Understanding Internet Speed
Your connection to the Internet is unique and there are many factors that will determine your Internet speed. Many dialup surfer's believe they are traveling the Web at 56 kbps but the sad truth reveals connection speeds in the 15 to 38 kbps range. If you have too many phones hooked up to a single line it may be the cause of your slowdown. Also beware of cheaper phones that tend to hog and dilute a phone lines signal.
High Speed Cable Internet users can experience slowdowns caused by an overworked neighborhood zone. If many users in your area constantly download large files, it may affect your connection speed - especially during peak hours. Of course, even when slowdown occurs, a cable connection will still be far superior than a dialup connection.
Many slow Internet users simply need their PC and modem settings adjusted or optimized. This can be done manually but it is usually a long trial and error exercise due to the differing computer configurations. Web accelerator software can auto-optimize your settings and provide much faster surfing, downloading, and e-mailing through built-in accelerator routines.
Internet Speed Facts
Latency also has a major effect on your overall Internet speed and may in fact be your worst enemy when it comes to increasing your speed. In general terms, latency is about the delay of data transmission from one component of a network to another. As the Internet providers continue to upgrade their nationwide services, this delay will be reduced significantly.
Did you know... a 56 kbps modem is NOT 56 KiloBytes per second - it actually means 56 kilobits per second. Many dialup users are surprised when downloading a file at only 3-5 KiloBytes per second - because it's actually 30-50 kilobits per second which is actually pretty fast. If you actually want to download files in the 50-1000 KiloByte per second range - you'll need a cable Internet connection.
Breaking Out of the Speed Barriers
As time goes by, nationwide high speed cable Internet access will continue to improve as the network is upgraded with blazing fast fibre-optic technology. The cable providers are already offering 15 Mbps plans that are blazing fast. While 56K dial up continues to exist, it's days will not be numbered until every household has access to a higher speed alternative. Of course dial up is a much cheaper option which is the key point for many users.
If you want to make the best out of your current web connection, try using optimizer software readily available online to adjust your computer's settings to send and receive data more efficiently.