2.2.1 Bandwidth is defined as the amount of information that can flow through a network connection in a given period of time. It is important to understand the concept of bandwidth for the following reasons.
Bandwidth is finite. Regardless of the media used to build a network, there are limits on the network capacity to carry information. Bandwidth is limited by the laws of physics and by the technologies used to place information on the media. For example, the bandwidth of a conventional modem is limited to about 56 kbps by both the physical properties of twisted-pair phone wires and by modem technology. DSL uses the same twisted-pair phone wires. However, DSL provides much more bandwidth than conventional modems. So, even the limits imposed by the laws of physics are sometimes difficult to define. Optical fiber has the physical potential to provide virtually limitless bandwidth. Even so, the bandwidth of optical fiber cannot be fully realized until technologies are developed to take full advantage of its potential.
Bandwidth is not free. It is possible to buy equipment for a LAN that will provide nearly unlimited bandwidth over a long period of time. For WAN connections, it is usually necessary to buy bandwidth from a service provider. In either case, individual users and businesses can save a lot of money if they understand bandwidth and how the demand will change over time. A network manager needs to make the right decisions about the kinds of equipment and services to buy.
Bandwidth is an important factor that is used to analyze network performance, design new networks, and understand the Internet. A networking professional must understand the tremendous impact of bandwidth and throughput on network performance and design. Information flows as a string of bits from computer to computer throughout the world. These bits represent massive amounts of information flowing back and forth across the globe in seconds or less.
The demand for bandwidth continues to grow. As soon as new network technologies and infrastructures are built to provide greater bandwidth, new applications are created to take advantage of the greater capacity. The delivery of rich media content such as streaming video and audio over a network requires tremendous amounts of bandwidth. IP telephony systems are now commonly installed in place of traditional voice systems, which further adds to the need for bandwidth. The successful networking professional must anticipate the need for increased bandwidth and act accordingly.
The next page will describe some analogies that can be used to understand bandwidth.
This page will present two analogies that may make it easier to visualize bandwidth in a network.The desktop
2.2.2 Bandwidth has been defined as the amount of information that can flow through a network in a given time. The idea that information flows suggests two analogies that may make it easier to visualize bandwidth in a network.
Bandwidth is like the width of a pipe. A network of pipes brings fresh water to homes and businesses and carries waste water away. This water network is made up of pipes of different diameters. The main water pipes of a city may be 2 meters in diameter, while the pipe to a kitchen faucet may have a diameter of only 2 cm. The width of the pipe determines the water-carrying capacity of the pipe. Therefore, the water is like the data, and the pipe width is like the bandwidth. Many networking experts say that they need to put in bigger pipes when they wish to add more information-carrying capacity.
Bandwidth is like the number of lanes on a highway. A network of roads serves every city or town. Large highways with many traffic lanes are joined by smaller roads with fewer traffic lanes. These roads lead to narrower roads that lead to the driveways of homes and businesses. When very few automobiles use the highway system, each vehicle is able to move freely. When more traffic is added, each vehicle moves more slowly. This is especially true on roads with fewer lanes. As more traffic enters the highway system, even multi-lane highways become congested and slow. A data network is much like the highway system. The data packets are comparable to automobiles, and the bandwidth is comparable to the number of lanes on the highway. When a data network is viewed as a system of highways, it is easy to see how low bandwidth connections can cause traffic to become congested all over the network.
This page will explain how bandwidth is measured.
Measurement
2.2.3 In digital systems, the basic unit of bandwidth is bits per second (bps). Bandwidth is the measure of how many bits of information can flow from one place to another in a given amount of time. Although bandwidth can be described in bps, a larger unit of measurement is generally used. Network bandwidth is typically described as thousands of bits per second (kbps), millions of bits per second (Mbps), billions of bits per second (Gbps), and trillions of bits per second (Tbps). Although the terms bandwidth and speed are often used interchangeably, they are not exactly the same thing. One may say, for example, that a T3 connection at 45 Mbps operates at a higher speed than a T1 connection at 1.544 Mbps. However, if only a small amount of their data-carrying capacity is being used, each of these connection types will carry data at roughly the same speed. For example, a small amount of water will flow at the same rate through a small pipe as through a large pipe. Therefore, it is usually more accurate to say that a T3 connection has greater bandwidth than a T1 connection. This is because the T3 connection is able to carry more information in the same period of time, not because it has a higher speed.
The next page will discuss the limitations of bandwidth.
Limitations
2.2.4 Bandwidth varies depending upon the type of media as well as the LAN and WAN technologies used. The physics of the media account for some of the difference. Signals travel through twisted-pair copper wire, coaxial cable, optical fiber, and air. The physical differences in the ways signals travel result in fundamental limitations on the information-carrying capacity of a given medium. However, the actual bandwidth of a network is determined by a combination of the physical media and the technologies chosen for signaling and detecting network signals.
For example, current information about the physics of unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) copper cable puts the theoretical bandwidth limit at over 1 Gbps. However, in actual practice, the bandwidth is determined by the use of 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, or 1000BASE-TX Ethernet. The actual bandwidth is determined by the signaling methods, NICs, and other network equipment that is chosen. Therefore, the bandwidth is not determined solely by the limitations of the medium.
Figure shows some common networking media types along with their distance and bandwidth limitations.
Figure summarizes common WAN services and the bandwidth associated with each service.
The next page will discuss the concept of throughput.
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