Why the hell is the internet speed divided by 8?

Question

I've got 5 mb/s internet speed, and when I downloading some thing, I get about 750kbs max...
I understand that 5mb\s = 750 kbs download speed but why aren't they just tell that it's not 5 mbs?
Why is it divided by 8?

Answer 1

You need to pay more attention to the case of the letters, they matter.



You connection speed is 5 Mb/s - 5 Megabits per second.

The download speed you get is 750kB/s - 750 kiloBytes per second.



Since 1 byte = 8 bits one number is going to be 8 times the other.



A 5mb/s connection would be 5 millibits per second = 0.005bits/second



Why is your connection speed in bits/second but download speeds reported in bytes per second? The answer is that it's tradition.



Your data connection sends information 1 bit at a time and the data rate on serial connections like that has always been reported in bits per second.

But the smallest piece of information you computer can handle is 1 byte (8 bits), anything less than 8 bits is of no use to it. So the first thing it does when data comes in is package the incoming data up into bytes. Since what it then counts is how many of those complete bytes it has received the progress is reported in bytes per second.

Answer 2

Network speed is measured in how many bits 1s or 0s pass down the line. It's easier and more relevant to calculate network specific traffic in bits rather than in bytes. Bytes pertain more to data size rather than data speed.

Answer 3

Is it 750kbs on everything? If not it could just be the fact that its internet rush hour, or just where your downloading from.

Answer 4

This is the downloading speed you get when downloading directly from the internet.