This is additional information regarding the FAQ entry: Speed for on- or off-campus (from a remote office or home via VPN).

IP-network connectivity is measured in mega-bits per seconds, Mb/s.

• File sizes are typically measured in mega-bytes, MB.
• File transfers (throughput) are normally measured in mega-bytes per second, MB/s.
• Latency is the “response time” for the round-trip from your computer to a network location (SFS) and back, a “delay” in every I/O operation.

It is very common for people to think of Mb/s and MB/s as the same thing, however they are vastly different.

• 8 bits = 1 byte
• 8 mega-bits (Mb) = 1 mega-byte (MB)
• This is an 8:1 ratio.

On-campus a computer can typically obtain 40 mega-bytes/s (MB/s) while copying files to/from SFS.  This is a “cap” imposed by our storage device, and has nothing to do with the potential of the network or your computer.

• On-campus the typical latency is less than 1 milli-second.
• Off-campus this kind of performance is not to be expected with SFS.