3.1.8 Explain why the speed of data transmission across a network can vary


  •  LAN connections

 – UTP Copper cable (100Mbps)
 – Fibre optic cable (5-100Gbps)
 – WiFi (10-150Mbps)

  •  Broadband (WAN) connections
 – DSL (2-16Mbps)
 – Fibre optic (20-100Mbps)
 – 3G (± 1 Mbps) – 4G (± 20 Mbps)


  • Reasons why speed may vary:
 –The speed may vary at the different times of day
 –The speed may vary depending on the distance. Rural, urban and RBI have different speeds with        Rural being the slowest and Urban being the fastest
 –The speed may vary depending on your specific internet provider
 –The speed may vary depending on the quality of the cable that is used.If the cable is damaged the         speed will be slower.
 – Speed may vary depending on which connection method is sued is used (fibre optic, UTP, twistaid     pair, Wifi,..)