Network bandwidth and system performance are closely connected. Inadequate bandwidth can lead to unresponsive servers, poor end-user experiences, database errors, employee productivity issues, and devastating outages. Whether your organization uses cloud-based platforms or on-prem servers, knowing how the bandwidth of a network is measured can streamline your operations.
What Is the Difference Between Network Bandwidth, Throughput, Latency, and Speed?
The first step in understanding how to measure network bandwidth is clarifying common data transmission terms.
Bandwidth is the total volume of data your network is capable of transmitting. It’s the network’s maximum data sharing capacity under ideal conditions. A bandwidth of 10 Gbps means the network can never transmit more than 10 gigabits per second, regardless of application speed.
Throughput measures your data transmission rates in real conditions, taking into account factors like hardware, connection types, cable type, and network layout.
Latency measures network communication delays. Low-latency networks (ideally 20 ms or less) have fast response times. High ping speeds mean data packets take longer to reach their destination, sometimes because of excessive cable distances, ISP problems, or outdated transceivers.
If your network were a highway:
- Bandwidth would refer to the number of lanes.
- Throughput would measure real-time traffic data.
- Latency would be the speed limit.
Factors like accidents, road conditions, bottlenecks, traffic surges, and other delays would impact average vehicle speed.
How Is Network Bandwidth Measured?
Bandwidth measures how much data your network transmits in a given period. The industry standard looks at data transmission rates per second.
Low-usage devices and applications fall into the kilobits per second category, or Kbps. Small business connections frequently use megabits per second, or Mbps. High-speed networks are capable of transfers in the gigabit per second range. QSFP connections commonly range from 40 to 100 Gbps.
How your team measures bandwidth depends on the situation. Network traffic from individual users sending work emails usually stays in the Kbps range. On the other hand, live chats eat up many Mbps per team member, and data centers require infrastructure in the Gbps range.
How Do You Check Bandwidth Usage on a Network?
There are several ways to measure your network bandwidth usage, including free IT tools, comprehensive monitoring software, and detailed in-house techniques.
Online Tools
Small businesses can take advantage of free utilities to measure overall network bandwidth, such as Speedtest by Ookla and Google Fiber. These apps are free, but they lack the accuracy and customizability of comprehensive software.
Network Performance Measurement Tools
Many IT admins use cross-platform measurement tools for bandwidth checks, such as:
- iPerf
- Test TCP
- Qperf
- Netperf
These open-source tools allow for testing latency, bandwidth, and throughput between two network endpoints. One instance of the utility acts as a transmitter and the other as a receiver. Uplink testing requires connecting from your network to a target server.
ISP Tools
Most ISPs offer easy-to-use interfaces for checking network usage, latency, packet loss, download bandwidth, and upload speed. ISP tools mainly help diagnose connection issues from your LAN or WAN to the ISP’s servers. Accuracy depends on how many servers are available and where they’re located.
Wi-Fi Measurements
Testing bandwidth for Wi-Fi connections is trickier. Walls, competing connections, antenna configurations, and location interference can cause significant variability.
To obtain an accurate measurement, connect one of the testing devices to your Wi-Fi access point via Ethernet. Leave the second device connected to Wi-Fi only. Run the testing utility (e.g., iPerf) on both devices from an appropriate distance.
Traceroute Tools
Packet sniffers and traceroute utilities are helpful for identifying the underlying causes of network bandwidth issues. A traceroute test shows the progress of data packets through network connections, flagging bottlenecks and errors.
Can Your Network Configuration Impact Bandwidth Measurements?
Even if you know how to check bandwidth usage on a network correctly, it’s common to see a range of results. This can happen for several reasons:
- Network configuration: Excessive cabling and endpoints too far from network routers can cause large latency spikes. Traffic shaping and device throttling can also trigger issues.
- System congestion: Trying to measure bandwidth while many employees are using the network can skew results.
- Device limitations: Not all mobile devices have the hardware or system resources to run comprehensive bandwidth performance tests.
- Data compression: Utilities that compress data can throw off bandwidth and throughput calculations.
Try to minimize network interference during bandwidth testing to get a clear picture of the network and any configuration issues. On the other hand, usage tests and monitoring benefit from real-world network conditions.
How Do You Calculate Bandwidth Requirements for Your Organization?
Small businesses have different usage patterns from enterprises with distributed networks. Data centers require cutting-edge solutions to maximize download speed, upload speed, server stability, and system uptime.
There are even differences between LAN and WAN network optimization techniques. Only fiber optic transceivers are capable of symmetrical connections, meaning that download and upload speeds are identical.
This can be critical for businesses that depend on upload-heavy network usage, such as video uploads, remote collaboration, SaaS development, videoconferencing, or cloud-based management platforms.
A good starting point for network bandwidth is at least 2.5 Mbps per user. For frequent file sharing, estimate 5 Mbps instead. Cloud computing, large POS systems, and videoconferencing tools require 7.5 to 10 Mbps per user, depending on volume.
Enterprise operations generally need a bandwidth of at least 500 Mbps, especially for frequent security backups and cloud storage. Data centers require a minimum of 1 to 10 Gbps, and ideally 40 Gbps to 100 Gbps.
Can You Improve Your Network’s Bandwidth?
It can be tempting to resolve bandwidth issues by simply negotiating a larger plan with your ISP, but this doesn’t address problems within your LAN or WAN configuration. It’s also a costly approach, like turning up your AC system instead of closing an open window that lets heat inside.
Optimization is a better solution. Network design best practices can reduce traffic bottlenecks, balance app and device usage, and deliver the right resources to key processes.
Use Network Bandwidth Measurements Strategically
Knowing how network bandwidth is measured is only the first step. Optimize your network performance and reduce system costs with improvements customized to your organization. At Equal Optics, we’re experts in state-of-the-art network solutions, such as next-gen optical transceivers and direct-attach cables. Contact us for more information today.
