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1 Mbps Upload:

Short for “1 Megabit per second” upload (also known as 1 Mbps on the upstream), means that the data rate of sending/uploading documents, files or programs from your computer or other connected devices through the internet will be at a rate of 1 megabits per second.

2.4 GHz Wireless Band:

Most wireless network equipment use radio signals in either a 2.4 GHz range or a 5 GHz range. While older routers only support the 2.4 GHz band, the new Viasat WiFi Gateway Modem, gives you a choice of either band. The 2.4 GHz frequency has an extensive range and can easily pass through obstacles like walls. However, since most devices use this, the high-traffic band is prone to interference, narrow, busy, noisy and, as a result, slower and less stable. It’s the interstate of bandwidths for most household devices such as: baby monitors, car alarms, garage-door openers, microwave ovens, security cameras, wireless headphones, etc. The 2.4 GHz band is ideal for long range and better obstacle penetration. Recommended for email, some browsing and similar low-bandwidth consuming functions.

3G:

3G refers to the “third generation” of cellular data standards. Cell phone companies often market mobile phones as “3G devices” but there is no single 3G standard. 3G is a broad label given to cellular technologies that support data transfer rates of 14.4 Mbps or faster. Most cell phone networks support both 3G and 4G technologies (see “4G” below).

3 Mbps Upload:

Short for “3 Megabits per second”  upload (also known as 3 Mbps on the upstream), means that the data rate of sending/uploading documents, files or programs from your computer or other connected devices through the internet will be at a rate of 3 megabits per second.

4G:

The fourth generation of cellular data standards. Like 3G, there is no single 4G technology. Instead, 4G is an umbrella of technologies that conform to the requirements established by the International Telecommunications Union. All 4G devices must support a data transfer rate of at least 100 Mbps. 4G networks and devices were first available in the U.S. in 2009. Sprint was the first company to offer 4G service, followed by Verizon, AT&T,  T-Mobile and Xfinity.

5 GHz Wireless Band:

Most wireless network equipment use radio signals in either a 2.4 GHz range or a 5 GHz range. While older routers only support the 2.4 GHz band, the new Viasat WiFi Gateway Modem, gives you a choice of either band. The 5 GHz band can move a lot of data quickly, but has a shorter range and cannot easily penetrate solid objects. It is however broader, less congested and much faster with higher throughput for streaming functions. For instance, if you’re using your tablet on 5 GHz and move to another room in your house, the connection might drop. Because it’s used almost exclusively for WiFi networks, it performs better than 2.4 GHz. And with 23 non-overlapping channels, it offers almost 8X as much capacity as the 3-channel, 2.4 GHz band. It’s ideal for laptops, phones, tablets and other data devices used in small, open spaces. And recommended for indoor music & video streaming. NOTE: Not all of devices are 5GHz compatible.

7-Zip:

An open-source software used to place groups of files within compressed containers known as “archives”. Available for download free of charge, even for commercial use, 7-Zip can pack and unpack just about any compressed or decompressed file.  Compressed, zipped files can be sent and received faster online as well as encrypted and password-protected for added security. 7-Zip uses its own 7z archive format, but can read and write several other archive formats. Therefore, you can also use 7-Zip to make self-extracting compressed archives that can be sent electronically to others without having to worry about what software they have installed. 7-Zip is free software available to download at the 7-Zip.org  website.

12 Mbps Download:

Short for “12 Megabits per second” download (also known as 12 Mbps on the downstream), means that files & programs that are being sent to your your computer or other connected devices through the internet will be at a rate of 12 megabits per second.

25 Mbps Download:

Short for “25 Megabits per second” download (also known as 25 Mbps on the downstream), means that files & programs that are being sent to your your computer or other connected devices through the internet will be at a rate of 25 megabits per second.

30 Mbps Download:

Short for “30 Megabits per second” download (also known as 30 Mbps on the downstream), means that files & programs that are being sent to your your computer or other connected devices through the internet will be at a rate of 30 megabits per second.

50 Mbps Download:

Short for “50 Megabits per second” download (also known as 50 Mbps on the downstream), means that files & programs that are being sent to your your computer or other connected devices through the internet will be at a rate of 50 megabits per second.

100 Mbps Download:

Short for “100 Megabits per second” download (also known as 100 Mbps on the downstream), means that files & programs that are being sent to your your computer or other connected devices through the internet will be at a rate of 100 megabits per second.

802.11a:

This is a wireless (WiFi) standard developed by the IEEE for transmitting data over a wireless network. It uses a 5 GHz band and allows data to be transferred up to 54 Mbps. Other standards within the 802.11 family include 802.11b, which transfers data up to 11 Mbps and uses a 2.4 GHz band, 802.11g, which also uses a 2.4 GHz band, but can transfer data up to 54 Mbps,  the 802.11n, which can transfer data over 100 Mbps , and the 802.11ac, which transfers data up to 500 Mbps and uses a 5 GHz band.

802.11ac:

This is the most current wireless (WiFi) standard in the 802.11 family developed by the IEEE that provides high-throughput “wireless local area networks” (WLANs) on the 5 GHz band. This technology effectively supercharges the range of a your wireless devices. A single 802.11ac router will cover an entire household, whereas an older router might require additional routers to bridge the signal.

While the previous standards supported transfer rates of up to 100 Mbps, devices that use 802.11ac can transfer data at least 500 Mbps. This is accomplished by extending the air-interface concepts embraced by 802.11n: wider RF bandwidth (up to 160 MHz), more MIMO spatial streams (up to eight), downlink multi-user MIMO (up to four clients) and high-density modulation (up to 256-QAM).

The Viasat WiFi Gateway Modem uses the 802.11ac, which is considered a supercharged version of 802.11n (see “802.11n ” below).  To learn more about the Viasat WiFi Modem click here.

NOTE: With the fast speeds and large range that 802.11ac provides, it is important to password protect your wireless network.

802.11b:

This is a wireless (WiFi) standard developed by the IEEE for transmitting data over a wireless network. It operates on a 2.4 GHz band and allows for wireless data transfers up to 11 Mbps. A faster standard, called 802.11g (see below), was introduced a few years after 802.11b and supports data transfer rates up to 54 Mbps. This can make a difference in the speed of data transfers within a local network, but if your internet access is often limited to around 5 Mbps, a 802.11b wireless connection will not be a bottleneck for internet access. Most wireless networks are based on either 802.11b or 802.11g, however, the Viasat WiFi Gateway Modem uses the 802.11ac (see “802.11ac” above), which is considered a supercharged version of 802.11n.

802.11g:

This is a wireless (WiFi) standard developed by the IEEE for transmitting data over a wireless network. It operates on a 2.4 GHz bandwidth and supports data transfer rates up to 54 Mbps. 802.11g is backward compatible with 802.11b hardware, but if there are any 802.11b-based computers on the network, the entire network will have to run at 11 Mbps (the max speed that 802.11b supports). You can configure your 802.11g wireless router to only accept 802.11g devices, which will ensure that your network runs at its top speed.

802.11n:

802.11n is a wireless (WiFi) standard developed by the IEEE that supports a longer range and higher wireless transfer rates than the previous standard, 802.11g. 802.11n devices support MIMO (multiple in, multiple out) data transfers, which can transmit multiple streams of data at once. This technology effectively doubles the range of a wireless device. Therefore, a wireless router that uses 802.11n may have twice the radius of coverage as an 802.11g router. This means a single 802.11n router may cover an entire household, whereas an 802.11g router might require additional routers to bridge the signal. While the previous 802.11g standard supported transfer rates of up to 54 Mbps, devices that use 802.11n can transfer data over 100 Mbps. With an optimized configuration, the 802.11n standard can theoretically support transfer rates of up to 500 Mbps. That is five times faster than a standard 100 Base-T wired Ethernet network.

360p:

Considered low-definition video quality, 360p video is made up of 360 lines stacked one on top of another from top to bottom, with each line being 480 pixels wide. A 360p has a video screen resolution of 480 × 360 pixels. Streaming at 360p is mostly reserved for videos that are typically viewed on mobile and smaller devices. Smart phones, tablets or small TVs (40-inch screen or smaller) can stream video using 360p video screen resolution. Videos at 360p are well-suited for mobile devices since they use less data. However, you should be aware that images viewed at 360p may appear a bit blurry on larger screens and TVs.

480p:

Considered DVD quality, 480p video is made up of 480 lines stacked one on top of another from top to bottom, with each line being 640 pixels wide. A 480p has a video screen resolution of 640 × 480 pixels. 480p is recommended for viewing DVDs and streaming video on most laptop and desktop monitors and standard (non-HD) TVs. Households with multiple connected mobile devices and people who tend to stream video on their laptops, tablets or standard size TVs can stream most videos at 480p video screen resolution. Shows that don’t have a lot of fast action scenes or high-def graphics look just fine at 480p DVD quality.

720p:

Considered true high-definition (HD) video quality, 720p video is made up of 720 lines stacked one on top of another from top to bottom, with each line being 1,280 pixels wide. A 720p has a video screen resolution of 1280 × 720 pixels, meaning that it is more than twice as sharp as a the same video at 480p and can be viewed on much larger screens and HD TVs. A HD 720p video is crisp, sharp and looks amazing on most displays. Video streaming at 720p or higher is ideal for watching movies and programs on big screens. Plus, most HDTV channels broadcast at a 720p video screen resolution. Households with multiple HD devices running and people who want the best quality regardless of the device they use are advised to choose a Viasat plan that provides 720p. In addition to HD TVs, 720p is recommended for streaming movies & videos that have a lot of fast action scenes and high-res graphics.

1080p:

Considered full HD video quality, 1080p video is made up of 1,080 lines stacked one on top of another from top to bottom, with each line being 1,920 pixels wide. A 1080p has a video screen resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, meaning that it will provide the clearest, sharpest video image possible and recommended for streaming videos on larger screens and HD TVs, since it will give your audience the highest possible quality display, with vivid, crystal clear playback. Plus 1080p video screen resolution is another favorite for HDTV stations.