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mbps instead of mBps

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yorlik

mbps instead of mBps

Postby yorlik » Thu Jul 22, 2021 7:27 pm

Can we have a setting to pick reporting download speed as mbps instead of mBps?

The majority of speed testers, including the most common one, speedtester.net, report in mbps; so most of us think in terms of 30mbps, not 3.75mBps

Thanks for listening to my idea!
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Usher
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Re: mbps instead of mBps

Postby Usher » Fri Jul 23, 2021 2:13 pm

1. Small letter "m" stands for milli- prefix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milli-
You can't use less than one bit so millibits are nonsense.
If you want to use M for mega, you should know that software in most cases shows binary units (mebibytes, 1 MiB=1'048'576 bytes, though traditionally MB acronym is in use), while ISP bandwidth is counted in decimal units (megabits per second, 1 Mbps = 1'000'000 bits per second) .

2. FDM counts only data which can be saved as a file, that is - in bytes. You cannot save one bit file. Total number of bits depends on transmission protocols and is available only from hardware drivers level. See explanations in older topics:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17626&p=44148#p44148
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16868&p=37965#p37965
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11205&p=32472#p32472

In most cases you can round 1 MB/s download speed to 10 Mbps bandwidth. Ethernet UTP/STP cable transmission has smaller overhead, Wi-Fi connection has larger overhead.

3. Don't trust speed testers. They recalculate download speed to bandwidth as I have mentioned in p.2. What is more, they show only approximate data, just to have any orientation about current bandwidth available.
Andrzej P. Wozniak, FDM user and forum moderator
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"How to report a bug or a problem with FDM" before posting
Guest

Re: mbps instead of mBps

Postby Guest » Fri Jul 23, 2021 6:13 pm

afterHahahaha! Thanks Dr. grammar policeman wizard! Let's take your 3 points in order, after I apologize for my small typo. I meant Mbps vs MBps of course; the context of my post made that abundantly clear to those with more than 1 brain cell. Now to your great reply sir:

1) No shite Sherlock

2) You totally missed the point Sherlock: the point is speed testers, internet providers, routers, gateways, switches, modems, normal IT people and customers all report internet speed in MBps, not bits per second. So to show speed of FDM in bits instad of the industry & household standard of MBps is just ludicrous.

3) Your suggestion that all speed testers are useless means you should have replied that FDM should stop showing the download speed at all! If you really feel speed testers and data speed indicators are so useless, you should look up the definition of absolute and relative. Without even relative speed comparisons we would have little clue how fast data moves.
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Usher
Posts: 2557
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:37 pm
Location: Poland

Re: mbps instead of mBps

Postby Usher » Fri Jul 23, 2021 8:51 pm

It is as it is. There will be no better answer.

https://biblehub.com/proverbs/17-28.htm
Andrzej P. Wozniak, FDM user and forum moderator
Read FDM FAQ and the reporting rules
"How to report a bug or a problem with FDM" before posting

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