 365 Marketing Tip of the week Conferencing Storage Healthcare Password Bring Your Own Device Managed IT Services Big Data Operating System HIPAA Router Risk Management Virtual Private Network Computers Health Help Desk Analytics Website Office Tips IT Support Augmented Reality Retail Firewall Telephone Scam Data loss The Internet of Things Cooperation Free Resource Project Management Windows 7 Social Going Green Patch Management Save Money Microsoft 365 Remote Monitoring End of Support Vulnerability Vendor Management Solutions Cybercrime Customer Service Display Printer Paperless Office Windows 11 Infrastructure 2FA Monitoring Excel Document Management Remote Workers Maintenance Sports Downloads Antivirus Mouse iPhone Licensing Safety Entertainment Administration Vulnerabilities Data Privacy Images 101 Multi-Factor Authentication Robot Mobility Telephone System Cost Management Settings Wireless Printing Content Filtering IT Management Customer Relationship Management YouTube Meetings VPN Employees Physical Security Integration Cryptocurrency Modem Hacking User Tip Processor Presentation Computer Repair Mobile Security Virtual Desktop Holidays Data storage LiFi Wireless Technology Data Storage Smart Technology Supply Chain Outlook Video Conferencing Machine Learning Managed Services Provider Virtual Machines Professional Services Money Saving Time Humor Word Managed IT Service Deep Learning Download Net Neutrality Public Speaking Twitter Alerts SQL Server Technology Care Error History Business Communications Financial Data Lithium-ion battery Browsers Smartwatch Education Connectivity IT Social Engineering Break Fix Scams Entrepreneur Upload Procurement Remote Computing Azure Hybrid Work Cyber security Multi-Factor Security Tech Human Resources Mobile Computing Social Network Telework CES Tablet IoT Communitications Undo Search Dark Web Cables Best Practice Trends Supply Chain Management Alert Buisness File Sharing Regulations Dark Data Google Calendar Term Google Apps Managed IT Customer Resource management FinTech Legal Data Analysis IT solutions Star Wars IT Assessment How To Microsoft Excel IT Maintenance Business Growth Gamification Flexibility Notifications Staff Value Business Intelligence Travel Social Networking Application Legislation Shortcuts Organization Techology Fileless Malware Digital Security Cameras Google Maps Smart Devices Cortana Ransmoware Alt Codes Content Remote Working IBM Wearable Technology Memory Vendors Downtime Unified Threat Management Motherboard Data Breach Comparison Google Play Be Proactive Health IT Unified Threat Management Directions Videos Hosted Solution Assessment Electronic Health Records Permissions Workforce Typing Wasting Time Threats Trend Micro Network Congestion Specifications Security Cameras Workplace Strategies Google Drive User Error Microchip Internet Exlporer Software as a Service Competition Knowledge Fraud Meta Username Managing Costs Amazon Point of Sale eCommerce 5G Black Friday SSID Google Docs Unified Communications Database Surveillance Experience Virtual Assistant Outsource IT Media Bitcoin Network Management Running Cable Tech Support IT Technicians Virtual Machine Environment User Cookies Monitors Cyber Monday Medical IT Google Wallet Proxy Server Reviews Tactics Development Hotspot Transportation Small Businesses Windows 8 IP Address Laptop Websites Mirgation Hypervisor Displays Nanotechnology Optimization PowerPoint Drones Shopping SharePoint Addiction Electronic Medical Records Language Employer/Employee Relationships Outsourcing Recovery Navigation Management PCI DSS Halloween Chatbots Screen Reader Hard Drives Writing Distributed Denial of Service Workplace Lenovo Gig Economy Service Level Agreement Internet Service Provider Domains Virtual Reality Computing Infrastructure Teamwork Hiring/Firing Evernote Paperless Hacks Server Management Regulations Compliance Scary Stories Private Cloud Identity Superfish Bookmark Identity Theft Smart Tech Memes Refrigeration Fun Co-managed IT

Blog Archive