kbps Mbps Gpbs MBps etc

Wig

Ok so why is Broadband measured in bits per second?

I can't understand bits per sec, but I can understand Bytes per second
Kilo Bytes and Mega Bytes (especially MB) I understand.

Honk Kong has the fastest Broadband at 1Gbps but what is that converted into MBps?

We work in KB, MB and GB on our computers so why should it be diff for broadband?

Ok I understand that my broadband 128 kbps = 1Mbps right?
and that converted into MBps or KBps is probably not going to work out very easily, which is why the use the bps format. Anyone care to convert it for me into KBps? But why is it with HongKong -1Gbps- must be substantial when converted into KBps or MBps?

ANyways, another annoying thing I find, In the folders on my computer all the files are measured in KB why can't I have them measured in MB which would reduce the numbers, or have the files smaller than 1MB measured in KB and have the larger files measured in MB ? (running Win 98)

steve!_10

Bits measure speed, bytes measure storage.

1Gbps = 1,000Mbps and 1Mbps = 1,000kbps

steve!_10

... and your computer is probably giving you a readout in KB because the size of the file hasn't quite reached 1MB. So once the size of the file gets greater than 1,023KB, it should then say 1MB.

marka87uk

A 1Gbps line would download at 128MB/s (I think - 1024/8?).

And steve!, not neccesarily, just 8 bits make up a byte.

steve!_10

marka87uk wrote:

A 1Gbps line would download at 128MB/s (I think - 1024/8?).

And steve!, not neccesarily, just 8 bits make up a byte.

I know, but in speed transfer terminology, speed it rated in bits.

marka87uk

Ah ok, the reason why companies quote in bits is probably because it sounds better. ie. 1Mbps (or "1Meg") sounds better than 128kb/s.

Wig

And I just worked out that

1Gbps could equal 125MBps

I say "could" because in data transfer there is no set rule as to whether they use base 10 or base 8 (?) !

Wouldn't it be a good idea to finally set some logical new worldwide rules about how to measure speed transfer and to use the same units for storage aswell.

I think 125 MBps is a much better way of saying how fast the broadband is in Hong Kong.

albertross_2

Bits are the lowest unit of measurement, and what computers jiggle about all day long.

Until recently those comms speeds where unheard of (most people had 56Kbps max until the last couple of years), so everthing was and still is measured in bits/second.

8 bits in a byte
1024 bytes in a kilobyte
1024 kilobytes in a megabyte

unless of course, you are asking a disk manufacturers marketing department, who don't know that computers use binary..

all powers of 2..

a k has always been 1024 (2 ^^10), not 1000, so the Hong Kong speed is 128.

steve!_10

Ah ok, the reason why companies quote in bits is probably because it sounds better. ie. 1Mbps (or "1Meg") sounds better than 128kb/s.

Well no, it's just in networking speed is measured in bits. You wouldn't say a removal van is travelling at 2 tonnes/per hour, you'd give a speed in MPH.

Wig

steve! wrote:

... and your computer is probably giving you a readout in KB because the size of the file hasn't quite reached 1MB. So once the size of the file gets greater than 1,023KB, it should then say 1MB.

Yeah but it doesn't, I have files showing for example filesize 470,172KB Which is nuts! I'd rather it said 459MB but it doesn't!

steve!_10

Wig wrote:

Yeah but it doesn't, I have files showing for example filesize 470,172KB Which is nuts! I'd rather it said 459MB but it doesn't!

Weird. Mine says stuff like this: 32.3 MB (33,869,824 bytes)