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

Blog Archive