Bandwidth?

[Dina Ahren]

Hi there,

I'm on a 50meg connection and under the network in second life doe's anyone have any idea what my bandwidth should be set as ? Thanks for your time.

[Peggy Paperdoll]

If you are actually getting something close to that 50 mbps download with your connection you can set your bandwidth as high as you like.  The Linden Lab servers will only send the data at whatever the server load allows.  Things like textures, prims, concurrent avatars both on the sim you are on and neighboring sims, your inventory add up to a pretty healthy amount of data.  The servers can not send all that data at once and be done with your viewer's requests.........everything changes constantly so you're receiving data constantly.  It's the same for every other person on the server.  The servers divide the time devoted to every request equally and send the data at as a timed event to each.......when you set your bandwidth in preferences you are telling the servers how much bandwidth you can receive each time it comes your turn.  I don't know what LL's servers upload bandwidth is but it's not unlimited.  There's only so much they can push out the pipe at one time........and that's the total for all viewers making the requests.  Someone with a setting of 500 kbps will get 500 kbps for the turn.  Someone with 1500 kbps will get 1500 in that same timed turn........as long as the server load allows and LL's network has the bandwidth available (not to mention what the Internet can provide at that instant).

 

I experimented few times in the past and have never seen my bandwidth peak above about 2000 kbps (2.0 mbps).   I have a fairly fast connection too (20 mbps).  Most (in fact practically all) of the time I see the bandwidth hovering around 900 kbps with occasional spikes up to about 1200 kbps.  I have my bandwidth set at 1500 because I see no practical reason to have it higher.  There are other things to consider when setting your bandwidth.  How fast your computer can process all that data flooding in............packet loss is not limited to lost packets in transition to your computer.  If your computer is busy processing data and so much is coming in so fast that the buffer is out run you will get packet loss.  Packet loss requires the data to be sent again........and that slows you down.  So, there's a point at which too much bandwidth is counter productive..........it will actually slow you down more than if have your bandwidth set too low.  Experiment around to find your best setting.  If you reach a point where you are getting packet loss back off on the setting a little.  1% packet loss is not excessive but 0% is normal for a healthy connection.......over 2 or 3% is getting in the excessive range.