What Does 30MB for Broadband actually mean? Gaming?

Hi,

I'm thinking about joining virgin media and i was thinking which package shall i choose.. I play on my PS3 a lot .. on a usual school day i'd probably play around 4 hours and because summer is coming up.. I'd probably play for like 8 hours..

So shall i get the 30MB broadband?
what does the 30MB actually mean? Like can i play on my ps3 for unlimited hours?

http://store.virginmedia.com/broadband/compare-broadband/30mb.html

Reply 1

multiplexing-gamer

Original post by jameslad

30MB speeds mean it's quicker with less lag..

Reply 2

jameslad

Original post by multiplexing-gamer

30MB speeds mean it's quicker with less lag..

Oh okay. So i can play for unlimited hours right?

Reply 3

The Mr Z

Original post by jameslad

Oh okay. So i can play for unlimited hours right?

Not necessarily, you'd have to check the small print for that information. The 30MB just advertises a maximum offered speed.

Provided that your local infrastructure is sufficient (this is their get-out clause), your internet speed will be capped at 30 mega-bits per second maximum.

At certain times of day, or permanently due to not having good enough internet connectivity near your house, your actual speed may be less than this and the provider need not notify you nor do anything to rectify it. There are a lot of get-out clauses.

Check what your current broadband speed cap is (it's probably not much less than this in fact) and use a speed-checker website to see your actual speed. You can't really expect much improvement on this.

Also look for the upload speed offered - online gaming requires equal upload and download, and normally your upload will be the limiting factor.

Reply 4

jameslad

Original post by The Mr Z

How much MB or GB usage do you think i will need?
I only surf the net here and there.. checking emails etc
and i play online on my Ps3

Reply 5

JulietheCat

Original post by jameslad

WTF bro?

Wow, that user got banned and 1,000 warning points just for that post? Shortest ever lived tsr account in the world. :teehee:

Anyway, it should be fast but depends on the peak times. And there is a size limit on most broadbands so please check the small print carefully.

Reply 6

iSMark

Original post by jameslad

How much MB or GB usage do you think i will need?
I only surf the net here and there.. checking emails etc
and i play online on my Ps3

Do you stream any videos?

Youtube+sky go+ downloading films + downloading music

= a lot of bandwidth needed.

I have BT infinity which offers unlimited, but I was downloading about 40GB a month by myself before. I played xbox 360 for about 10 hours a week and also downloaded tv series etc

Reply 7

chapman.

You won't get anywhere near 30MB btw

Reply 8

Dont Tread On Me

Original post by chapman.

You won't get anywhere near 30MB btw

They could, mine is advertised at 65mb and I actually get higher than that.

Reply 9

iSMark

Original post by chapman.

You won't get anywhere near 30MB btw

It's all relative though.

With fibre optic technology, its definitely possible. Although as you say whether its delivered is another matter.

Reply 10

Psyk

Original post by multiplexing-gamer

30MB speeds mean it's quicker with less lag..

It doesn't necessarily mean that.

30MB stands for 30 megabits per second, which is the bandwidth. It's a measure of how much data they can pump through to your house per second. It doesn't measure the latency, which is how long that data takes to get there.

Online games tend to not need that much bandwidth (so you probably won't have to worry about any download limits, which Virgin does have), but for the game to be smooth you need as little latency as possible.

Higher bandwidth and lower latency are related to some extent, so chances are the latency will be ok. But it's not a guarantee. There may be other ISPs that offer lower bandwidth but also lower latency. Really it's best to look around the Internet for other people's experiences with it. But even then it depends on where you live.