Defining Latency and Bandwidth
Most customers recognize the term 'bandwidth' as it's a common metric used by internet providers to define their services. Bandwidth (typically measured in Mbps) represents the capacity of your 'data pipeline', while latency (measured in milliseconds) indicates the speed at which requests are handled after they've been initiated. Essentially, lower latency results in a more responsive user experience, while higher latency can lead to a sluggish experience.
To better grasp these concepts, let's consider a highway metaphor:
Internet Bandwidth: Think of this as the number of lanes on your highway. Just as more lanes allow for more cars to travel simultaneously, higher bandwidth accommodates more concurrent data transfers.
Internet Latency: This can be compared to the speed limit on your highway. Regardless of the number of lanes, a congested highway or inefficient route will extend the time it takes for a car to travel from point A to point B. Similarly, latency measures the time it takes for data to move from your cloud storage to your workstation, or vice versa.
Maintaining low latency necessitates a dependable internet connection.
Decrease Latency for Optimal LucidLink Performance
To prevent latency from increasing and potentially causing a less than 'Excellent' connection status in the LucidLink app dashboard, consider the following:
Opt for a wired connection: Wired connections generally offer lower latency compared to wireless ones.
Update your equipment: Outdated hardware, such as routers or modems provided by your ISP, can contribute to increased latency. It might be time to request an equipment upgrade from your ISP.
Try restarting your router: Network devices can experience issues that introduce additional latency.
Close unnecessary applications: Too many applications running at the same time can consume resources on your device and increase latency and downloads can consume additional bandwidth while increasing latency. Try to schedule background activities to a time when you are not actively working
Consider switching the VPN service off: A virtual private network usually introduces additional latency.
Consider your physical location: If you're situated far from the region where your LucidLink Filespace was established, this distance can contribute to higher latency. To enhance efficiency under high latency, use the Pinning feature. This pre-populates the blocks that make up your files in your LucidLink cache, making you less reliant on your internet connection when accessing these files.
Remember, even if latency is higher than ideal, LucidLink's technology is designed to accommodate such conditions, ensuring that you can still have a satisfactory experience with lighter workloads. Additionally, even if the LucidLink app dashboard indicates a 'fair' or 'poor' connection, there's no need to worry about data loss or other issues. This only signifies the responsiveness of your connection between the LucidLink Filespace and your local workstation.