Why Bandwidth Is Important for Network Performance
With the ever-increasing importance of online and digital aspects of a business, it may be challenging to keep up with technological terminology. It is vital to have your own website in today’s business landscape, no matter what field you are in. A term you may have frequently encountered is bandwidth. So what is bandwidth, and how does it affect the performance of a network?
Defining Bandwidth: What Is It?
In short, bandwidth, or network bandwidth, is the maximum amount of data a network can transmit through wired or wireless communication channels. Bandwidth can be measured in a variety of frequencies, commonly being kilobits, megabits, or gigabits. The higher the bandwidth, the more data that can be transferred in a given amount of time.
Bandwidth vs. Network Speed
A common misconception about bandwidth is that it refers to a network’s speed. This is not the case. Bandwidth does not refer to how fast a network can transfer data, but rather it refers only to the amount of data that can transfer during a set time period. For example, if a network has a bandwidth of 3 megabits per second and a network speed of 2 megabits per second, the network can transfer 3 megabits in one second; however, you will receive it in 1.5 seconds due to your network speed.
What Does Bandwidth Mean for Your Website
While bandwidth is not a measurement of speed, your network’s bandwidth is a factor that affects your site’s speed. If, for example, you have multiple devices utilizing the same network, each device will use bandwidth. If you have too many devices requesting data at the same time, thus using the bandwidth, they can overload your network, causing network speed to slow down.
Why You May Need to Increase Your Business’s Network Bandwidth
Increasing your business’s network bandwidth may be necessary if you are actively hiring new employees and/or are purchasing more devices that will need access to your network. Put simply, as your business grows, your business’s network will grow as well.
Why You May Need to Increase Your Business’s Site Bandwidth
If you need to increase your business’ site and/or network’s bandwidth capabilities, generally speaking, this is a good problem to have! A need to increase site bandwidth most likely means that your business’ website is gaining more traffic and requiring more data to be transferred.
How to Increase Bandwidth for Your Business’s Site
A great way to increase bandwidth for your business’s website is to invest in a dedicated server. A dedicated server ensures that an entire server will be devoted only to your site, providing you with the personalization, security, and bandwidth you need to keep your site running at optimal levels.
At LightWave Networks, we provide colocation services, dedicated servers, and cloud and VPS services to Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. Our team works tirelessly to ensure your website’s security, performance, and speed operates at the levels you need. Contact us today for all of your hosting needs.
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