downloading/file size terminology

[Guest]

Can someone explain these:

The difference between kilobits(kb) and kilobytes(KB)?

How many of each in a megabyte?

If I download a file using IE and it says I'm getting 500KB, is that 1/2 meg
or is that 5 meg?

In windows explorer it shows file sizes in KB, is that kilobytes?

I'm not grasping the conversion process here.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Can someone explain these:

The difference between kilobits(kb) and kilobytes(KB)?

A byte consists of eight bits (binary digits--ones or zeros). A
kilobit is 1024 bits and a kilobyte is 1024 bytes. There are
therefore eight kilobits in a kilobyte.

How many of each in a megabyte?

There are 1024 kilobytes in a megabyte. There are eight time as
many kilobits in a megabyte--8192 of them.

If I download a file using IE and it says I'm getting 500KB, is
that
1/2 meg or is that 5 meg?

Half a meg (roughly)

In windows explorer it shows file sizes in KB, is that
kilobytes?

Yes.


I'm not grasping the conversion process here.

There are two things you need to know:

1. There are eight bits in a byte.

2. The progression byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte.
Each of those is 1024 times as large as the one before it.

Note that I'm using these terms in the computer sense, where they
are multiples of 1024. In ordinary usage (and actually in
international standard usage) the multiplier is 1000, not 1024.

 

[Steve N.]

In



A byte consists of eight bits (binary digits--ones or zeros). A
kilobit is 1024 bits and a kilobyte is 1024 bytes. There are
therefore eight kilobits in a kilobyte.







There are 1024 kilobytes in a megabyte. There are eight time as
many kilobits in a megabyte--8192 of them.






Half a meg (roughly)






There are two things you need to know:

1. There are eight bits in a byte.

2. The progression byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte.
Each of those is 1024 times as large as the one before it.

Note that I'm using these terms in the computer sense, where they
are multiples of 1024. In ordinary usage (and actually in
international standard usage) the multiplier is 1000, not 1024.

Additionally:

b = bit
B = Byte

Kb = Kilobits
KB = KiloBytes

Mb = Megabits
MB = MegaBytes

Etc.

Steve

 

[Guest]

OK, thanks Ken, that's clears some things up. Just one more thing.
My ISP, road runner, says I should get up to 7mbps down. They have a speed
test site that says on the site it is connected directly to road runners
backbone and you download a 50mb file. When I do this IE reports my transfer
rate at 818KB/sec. So does this mean I'm getting less than 1mb down? And if
so, isn't that slow compared to what they say I should get when downloading a
file from their backbone?

 

[Guest]

After seeing the info Steve provided as well as Kens info, I think I have
answered my own question. The 800KB transfer rate is roughly equal to
7-8megabits/sec(mbps)down, which is what I should be getting. Is my thinking
correct?

 

[Ken Blake]

In

OK, thanks Ken, that's clears some things up.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

Just one more thing.
My ISP, road runner, says I should get up to 7mbps down. They
have a
speed test site that says on the site it is connected directly
to
road runners backbone and you download a 50mb file. When I do
this IE
reports my transfer rate at 818KB/sec. So does this mean I'm
getting
less than 1mb down? And if so, isn't that slow compared to what
they
say I should get when downloading a file from their backbone?

Be careful and be sure that you're measuring everything in the
same units--bits vs bytes. If you've written it correctly above,
7mbps is 7168kbps, which is 896 kBps (b is bits; B is bytes). So
your transfer rate is just below what they've told you--pretty
good.

 

[Steve N.]

OK, thanks Ken, that's clears some things up. Just one more thing.
My ISP, road runner, says I should get up to 7mbps down.

That is 7 Megabits per second. Not MegaBytes, megaBITS.

They have a speed
test site that says on the site it is connected directly to road runners
backbone and you download a 50mb file.

That would probably be a 50MB (MegaBYTE) file.

When I do this IE reports my transfer
rate at 818KB/sec.

If that is KiloBYTES per second IE is reporting, then without resorting
to hexadecimal math, my guess is that should be about right and you're
doing good.

This might help:
http://www.edoceo.com/utilis/bandwidth-calculator.php

So does this mean I'm getting less than 1mb down?

Again, 1mb means 1 megabit, not MegaBYTE. 7mbps is not 7 MegaBytes per
second, it is 7 megabits per second.

And if
so, isn't that slow compared to what they say I should get when downloading a
file from their backbone?

No, looks about right to me. The confusion is in the caps, once again;
kb = kilobits, KB = KiloBytes, mb = megabits, MB = megabytes.

Steve

 

[Steve N.]

After seeing the info Steve provided as well as Kens info, I think I have
answered my own question. The 800KB transfer rate is roughly equal to
7-8megabits/sec(mbps)down, which is what I should be getting. Is my thinking
correct?
Yep.

Steve


:

 

[Guest]

Ok, got it now, thanks for your help.

That is 7 Megabits per second. Not MegaBytes, megaBITS.


That would probably be a 50MB (MegaBYTE) file.



If that is KiloBYTES per second IE is reporting, then without resorting
to hexadecimal math, my guess is that should be about right and you're
doing good.

This might help:
http://www.edoceo.com/utilis/bandwidth-calculator.php


Again, 1mb means 1 megabit, not MegaBYTE. 7mbps is not 7 MegaBytes per
second, it is 7 megabits per second.


No, looks about right to me. The confusion is in the caps, once again;
kb = kilobits, KB = KiloBytes, mb = megabits, MB = megabytes.

Steve

 

[Guest]

Ok, I got it now. Thanks for all your help.

In


You're welcome. Glad to help.




Be careful and be sure that you're measuring everything in the
same units--bits vs bytes. If you've written it correctly above,
7mbps is 7168kbps, which is 896 kBps (b is bits; B is bytes). So
your transfer rate is just below what they've told you--pretty
good.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Ok, I got it now. Thanks for all your help.

Great, and you're welcome.

 

[Steve N.]

Ok, got it now, thanks for your help.

No problem. It is a common source of confusion.

Steve

 

[Lil' Dave]

Can someone explain these:

The difference between kilobits(kb) and kilobytes(KB)?

How many of each in a megabyte?

If I download a file using IE and it says I'm getting 500KB, is that 1/2 meg
or is that 5 meg?

In windows explorer it shows file sizes in KB, is that kilobytes?

I'm not grasping the conversion process here.

byte = 8 bits
Kilobyte = 1024 bytes
Megabyte = 1024 Kilobytes
Gigabyte = 1024 Megabytes
Use applicable mathematics to determine equivalency.

KB = Kilobyte(s)
MB = Megabyte(s)
GB = Gigabyte(s)

Don't use the small case "m" to indicate "Mega". Small case "m" means
milli. Which is common in reference to bits not bytes.

Note the capitalization. If not capitalized, for instance "Mega" vs "mega".
"mega" has no meaning in this case. Same with the abbreviations. For
instance "mB" means nothing in this reference.

The hard drive manufacturers use another standard when stating the
unpartitioned, unformatted capacity of their hard drives. The capacity
appearance is less than the standard used here. As a result, most users
find their hard drives have less capacity than what they anticipated. This
precludes partitioning and formatting.

 

[Plato]

The difference between kilobits(kb) and kilobytes(KB)?

A Byte is 8 bits. Many ISPs sell their service by saying you got xxx
bps, or bits per second.

It makes it sound LARGE.

 

[Bob I]

Unless you are on dial-up and then the system needs 10 bits to send a byte.

 

[Steve N.]

Unless you are on dial-up and then the system needs 10 bits to send a byte.

IIRC normally 9; 8-N-1 = 8 data bits, no parity bit, 1 stop bit.

Steve

 

[Bob I]

You forgot the start bit which is always there and so is not "optional"
so 10 is the correct answer. If you dropped to 7 data bits you could get
it down to 9 but that wouldn't be a usual configuration.

 

[Steve N.]

You forgot the start bit which is always there and so is not "optional"
so 10 is the correct answer. If you dropped to 7 data bits you could get
it down to 9 but that wouldn't be a usual configuration.

You're right. Thanks for the correction.

Steve

 

[Bob I]

Not a problem, you're welcome, and have a good weekend!