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--- glossary:mega_m [2009/01/16 18:11] – created eechris
+++ glossary:mega_m [2011/01/14 12:47] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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+====== Mega (M) ======
+[[SI unit]] prefix meaning 1,000,000 (or one million). In networking terms, the //mega// prefix is normally associated with the link capacity ([[bandwidth]]) of a network link. In this context it is used for example as "this [[Ethernet]] link has a bandwidth of 100 megabits per second (Mbit/s)." Example commonly used link technologies that use megabit speeds are [[Ethernet]] (these days usually 100 Mbit/s), [[WiFi]] (IEEE 802.11g) which is 54 Mbit/s, and domestic [[broadband]] which is typically around 2-10 Mbit/s. One megabit per second is equivalent to 1,000 kilobit/second (1,000 kbit/s).
+A common error made by computing students is to assume that 1 Mbit/s is 2^20 (= 1,048,576) bit/s: it isn't! The SI units define the prefix //Mi// (pronounced mebi) for this usage.
+----
+[[Glossary]] : [[glossary#A|A]] | [[glossary#B|B]] | [[glossary#C|C]] | [[glossary#D|D]] | [[glossary#E|E]] | [[glossary#F|F]] | [[glossary#G|G]] | [[glossary#H|H]] | [[glossary#I|I]] | [[glossary#J|J]] | [[glossary#K|K]] | [[glossary#L|L]] | [[glossary#M|M]] | [[glossary#N|N]] | [[glossary#O|P]] | [[glossary#Q|Q]] | [[glossary#R|R]] | [[glossary#S|S]] | [[glossary#T|T]] | [[glossary#U|U]] | [[glossary#V|V]] | [[glossary#W|W]] | [[glossary#X|X]] | [[glossary#Y|Y]] | [[glossary#Z|Z]]