How to Calculate Streaming Bandwidth

Streaming media.

Bandwidth is a gross measure of data transferred between two connection points in a specified amount of time. Bandwidth is normally expressed as a per-second rate, such as bits per second (kbit/s), or more commonly, Megabits per second (Mbit/s). Calculating bandwidth is important when serving or receiving streaming media data, as some Internet service providers will charge according to bandwidth usage. The quickest and most efficient way to calculate streaming bandwidth for a streaming media server is to use one of the online streaming bandwidth calculators locally on the server. These free applications will test the throughput of the server's connection and provide several useful measurements, including bandwidth required for the specified event, and on some applications, hosting cost estimates.

Instructions

1. Navigate to one of the online streaming bandwidth calculator applications (see Resources section).

2. Enter the speed of the Internet connection configured on the server. (The speed for broadband connections is 220k. For dial-up connections, the speed is 56k, and for ISDN connections, the speed is 128k.)

3. Enter the number of viewers or listeners expected to access the streaming media.

4. Enter the event duration.

5. Click the "Calculate" button. The results will show minimum bandwidth required for the specified streaming media event.

References

• Wise Geek: What is Bandwidth?
• Bummer Hosting: Figuring Video Streaming Media Services Bandwidth

Resources

• Vbrick: Live Streaming Cost Calculator
• Video Streaming Services: Bandwidth Usage Calculator
• Orbital Groves: Streaming Bandwidth Calculator (for Shoutcast Audio)