Uploading sends data from your device to a remote service; downloading brings data from a remote service to your device. The difference is the direction of the transfer, viewed from your device. Sending a photo to cloud storage is an upload; saving that photo from cloud storage onto your phone is a download.
What is the difference between uploading and downloading?
| Term | Direction from your device | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Upload | Your device to a remote server or online service | Sending a photo from your phone to cloud storage |
| Download | A remote server or online service to your device | Saving a photo from cloud storage onto your phone |
The terms describe data flow, not different kinds of files or devices. A file can be uploaded and later downloaded, depending on which way it is moving. NIST describes file transfer between local media and a remote server in its FTP glossary.
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Is uploading sending or receiving?
Uploading is sending from your perspective as the user. The server receives that data. If the server later sends the same file back to your device, that second transfer is a download from your perspective. The labels can therefore describe opposite ends of the same transfer: your upload is the server’s receipt.
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Download speed describes how quickly your connection receives data; upload speed describes how quickly it sends data. Download speed is especially relevant when streaming video because your device receives the video. Upload speed matters when sending a video to cloud storage. These activities may also use network traffic in the other direction—for example, a streaming app can send requests even while it receives video. AT&T explains the practical distinction with examples of streaming and cloud storage in its upload and download speed guide.
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How do uploads and downloads work with cloud storage?
In cloud storage, uploading moves a local file into a remote storage service; downloading retrieves an object from that service to a local file. Google Cloud documents uploading objects from a file system and reading and downloading objects.
The transfer method is separate from the definition. Services may offer resumable uploads for large transfers or downloads using byte ranges, which can help resume interrupted transfers. These options affect how a transfer is carried out, not whether it is an upload or download. Google Cloud describes its object upload methods and download approaches.
Quick Recap
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Rank #2
- Cat 6 performance at a Cat5e price but with higher bandwidth
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