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

Blog Archive