As web pages are designed it is important to keep in mind the capabilities of the users, particularly when you are designing pages in a high speed environment.
Almost 95% of the people viewing your pages will not be operating at speeds comparable to this room.
For example, if your web page, including graphics, totals 30,000 bytes (30K) and the viewer has a connection that runs at 2000 bytes (2K) it will take about 15 seconds to load the page.
Most connection runs between 2 and 3K.
Most web pages designers agree that the maximum page size should be 60K with 40K being the average. This will require attention to page size and require you to optimize graphics using a graphics package such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.
| ISP Connection Type | Download Speed (Approximately) | Cost (Approximately) | Can you use the phone when connected? |
| T-Carrier (lab computers) | 500 Kbps or faster | Free to staff, faculty and students | Yes |
| DSL | 350 - 750 Kbps | $40/month plus setup fees | Yes |
| Cable | 400 - 950 Kbps | $40/month | Yes |
| Dial-up | 28 - 53 Kbps (mostly at 28 kbps) | $19.95/month | No, unless multiple lines |
Connection speed is not always the speed at which pages load. By going to Yahoo and doing a search on connection speed, you will find pages that will test your download and upload speeds under actual conditions.