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You cannot accurately predict how long it will take to
transfer a file across the Internet, because you do not know how Internet activity
will disrupt your communications. However, if you know your connection
speed (transfer rate) and your file size you can estimate how long
it will take.
When estimating transfer time there is an added complication -
transfer rates are usually measured in bits per second
(bps), but file sizes are usually
measured in bytes (B). There are 8 bits
in a byte.
Bits are relatively small units, so transfer rates are usually
given in kilobits per second (kbps) or megabits
per second (Mbps).
| 1 Kbps is
equal to 1024 bps |
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1 Mbps is equal to 1024 Kbps |
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Files can be large, so file sizes are usually given in kilobytes
(KB) or megabytes (MB).
| 1
KB is
equal to 1024 B |
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1 MB is equal to 1024 KB |
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If you have a 64 kbps Internet connection, you can transfer (to or from your
computer) a maximum of 64 kilobits of data every second.
How long will it take to transfer
a
16 KB file over a 64 Kbps
connection?
Step 1 - Convert the file size from kilobytes to
kilobits:
16 KB = (16 x 8) Kb = 128 Kb
Step 2 - Divide the file size by the connection speed:
128 Kb / 64 Kbps = 2 seconds
So a 16 KB file will take 2 seconds to download over a 64
Kbps
connection.
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How long will it take to transfer
a 100 KB file over a 64 Kbps
connection?
Step 1 - Convert the file size from kilobytes to
kilobits:
100 KB = (100 x 8) Kb = 800 Kb
Step 2 - Divide the file size by the connection speed:
800 Kb / 64 Kbps = 12.5 seconds
So a 100 KB file will take 12.5 seconds to download over a 64
Kbps
connection.
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How long will it take to transfer
a 1 MB file over a 64 Kbps
connection?
Step 1 - Convert the file size from megabytes to
kilobits:
1 MB = (1 x 8) Mb = 8 Mb
8 Mb = (1024 x 8) Kb = 8192 Kb
Step 2 - Divide the file size by the connection speed:
8192 Kb / 64 Kbps = 128 seconds
So a 1 MB file will take 128 seconds (2 minutes and 8
seconds) to download over a 64
Kbps
connection.
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