When it comes to internet connectivity, understanding bandwidth allocation is crucial. You might hear terms like "dedicated bandwidth" and "bandwidth tier" thrown around, but what do they actually mean, and how do they impact our network experience?
Let's break down the key differences:
Dedicated Bandwidth: An Exclusive Lane
Imagine a highway where each car has its own dedicated lane. Dedicated bandwidth works similarly. With dedicated bandwidth, a specific amount of internet capacity is exclusively assigned to a single team.
Example:
If your internet circuit has a capacity of 1Gbps (1000Mbps), and a member requests a dedicated bandwidth of 300Mbps, that 300Mbps would be exclusively assigned to them. The remaining 700Mbps would then be shared among the rest of the users (Staff, Guests, and Members).
Important Note: It is not recommended to use a dedicated bandwidth solution and instead to use the built in Bandwidth Tiers within the isofy dashboard itself. The reason is because when a dedicated bandwidth option is used for a member, the rest of the space will not be able to use the full pipeline (i.e. 300mbps is set aside for the member and the rest of the space will only be able to use the remaining 700mbps). This is also the case when the member is not actively using the network so it is an idle allocation that permanently affects the rest of the space.
To recap, whether the member is in the space or not, your 1Gbps pipeline from your Internet provider will be tuned down to the remaining pipeline (i.e. 700mbps) as long as the dedicated bandwidth solution is in place for that specific member's dedicated bandwidth solution (i.e. 300mbps).
Bandwidth Tier: A Shared Resource Pool
Think of a bandwidth tier as a shared pool of resources. Instead of dedicating a specific amount of bandwidth to a single team, a bandwidth tier assigns a bandwidth cap to an entire company. While they cannot exceed this cap, the bandwidth remains shared and available to others when not in use. This shared bandwidth, which does not reduce the overall internet circuit capacity, is then accessible to all devices on the company's private network.
Example:
If a company is assigned the default bandwidth tier, they will have the default bandwidth that depends on your network (this can be viewed in Settings > Business > Member Default Bandwidth). Each device on that company's network will have access to this bandwidth. You can also change the tier assigned to them depending on their needs by going to Network > Search for the company name > Open it > Click the dropdown on the Bandwidth Speed.
Note: You can easily assign bandwidth tiers to a team through the dashboard, as this is our default method. Dedicated bandwidth, on the other hand, requires a custom configuration and cannot be managed on the dashboard. Please submit a ticket for Dedicated bandwidth requests.
Another Note: If your members' requested bandwidth tier isn't available, please feel free to reach out to us, and we'll take care of it.