WiFi Manager's Connection Speed Varies?

[PeteCress]

WiFi Manager 3.0.6 by Kostya Vasilyev, Android 5.0.1.

The Mbps numbers are all over the place from minute-to-minute.... same WAP - e.g. 6 Mbps one minute, 81Mbps a few minutes later..... maybe 400 some other time.

Would the app be using the API of the same name?

Is that degree of variation to be expected?

Do the app's numbers reflect reality?

 

[svim]

Your phone or tablet is never going to be using WiFi connectivity at anywhere near a constant rate -- it's not just apps you're actively using but lots of background services that will be accessing the Internet. At any given moment your email app might be checking its online servers, if you have music in the background some app will be streaming content, Google Play might be updating some app(s), if you have Dropbox or any other backup/sync service implemented it might be syncing something, and there are most likely numerous other things going on.

 

[PeteCress]

Your phone or tablet is never going to be using WiFi connectivity at anywhere near a constant rate -- it's not just apps you're actively using but lots of background services that will be accessing the Internet. At any given moment your email app might be checking its online servers....

I think it's starting to soak in: those numbers do not represent capacity. ..... Instead they represent bandwidth actually in use at the moment.

Have I got it right?

 

[svim]

If you go to your Settings >> Wi-Fi and tap on whichever network you're currently connected to that will bring up a status box, the 'Link speed' will show the maximum connectivity your phone can use. Note this link speed number is dependent on the wireless router you're currently connected to, so if for example you're at work the link speed number might be higher or lower. In any case your phone will only be using what it needs in any given moment so those usage numbers you posted are just a reflection of that.
If you want a nice summary of WiFi basics this article is worth reading through:
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/sbiddle/8728