Network Performance: Bandwidth, Throughput, Latency (delay), Bandwidth-delay Product, Jitter

Описание: NETWORK PERFORMANCE MEASURES

1) NETWORK PERFORMANCE – DEFINITION
Network performance refers to how efficiently a network transmits data. It is evaluated using parameters such as bandwidth, throughput, latency, bandwidth-delay product, and jitter.

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2) BANDWIDTH
Definition:
Bandwidth is the maximum data-carrying capacity of a network or communication channel per unit time.

Unit:
Bits per second (bps)

Types:
Analog Bandwidth: Measured in Hertz (Hz)
Digital Bandwidth: Measured in bps

Example:
A 100 Mbps internet connection has a bandwidth of 100 million bits per second.

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3) THROUGHPUT
Definition:
Throughput is the actual amount of data successfully transmitted over a network per unit time.

Unit:
Bits per second (bps)

Key Point:
Throughput is always less than or equal to bandwidth.

Causes of Reduced Throughput:
Network congestion
Errors and retransmissions
Hardware limitations

Example:
On a 100 Mbps link, actual throughput may be 70 Mbps.

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4) LATENCY (DELAY)
Definition:
Latency is the total time taken for a data packet to travel from sender to receiver.

Unit:
Milliseconds (ms)

Components of Latency:
1. Transmission Delay – time to put bits on the link
2. Propagation Delay – time for signal to travel through medium
3. Processing Delay – time to process packet
4. Queuing Delay – time spent waiting in queue

Formula:
Total Delay = Transmission + Propagation + Processing + Queuing

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5) BANDWIDTH-DELAY PRODUCT
Definition:
Bandwidth-delay product represents the amount of data that can be in transit in the network at a given time.

Formula:
Bandwidth-delay product = Bandwidth × Round Trip Time (RTT)

Unit:
Bits or Bytes

Example:
Bandwidth = 10 Mbps
RTT = 100 ms
BDP = 10,000,000 × 0.1 = 1,000,000 bits

Significance:
Indicates buffer size requirement
Important for high-speed networks

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6) JITTER
Definition:
Jitter is the variation in packet delay over time.

Cause:
Network congestion
Variable routing paths
Queue variations

Effect:
Poor voice and video quality
Packet loss in real-time applications

Example:
VoIP calls with fluctuating delays causing broken audio.

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7) DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BANDWIDTH AND THROUGHPUT
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Bandwidth:
Maximum capacity
Theoretical value

Throughput:
Actual achieved rate
Practical value