Factors Affecting The Performance of Networks

• Network performance refers to how well data is transmitted throughout the network
• Bandwidth describes how much data can be transferred over the network in a given time
• Bandwidth is NOT about the speed that data is transmitted
• The speed of a network is measured in ‘bits per second’, also known as the ‘bit rate’
• Measurements used in relation to network speed:

  • Kilobits per second (Kbps) – a thousand bits per second
  • Megabits per second (Mbps) – a million bits per second
  • Gigabits per second (Gbps) – a thousand million bits per second
• Factors affecting network performance:

  • The bandwidth of the network
  • The number of users on the network
  • The transmission media used
  • The error rate
  • Latency
• Networks can support many users, but the bandwidth has to be shared amongst the users
• Bandwidth isn’t always shared equally among users
• The ‘contention ratio’ measures the ratio of users compared to the available bandwidth
• Data can be carried around networks via cables or wirelessly
• Copper cables are often used on LANs, with different types available
• Fibre optic cables are often used on WANs for high bandwidth, despite being more expensive than standard Ethernet cables
• Wireless technology, like Wi-Fi, has lower bandwidth compared to Ethernet cables
• Errors during data transmission can affect network performance, known as the ‘error rate’
• Interference and weak signal are common reasons for errors in data transmission
• Latency describes how much time it takes for a packet of data to travel across the network
• Every cable, switch, and router on the network adds a delay (latency) to the connection