Bandwidth and Latency

Bandwidth and Latency Bandwidth on a network is like a highway. The number of lanes on the highway represents the amount of cars that... 16:25:00

Bandwidth and Latency

Bandwidth on a network is like a highway. The number of lanes on the highway represents the amount of cars that could travel on the highway at the same time. An eight-lane highway can handle four times the number of cars that a two-lane highway can hold. In the highway example, the cars and trucks represent the data. 

When data is sent over a computer network, it is broken up into small chunks called packets. Each packet contains source and destination address information. Packets are sent across a network one bit at a time. Bandwidth is measured in the number of bits that can be sent every second. 

The following are examples of bandwidth measurements:

• b/s - bits per second

• kb/s - kilobits per second

• Mb/s - megabits per second

• Gb/s - gigabits per second

Note: 1 byte is equal to 8 bits, and is abbreviated with a capital letter B. The capital letter B is normally used when describing size or storage capacity, such as a file (2.5 MB) or disk drive (2 TB).

The amount of time it takes data to travel from source to destination is called latency. Like a car traveling across town that encounters stop lights or detours, data is delayed by network devices and cable length. Network devices add latency when processing and forwarding data.

When surfing the Web or downloading a file, latency does not normally cause problems. Time critical applications, such as Internet telephone calls, video, and gaming, can be significantly affected by latency.