Understanding Transfer Rates
Data transfer rate is the speed at which data is transmitted from one place to another. It is typically measured in bits per second (bps), but for high-performance networks and storage interfaces, it can be measured in Bytes per second.
Bits vs. Bytes
It is crucial to distinguish between bits and bytes.
- Bits ($b$): Used for network speeds (Internet, Wi-Fi, Ethernet). Lowercase "b".
- Bytes ($B$): Used for file sizes and storage speeds (SSD read/write). Uppercase "B".
- Conversion: 1 Byte = 8 Bits. Therefore, a 100 Mbps internet connection is 12.5 MB/s.
Standard Units
Networking standards typically use the metric system (Base 1000), not binary (Base 1024).
- Kbps: Kilobits per second (1,000 bits).
- Mbps: Megabits per second (1,000 Kbps). Standard unit for home broadband.
- Gbps: Gigabits per second (1,000 Mbps). Used for fiber connections and modern cabling.
- TB/s: Terabytes per second. Used in supercomputing and high-speed fiber backbones. Note that this unit is Bytes, while the others are Bits.