Wednesday 23 November 2016

Yes, you CAN 'waste' internet!

I've had customers ask me why they need a better router... Well, a better router can make your home/office internet system work more efficiently.  Your home/office system is only as good as your weakest link!

Let's begin with a quick analogy of how stuff on the internet works...

Everything on the internet gets sent to you in little 'chunks' called, 'blocks', or 'packets', or whatever. It all comes to you just like a jigsaw puzzle, but with all of the pieces in order - and each one must be received by your device (computer/tablet/phone/TV/whatever) in order - and within milliseconds of being asked-for.

Here's how a string of these blocks might look as they are received... 1,2,333333,4,5555,6, etc...

Those blocks (#3 and #5) stuttered because your device didn't receive the individual block, as requested, in order and ON TIME.  Remember, we're talking about being received within 1,000ths of a second.  If your device didn't receive a block within an acceptable number of milliseconds, it is repeated - all the way from its original source, through the internet and to your device again - and again, until (a) you are kicked off for too many re-tries (stutters) of that same block, or (b) that block is accepted by your device within the allowed time.  This repeating block goes through your internet meter each time it's re-sent - wasting your internet and time.  Remember, unless you have an 'un-limited' package, every block counts!

It's really a lot like a car engine.  The piston and spark must 'meet' at the right time, or the gas isn't ignited efficiently and is therefore wasted.  Based on the explanation above - and this analogy, you see how easily a person can waste internet.  ...And, if enough people on a server/system are wasting internet in this fashion, the whole system gets bogged-down due to 're-tries' (much like rush-hour on a major highway... One slow car, slows us all down).  Yeah, I like my analogies...

If your router is inefficient, it can help cause more of the above-illustrated stutters.  This is why I always recommend a person get the best router they can afford.  Chances are, that router will help make the overall system more efficient.