Data travels downstream from the Internet to your computer, while uploads go upstream. ISPs make upload speeds slower than download speeds to conserve bandwidth, but this can cause issues when uploading large files or using torrenting. Some businesses require synchronous connections for faster file transfers.
In Internet terms, “downstream” data travels from the Internet to your computer. Every time you visit a web page, the content of that page needs to be downloaded to your PC in order to view the material, just like this page was downloaded. High Speed Internet Service Providers (ISP) rate plans based on data download speed, as slow download speeds result in slow browsing. But you are also constantly uploading information or transferring data “upstream” from your computer to the Internet.
An upload occurs whenever a request is sent from your browser to the Internet; for example, when you click on a link. The upload in this case is a small packet of data that includes your Internet Protocol (IP) address, the page you’re requesting, and a few other pieces of information. The data packet or request traverses the Internet to arrive at the server that contains the requested information or web page. The return journey is the download.
Because web page requests contain very small amounts of data, ISPs conserve bandwidth by making the upload speed of a typical Internet connection much slower than the download speed. The download speed might be 1,500 kilobits per second (kbps) to accommodate the reception of bulky web pages, but the request for that page is only a few kilobytes which can be delivered lightning fast at a limitation of 350 kbps – the upstream speed.
You can think of it in terms of two tunnels, with the download tunnel being about four times the size of the upstream tunnel. In most cases you will not notice the slower upload speed until you try to upload a large file. Why should you do this?
There are numerous situations online that require you to upload files. If you create a website, you’ll need to upload web pages and their content to the domain server, the computer that hosts the website. Text files will load quickly, but large images, music or media files will take a little longer. If you belong to a social networking site like FaceBook® or MySpace®, you may want to upload digital photos, MP3s or video clips to your profile. Maybe you’d like to make a movie of yourself performing an original tune and upload it to YouTube®.
Torrenting, a social network architecture that allows users from all over the world to exchange files with each other, requires a 1:1 sharing ratio to avoid limited download speeds. For every file downloaded, the user must upload a file of equal size. If a user isn’t aware that their internet connection is much faster in one direction than the other, the torrent makes the point. A user who takes three hours to download a file may have to leave the computer running for 12 hours or more to upload the same amount of data.
Some businesses with off-premises locations connected to the Internet via a virtual private network (VPN) may require upload speeds to match download speeds. This would allow an employee in New York, for example, to upload a large file to an employee in Los Angeles in minutes, rather than hours. This is called a synchronous connection, while most plans are asynchronous. Synchronous ISP plans are more expensive than asynchronous plans and are therefore not as common.
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