An examination of the phenomenon of painfully slow uploads to online backup services

So you’ve got the latest in computer technology, the best electronic wireless router that money can buy, and a stonking 8mbit/s broadband connection. Why oh why does it take so long to backup your data online? For that matter, why does any upload take so long? It’s all in the numbers.

The speeds quoted for broadband connections (typically in mbits per second. A mbit being a million bits) are always for download speeds. The upload speed is not necessarily related to the download speed and is usually substantially slower. Why? Because generally customers download much more than they upload. Standard connection upload speeds are around 256 kilobits - that’s a thousand bits - per second. If you’re thinking on your feet then you’ll realise that this is 32 times slower than your 8 mbit/s download.

Broadband - ADSL - lines are asynchronous (that’s the ‘A’ in ‘ADSL’), meaning the rates of upload and download are different. If you’re lucky enough to have the use of a leased line then you’re more likely to have a synchronous connection. A synchronous connection means that you will get the same upload and download speeds. Lucky you.

So when you’re uploading your data to an online backup repository you’re stuck at the same speed as everyone else, and are limited by the physical constraints of the connection to your home rather than by any equipment you’re using inside the home. Next time you’re getting frustrated without your upload speed blame technology, not your computer.