What Is the Throughput of the Ethernet LAN?

The data transfer speed on an Ethernet LAN is known as throughput.

When local area network (LAN) users experience slow speeds when browsing the Internet, transferring files between network devices, or participate in activities that require consistent data transfer speeds such as video chatting or gaming, it may be due to low throughput.

Definition

Throughput refers to the amount of data that can be transferred from one location or computer to another location or computer at a time. In terms of a LAN that relies on Ethernet cables, throughput is the amount of data the devices on a network and the network device such as a router, hub or switch can transfer between one another.

Considerations

Throughput varies depending on factors. For example, a wired LAN typically has a more consistent throughput than a wireless local area network. In addition, the throughput of one device may decrease when other devices are simultaneously accessing the LAN. Of course, any LAN with Internet access will have a throughput based on the Internet connection speed (dial-up, cable, DSL, etc.). These factors may cause actual throughput to be lower than the hardware's (router, modem, Ethernet cable, etc.) maximum theoretical throughput.

Significance

Throughput may be significant if multiple users are on the same network simultaneously. Similarly, users who require a constant Internet speed, including gamers or those who are video chatting, may notice a decrease in throughput or a generally low throughput than casual users. For these people, a faster Internet connection that increases throughput may be more suitable than a slow connection such as dial-up.

References

• Tech Terms: Throughput
• Linktionary: Throughput
• Three Macs Factors in Network Speed