Everyone has heard the words download and upload, but the difference between them escapes many people. Yet it is simple, and it helps you understand why something is fast for you and something else slow. Let us explain it so it is clear to everyone.

What download is

Download is data that comes to you, that is from the internet to your device. You download whenever you:

  • load a web page,
  • watch a video or listen to music,
  • download a file, a photo or an update.

In short, everything you pull to yourself from the internet is download.

What upload is

Upload is the exact opposite, that is data that goes out from you toward the internet. You upload whenever you:

  • send an email with an attachment or a photo,
  • are on a video call (your picture and sound go to the other side),
  • back up files to the cloud,
  • post a video or share a large file.

Everything you send out from yourself is upload.

A simple analogy

Imagine a road with two lanes. One lane leads in to you (download) and the other out from you (upload). Or take the post: the parcels you receive are download, and the parcels you send are upload. The important thing is that both routes work at the same time, each just has its own speed.

Why upload tends to be slower

On most connections the upload is significantly slower than the download. It is not a fault, but by design. An ordinary user downloads (web, videos) far more than they upload, so providers reserve a larger part of the capacity for download. This is called an asymmetric connection. It is most true of DSL internet, where the upload is especially slow, while fiber tends to be symmetric (the same download and upload).

When you need a good upload

Until recently the upload did not interest anyone much, today it is different. You appreciate a higher upload for:

  • video calls (your picture goes up, so with a weak upload it stutters for you and the other side),
  • working from home and sending large files,
  • cloud backups,
  • cameras, which continuously send the picture out,
  • streaming and posting videos.

How to picture it in numbers

When you see a plan written as 100/10, it means 100 Mbit/s for download and 10 Mbit/s for upload. So you download a film quickly, but a large backup will take considerably longer to upload. Note also that speed is in megabits, not megabytes, which we write about in the article internet speed.

Bonus: ping is not speed

Ping (latency) is often mentioned too. That is not the download speed, but the response, that is how quickly the network reacts. It matters especially for gaming and video calls. You can easily check your real download, upload and ping with an online speed test.

Not sure whether you have enough upload for what you do, or dealing with slow internet? Get in touch, we will measure the connection and advise the best solution for your needs.