NWE Help: Graphics: Intro: Bandwidth

The Free Online Dictionary of Computing defines bandwidth as "the amount of data that can be sent through a given communications circuit per second." The larger the file you send over a computer network, the greater the demand for bandwidth. If you have ever drummed your fingers impatiently waiting for a web page to load, you have experienced a problem with bandwidth first hand. While faster Internet connections allow many of us to enjoy web sites replete with flashy images, animations, and even sound with little delay, others with slower connections and less powerful computer systems and software do not have the bandwidth to handle those sites successfully.

When you design a web site, you should consider whether the audience you want to reach has the resources necessary to take advantage of all of the features you want to include. If you hope to reach a wide range of people, including those who do not have access to state-of-the-art computers or fast, reliable Internet connections, then you should think about minimizing the bandwidth your site requires or providing a second, low-bandwidth site as an alternative.

The NWE has a nifty tool called Pagesizer that calculates the bandwidth of any web page housed on its system. Also, the Bandwidth Conservation Society, a group of web designers who have been concerned about bandwidth since the early days of the WWW, offers tips on reducing the size of image files without sacrificing quality.