Hi Matt Just to add to Tim's useful explanation, I was trying to find the listing for speeds,..but this little "cheat" will help:- <http://www.ice.mtu.edu/~jamyles/references/speeds.html>
Just to give you a quick idea. If you were transferring it across WiFi and assuming the slowest computer has WiFI 802.11b/g then it will be running at about 54 Mbps / 11 Mbps If you transferred it via Ethernet cable then you'd be working at about 100 Mbps And if you decided to do it via Firewire400 it would be about 400 Mbps Just for fun, mix in USB1..... - 12 Mbps Of course, there are lots of other factors that affect this as well, but you can see why if you have a bit of data to transfer WiFi sometimes isn't always the best way. It's better to transfer it via Ethernet or if you've got a Firewire drive around, drop it onto that, then plug it into the iMac and throw it on there. You'd be down in half the time,...even counting unplugging and walking :o) Hope that helps,... and gives you a bit of a rough idea. :o) Kind Regards Daniel On 25/11/2010, at 10:11 PM, Tim Law wrote: > > Hi Matt, > > I think you are confusing two technologies. > > What I imagine you have had installed is a device to connect you to the > internet using Telstra as you Internet Service Provider. > There is one connection, a copper phone line, or a coaxial cable, or a > wireless connection to the internet. > This is your internet connection. Do not think about this again for the rest > of the description! > > > The box that this external internet connection is connected to is called a > router. > It may have several ethernet ports on the back. > It may have a couple of little antenna sticking up. These are called your > WiFi connections. I'm sure WiFi is short for something, I can't recall. > Both these will allow - all other things being equal - for anything connected > to either the ethernet ports or the little antennas to connect or talk to > each other and files can be transferred. This is your home network. It has > WiFi and ethernet cable connections and can be extended all over the place, > but has nothing to do with the internet. > > When you transfer something from one computer to the other, you are generally > using your home network. From your description this is what you have done. > When you send an email or use an internet browser, you are going to use the > internet - that other thing I told you to forget about. :-) > > Your router will work fine without a connection to the internet, you just > won't be able to send emails or browse the internet. > They are two distinct technologies. > > I trust this is useful. > > Tim > > > On 25/11/2010, at 10:52 AM, Matt Falvey wrote: > >> >> Hi all, I have a problem understanding WiFi and thought I am going to look a >> little silly asking this question but then that is my forte. >> >> I have just installed WiFi with Telstra. All the Mac's are linked to it via >> WiFi so they can access the net. The other day I downloaded a game for >> daughter onto my iMac. As the game was 5.3GB, I couldn't burn it to a DVD, >> nor did I have an SD card or Thumbdrive big enough to transfer it to her >> iMac. So I went to the finder and connected to her iMac and sent it to her >> desktop. The only thing it took just short of an hour! >> >> As this was happening I had time to ask myself, Why. Now I am asking you? >> As I couldn't answer it specifically, though I have my fears, - Have I sent >> this via Telstra? - Not from iMac to iMac but via WiFi uploaded to Bigpond >> and downloaded to Hannah's iMac? >> >> So I am asking in effect is even though we all have WiFi capable Macs, to >> talk to each other via WiFi we have to go through a connection by WiFi to >> Telstra/Bigpond, as we are not connected to ourselves, "in home"? Is that >> right? >> >> If the above is correct can I configure the Macs to talk to themselves via >> WiFi? (I realise I could have connected the two up via a firewire cable and >> done it that way, but I thought we were all WiFi) >> >> Thanks from a very confused. >> >> Matt >> >> >> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- >> Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> >> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> >> Unsubscribe - <mailto:wamug-unsubscr...@wamug.org.au> >> > > > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Unsubscribe - <mailto:wamug-unsubscr...@wamug.org.au> > --- Daniel Kerr MacWizardry Phone: 0414 795 960 Email: <dan...@macwizardry.com.au> Web: <http://www.macwizardry.com.au> **For everything Macintosh** -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Unsubscribe - <mailto:wamug-unsubscr...@wamug.org.au>
