Bits and bytes are measurements of data, but they differ in their size and what they measure. Understanding what these terms are will help you understand how your computer stores information and how your Internet connection speed effects you. One way to tell them apart is the case in which they are written. When abbreviating bits and bytes, a “b” (small case) is a bit, and “B” (upper case) is a byte, therefore, “kb” is kilobit and “KB” is kilobyte (note: the case of the letters before the b are insignificant).

A bit (b) is the smallest measurement of data that can be stored on computers or transferred by Internet services. Bits represent information with a binary coding system made up of only 1's and 0's (bi means two, i.e., two numbers). When bits are arranged and stored in sequences of 1's and 0's, they are translated by computer programming into words, pictures, and other data.

Usually, when you hear the term “bits”, they are measuring transfer rate, or how much information can be transferred in a certain amount of time. Internet connection speeds are measured this way, for example, “bps” is bits per second, the amount of bits that can be downloaded or transferred in a second. Since bits are so small, most connection speeds are measured in thousands of bits per second.

When measuring transfer rate for Internet connections, 1 kilobit (kb) = 1000 bits, 1 megabit (mb) = 1000 kilobits. Say you connect with dial-up at 34.4 kbps. That means 34.4 kilobits or 34400 bits can be downloaded per second to your computer. Say you connect with DSL at 6 “megs” aka mbps. You can download 6 megabits, or 6000 kilobits, or 6,000,000 bits per second.

A byte (B) is 8 bits strung together. Remember, bits store information based on a binary system and are arranged in sequences. These sequences are in sets of 8 and called bytes. It takes many bytes sequenced together to create documents, images, programs, and commands for your computer. When measuring sizes of files, programs, and capacities of drives, you use bytes. Like bits, byte are often noted in larger quantities, like kilobytes, megabytes (megs), and gigabytes (gigs).

Many people assume a kilobyte is 1000 bytes, etc., but this is not true. When describing capacity (size or storage size of computer elements), bytes are measured by the same binary system that code bits. Therefore, “kilo” = 1,024 (or, 2^10) instead of 1000. A kilobyte (KB) is 1,024 bytes, and a megabyte (MB) is 1,024 kilobytes. A gigabyte (GB) is 1,024 megabytes.

A Microsoft Word document is usually about 30 KB in size. An picture, like clip art is typically about 100 KB, and photos are often much larger. A CD typically has a 700 MB (or 716,800 KB) storage capacity. You can buy computers with a hard drive (main storage unit) capacity of 500 gig (or 524,288,000 KB).

Don't forget, 1 byte is 8 bits. An Internet connection (like transfer rates or download speeds) is measured in bits, and 1 kilobit is 1,000 bits. Storage capacity (like disk space and file sizes), it is measured in bytes, and 1 kilobyte is 1,024 bytes.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

Dial-up Internet depends on several factors to both establish and maintain a connection. There are 5 factors that contribute to your connection speed. Therefore, improvements made to these factors could greatly increase your connection quality and speed. Here's how each of these factors can effect your connection speed:

Your modem. Dial-up has changed greatly from the time it was first developed. The most recent and widely used model of dial-up modems is the 56k modem with a V.92 standard. The maximum download speed is up to 56K, but several factors affect your actual connection speed. The V.92 version features faster start-up time (establishing the connection), faster uploading speeds, and Internet call-waiting (the ability to put the Internet on hold if you get an incoming call while you're online). Most computers (even as far back as Windows 98) have a 56K modem by now, but not all computers have the V.92 standard. You may be able to greatly improve your connection speed by switching to V.92 if you don't already have it. You should definitely upgrade to a 56K modem if you are using anything older.

Your phone cord setup. Do you have multiple configurations of phone cords and splitters running through your house? You may be sacrificing the quality of your Internet connection. An ideal set up would be one short (less than 4 feet) phone cord going straight from the phone jack in the wall to your computer. A splitter or a cord longer than 5 feet increases your chances of having slower connections or disconnects. You may need to reevaluate your setup to check if any changes can be made. Many computer's modem port has another outgoing port directly beside it labeled “phone”. Instead of using a splitter, plug your phone cord going to your telephone into the “phone” port in the back of your computer, to give your modem the most direct connection.

Your interior phone lines. If the telephone cord wiring in your house is damaged or aged, they may need to be replaced. Also, if it runs too close to florescent lights or electrical appliances, you are much more likely to experience line noise that can slow your connection speed. Frequent humming or static on the phone line will inhibit the modems from hearing the analog signal they use to transport information. If possible, plug a telephone to the jack at the source outside your house. If the line is clear there, you know the static is coming from wiring issues inside your house.

The exterior phone line. If the line noise is still evident outside your home, your phone company may need to repair or replace the phone lines going to your house. Also, the greater the distance you are from the telephone company's central office, the more susceptible you are to slow or dropped connections. This is why rural homes have slower or no dial-up service in their area.

The access number. Your ISP provides the access number that your modem dials to reach their modem and establish a connection. Occasionally, a slow connection, busy signal, or dropped connection is due to a network outage on the access number you are using. You should ask your ISP for several access numbers for your area so you have a few to choose from if one of them stops working well. Also, check with your phone company if the access numbers are local. This not only helps establish a better connection, it also keeping you from stacking up long distance charges!

While there are some things that simply cannot be helped, there are improvements that can be made. Keep in mind that your connection speed is only one factor in how quickly you can access websites and download files. Check for tips online, call your ISP, or see your local computer technician for ways to improve your computer's speed and browse faster online.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!