Kbps And Kb/s

[rozza38]

Kbps and Kb/s

Could somebody be kind enough to explain the difference between the two?

I get connected at 576 Kbps and K++ says i'm downloading at 50.00 Kb/s

Are they the same?

Using task manager and looking at the network tab suggests that i'm using most of my available bandwith.

Just curious.

P

XP Pro

[ADSLpredator]

bits

Short for binary digit, the smallest unit of information on a machine. The term was first used in 1946 by John Tukey, a leading statistician and adviser to five presidents. A single bit can hold only one of two values: 0 or 1. More meaningful information is obtained by combining consecutive bits into larger units. For example, a byte is composed of 8 consecutive bits. Computers are sometimes classified by the number of bits they can process at one time or by the number of bits they use to represent addresses. These two values are not always the same, which leads to confusion. For example, classifying a computer as a 32-bit machine might mean that its data registers are 32 bits wide or that it uses 32 bits to identify each address in memory. Whereas larger registers make a computer faster, using more bits for addresses enables a machine to support larger programs.
Graphics are also often described by the number of bits used to represent each dot. A 1-bit image is monochrome; an 8-bit image supports 256 colors or grayscales; and a 24- or 32-bit graphic supports true color.


byte

Abbreviation for binary term, a unit of storage capable of holding a single character. On almost all modern computers, a byte is equal to 8 bits. Large amounts of memory are indicated in terms of kilobytes (1,024 bytes), megabytes (1,048,576 bytes), and gigabytes (1,073,741,824 bytes).


kilobyte

In decimal systems, kilo stands for 1,000, but in binary systems, a kilo is 1,024 (2 to the 10th power). Technically, therefore, a kilobyte is 1,024 bytes, but it is often used loosely as a synonym for 1,000 bytes. For example, a computer that has 256K main memory can store approximately 256,000 bytes (or characters) in memory at one time. A megabyte is 2 to the 20th power (approximately 1 million) and a gigabyte is 2 to the 30th power (approximately 1 billion).
In computer literature, kilobyte is usually abbreviated as K or Kb. To distinguish between a decimal K (1,000) and a binary K (1,024), the IEEE has suggested following the convention of using a small k for a decimal kilo and a capital K for a binary kilo, but this convention is by no means strictly followed.


megabyte

(1) When used to describe data storage, 1,048,576 (2 to the 20th power) bytes. Megabyte is frequently abbreviated as M or MB. (2) When used to describe data transfer rates, as in MBps, it refers to one million bytes.


gigabyte

2 to the 30th power (1,073,741,824) bytes. One gigabyte is equal to 1,024 megabytes. Gigabyte is often abbreviated as G or GB.


---
kilobit

1,024 bits for technical purposes, such as data storage. 1,000 for general purposes. Data transfer rates are measured in kilobits per second, abbreviated as Kbps, and count a kilo as 1,000 bits.

-- what a mess...

credits: http://www.webopaedia.com

[imported_uncle_cracker]

hello ... B)

@rozza38

kbps and kb/s are the same.

if you had an internet connection at 576 kbps your download stream is max. 576 kbps but then you need an internet source (a server) that can deliver this.

here you are in a p2p (peer to peer _ network) without any integrated other server.
you use the machine you are downloading from at this moment as a server to you.
and this machine has a limited upstream (upload stream) depending on its internet connection.

so, if the other machine uses an analog modem, its upstream is max. 56 kbps (56 kb/s) and so you will get max. 56 kbps from it regardeless what connection you are using.

but also think about, that maybe other people are downloading from this machine at the same time.

so if 10 people are downloading from this machine which is connected over a modem, everyone will get 5,6 kbps in the middle.


so be happy ... 50 kbps downlaod speed is really good

cu in web ...:::~~~~~~:::...

[Yusuke]

Originally posted by uncle_cracker@8 February 2003 - 15:57
hello ... B)

@rozza38

kbps and kb/s are the same.

ummm......no, kbps and kB/s aren't the same...little b is bits, big b is bytes
and 8 bits is equal to 1 byte

if you had an internet connection at 576 kbps your download stream is max. 576 kbps but then you need an internet source (a server) that can deliver this.

That's not true either....With a connection at 576 kbps they should be able to get a max of 72 kB/s (and even though Kazaa shows kb/s it really means kB/s is just a bug in the program)

so, if the other machine uses an analog modem, its upstream is max. 56 kbps (56 kb/s) and so you will get max. 56 kbps from it regardeless what connection you are using.

Yet again, this is not true.....56 kbps modem theoretically can get about 7 kB/s max
But with the limitations the US has put one can only connect at a max of 53.3 kbps so max should theoretically be about 6.5 kB/s....but in actuallity, most 56k users won't see over 5-5.5 kB/s
And uploading with 56k, AFAIK is only 28 kbps, so max should be 3-4 kB/s

[Amarjit]

You lot forgot TeraBytes (Tb), ZetaBytes (Zb) and YotaBytes (Yb).

[imported_uncle_cracker]

oh man

if you read my post so you have to see that i always write b NOT B

i know the difference between bits and bytes, believe me.

but the beginning question was, if kbps and kb/s are different. he wrote always a LITTLE b.

AND THIS IS THE SAME FOR SURE !!!!!

and if there is a bug in the programm that is MEANING B and writing b had nothing to do with the question if kbps and kb/s are different.

the only thing is when somebody read now 50kb/s in kazaa, that he has actually 400kb/s

but at last again: kbps and kb/s are the same !!!!!

man oh man B)

so lets tell the guy in easy way what's going on:

if you read 50 kb/s in KAZAA that means 400 kb/s cause kazaa means B by writing b.

that is all !!!!

cu in web ~~~:::... ...:::~~~

[rozza38]

Cheers Guys,

You've cleared up my confusion. I thought I had major connection problems for a while!

thanks.

P

[Wizzandabe]

a 576kbs connection is not a dl stream of 72 the mazamum is 56 just deleat the last letter off for example


56k modem

56kbs = 56k = 5kb/s = you could download 10kb in 2 seconds

[mobboss01]

I think in Kazaa, they programed the rates to show Kb/s with the uppercase K to imply bytes, not bits. If they wanted to imply bites, they probably would have had kb/s.

[J'Pol]

Of course 56kb is only for downloads. It's less for uploads. Same for cable a download speed and a lower upload speed.

Cheers

JimF