Throughput Vs. Latency: What distinguishes delay and throughput from one another?. Throughput measures the amount of data that flows through your network in real-time. However, latency calculates how long it takes for this info to get where it’s going.
Throughput and latency are the most accurate (and widely used) metrics for assessing network performance. Thus, it is essential to understand what they are and how to enhance them.
Let’s examine the definitions of each of these terms, their distinctions from one another, and their interactions.
Throughput: What Is It?
The most data your network can handle at any given time is known as its bandwidth, as we have already discussed.
Conversely, throughput measures the data that can be sent in real-time to its destination.
It is possible that you are receiving connections from your ISP of up to 500 Mbps, but a speed test indicates that you are only getting up to 100 Mbps.
The 500 Mbps of bandwidth your ISP gave you and the 100 Mbps actual speed you receive are different from one another.
Bits per second is a standard unit of measurement for throughput. However, using data per second can be more appealing to some.
Why Do We Experience Latency?
The time it takes for your data to travel to its intended location is referred to as latency in networking. Another name for it is the lag time between two clients when transferring data.
Milliseconds (ms) are commonly used to quantify latency. Plus, the lower it is, the better it is.
A second delay might not seem like a huge problem to you, but that isn’t always the case. Let’s examine an actual situation to see how latency can impact your network and online experience.
Let us examine the impact of latency on online gaming as an example.
Your in-game actions will be nearly instantaneous compared to your inputs if you have outstanding latency (a low value).
On the other hand, if latency is high, there may be a significant lag between your clicks and the screen’s content.
If you’re watching a movie or on the internet, that might be alright. However, low latency is necessary for real-time interactions. The experience suffers in any other case.
The Distinction Between Latency and Throughput
The optimal measure of network performance is the product of latency and throughput. By measuring both, you can determine how much data is transferred over a given period. After all, the ultimate objective of every network is data transfer.
However, if there is a lot of latency, there may be a significant lag between your clicks and the screen’s content.
If you’re browsing the internet or watching a movie, that might be alright. However, reduced latency is essential for real-time interactions. In any other case, the experience suffers.
What Separates Throughput from Latency
The optimal network performance metric combines throughput and latency. The quantity of data being transferred during a given period can be determined by measuring both. After all, any network’s ultimate objective is data transfer.
If we want to attain good results, they also need to collaborate.
If latency is through the ceiling, having good throughput—sending as much data as your bandwidth permits—means nothing.
It’s true that you’ll transfer a lot of data, but it will take too long to get there. and still longer to hear back.
On the other hand, having extremely low latency is not helpful if you can only transfer tiny amounts of data at a time. Even so, the time it takes for all the information to get there will be excessive.
What Impacts Data Throughput?
These are a few factors that may have an impact on your throughput.
clogging
Your throughput is directly impacted by the level of network congestion. Sending more data than your ISP’s capacity can manage will cause congestion because bandwidth is fixed (to the extent your ISP offers).
Let’s imagine bandwidth as a single-lane road and throughput as automobiles. Traffic will always move freely if there is only one automobile every three minutes.
However, there will be traffic issues if 100 automobiles attempt to use this road at once. That last car will take longer to get where it’s going. We could send less data simultaneously (fewer automobiles) or prevent congestion by doing both. Alternatively, you might increase your bandwidth to make more room for data to travel (like adding lanes to a road).
loss of packets
“Packets,” or data units, can occasionally be lost during transmission. The information exchange takes longer when this occurs because packets must be retransmitted, thereby decreasing your throughput.
Network congestion and hardware issues with your network are common sources of packet loss. Packet loss is frequently caused by outdated or antiquated switches, routers, and firewalls.
What Determines Latency?
Regretfully, it’s not always simple to identify the root reason for excessive delay. Since a variety of things could harm it.
Distancing
Data moves physically, despite the fact that it may not always appear to, typically in the shape of light. There will always be less latency between two nodes physically close to one another than between two nodes trying to connect across the globe.
For instance, companies frequently use data centres to store their transactions, data, and other information remotely.
This data centre will have lower latency and be closer to the workplace.
As little latency as feasible would be advantageous to the business if it were to make thousands of information queries each day to the data centre.
Congestion on the network
Data must wait to be transferred when your local network traffic volume surpasses your bandwidth. Naturally, this leads to higher latency. Additionally, latency will increase with network congestion.
Wireless Link Establishment
Delays are compounded by wireless transmissions. To reach your wireless router, your data must travel over the air, clear of obstructions like doors and walls.
It will proceed to its appropriate location after it reaches your router. There is no way around it—this additional step adds latency.
Reducing latency can be achieved by “cleaning” your surroundings as much as possible, eliminating interference and obstructions.
However, because more travel is required, a wireless connection will always have more latency than a wired one.
Conclusion: So, What is the difference between throughput and latency?
Measuring latency and throughput is essential. They are necessary for enhancing the functionality and experience of your network.
If everything appears to be in order, but you are still experiencing problems, reading our article about the distinctions between latency and bandwidth could be worthwhile.
Related: What Network device should you buy?