Bandwidth Vs Throughput Vs Latency Vs Speed

zer0foozer0foo Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Hey guys, hoping someone can help me to pin down my understanding of these measurements. I think i got it but i might be over thinking it :)

So i think of bandwidth the same way most people describe it, how wide the highway or pipe is. the wider it is (aka 10Mbps vs 100Mbps vs 1Gbps) the more bits ps second can move through at a time.

throughput being the actual number after 'x' conditions are taken into account which impact the available bandwidth. i guess pot holes or construction work on the highway :). this would be the true speed/bandwidth.

latency being the 'x' conditions in throughput, measured in the time it takes for 'y' data to move from point a to point b.

then speed, in my head speed is how fast the signals are moving, which is why when thinking of bandwidth i think im getting confused. really the signals them selves on say a 100Mbps vs a 1Gbps connection are still moving at the same rate. but the reason the "speed" or bandwidth is higher is because the highway is wider.

am i "rite" or have i gone crazy :)

Comments

  • fly351fly351 Member Posts: 360
    You are correct.

    BW is the pipe. And speed is how fast that pipe will flow.

    But imagine you have 4 pipes, all the same speed, and you bundle them together. Doesn't that increase your BW while keeping the speed of each pipe the same? Do some research on Ether-channel or Port Aggregation.
    CCNP :study:
  • stuh84stuh84 Member Posts: 503
    fly351 wrote: »
    But imagine you have 4 pipes, all the same speed, and you bundle them together. Doesn't that increase your BW while keeping the speed of each pipe the same? Do some research on Ether-channel or Port Aggregation.

    Not if you are using a standard load-balancing algorithm, and only have one host using it....yes I am being pedantic :D
    Work In Progress: CCIE R&S Written

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  • fly351fly351 Member Posts: 360
    stuh84 wrote: »
    Not if you are using a standard load-balancing algorithm, and only have one host using it....yes I am being pedantic :D

    lol go away :)
    CCNP :study:
  • zer0foozer0foo Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Kool, thanks for the replies guys :)
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