What are the bandwidth requirements with and without video?

[Tim Carr]

My huge agency (10K+ users) is rapidly adopting GoToMyPC and GoToMeeting.  We are suffering major bandwidth problems.  Some of the problem is illicit streaming of video (Netflix) and audio, but much / most of it is GoToMeeting.  Question:  how much more bandwidth does a GoToMeeting with video (everybody can see everybody else) require, compared with a GoToMeeting where the only thing people can see is the presenter's screen?

[GlennD · Accepted solution]

Hi Tim,

The amount of bandwidth used by GoToMeeting is in nature dynamic and always in flux. Screen sharing, for example, will use more bandwidth during slide changes or if a continuous animation is being shown.  Ultimately, for an accurate report of data usage one will want to consider analyzing their own data usage in a typical meeting of their own.

Over the course of a meeting, a user may see the following data usage averages:

HD Faces = 700 Kbps  (0.7 Mbps)
Screen sharing = 40 Kbps (0.04 Mbps)
VoIP users = 40 Kbps (0.04 Mbps)

In total, it's recommended that each user has at least about 1 Mbps if using HDFaces, Screen sharing, and VoIP combined.  Less bandwidth will still work, but the software performance may suffer because of it. More bandwidth will provide a superior experience.

Note:

This is based on the ISP unit measurement standard for Data Transfer Rates (Bits).  This is not to be confused with the unit measurement standard for Data File Size (Bytes). 
8 Bits = approx. 1 Byte

[Paul Graf]

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled I couldn ́t find much information about bandwidth usage in GotoMeeting. Is a Netw....

[Jocelyn Hansen]

Can someone tell me if I am hosting a goto meeting for 4 hours how much data I will need? I have 2GB available

[Monique Heinz]

Depends what features you are using, as stated by Glenn above. According to Glenn, screen sharing seems to use 144 MB per hour, voice call uses another 144 MB per hour, and HD faces (video) uses 2.46 GB per hour! (That seems high?)

[vsskanth]

Glenn's numbers are in megabits, not megabytes. I estimate a combined usage with HDFaces, screensharing and voip at 450 MB/hr 

[BoonSeng Chern]

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Aggregate office internet bandwidth needed for large scale GotoWebinar session.

We plan to have a 90min long screen sharing and VoIP by 2 or 3 presenters to 5000 participants on GotoWebinar. In a) two offices, there may be 500 participants and b) one office with 1000 participants. What is the total bandwidth needed for offices in a) and the office in b)?

[GlennD]

Hi, am I correct that you will be broadcasting the webinar in conference rooms so that large groups will be able to view it together?

[BoonSeng Chern]

Hi Glenn,
Thanks for your prompt reply.

For this webinar the organizer is looking at each user viewing the session from their own machine, as opposed to our previous sessions where we organized conference room presentations.

Based on the broad user data usage guideline above, can I assume each attendee will require:
        Screen sharing = 40 Kbps (0.04 Mbps)
        VoIP users = 20 Kbps (0.02 Mbps) <= since attendees are muted & will only listen in.

Thence, can I assume the office internet bandwidth needed for 1000 staff is:
        (0.04+0.02) x 1000 = 60Mbps?

Would the calculation above be a good estimate?

Looking forward to your advice.

[namrata]

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled bandwidth requirement:what is bandwidth requirement for 500 participants from var....

bandwidth requirement: I want to know the bandwidth requirement for 500 participants from various locations and 3 presenters from different location. As gotowebinar simply hanged in mid of a similar webinar and didnt let the organizer into the webinar saying come back later..