In computing, data transfer is the process of transferring electronic or digital data from one location to another. It can be done manually, through a physical medium such as a floppy disk or USB drive, or over a network such as the Internet. Data transfer can also be achieved by converting the data into another form, such as from analog to digital, or from one computer format to another.
There are two types of data transfers: serial and parallel. Serial data transfer is the simplest and most common type, in which bits are sent one at a time over a single communication channel. Parallel data transfer sends multiple bits simultaneously over multiple channels, which can increase speed but is more complex.
Data rates are typically measured in bits per second (bps). Common serial data rates include 9600 bps (typical for modems), 115200 bps (used by some Ethernet devices), and 12000000 bps (gigabit Ethernet). Some newer technologies support much higher rates; for example, Thunderbolt 3 supports up to 40 Gbps.
The amount of time required to complete a data transfer depends on both the size of the file being transferred and the speed of the connection. For example, transferring a 1 GB file over a 56 kbps modem would take about 17 minutes, while transferring the same file over an 8 Mbps broadband connection would take about 9 seconds.