Network bandwidth is a fundamental performance metric that quantifies the volume of data that can be transmitted across a communication link per unit of time, typically expressed as data per second.

Network Bandwidth

Network latency is a primary performance metric that measures the time delay experienced for data to travel across a network link or communication path.

Network Latency

Bandwidth and latency represent two distinct dimensions of network performance that are frequently conflated. Bandwidth measures the data-carrying capacity per second, while latency measures transmission delay. As a result, increasing bandwidth does not inherently lower latency, and a high-bandwidth connection subject to significant response delays will still feel laggy.

Distinction Between Bandwidth and Latency

While HTTPS provides encryption for the contents of requested web pages, it does not completely conceal online browsing activity. Because domain name resolution lookups performed through DNS can remain observable, external observers can still identify which domain names and websites a user accesses.

HTTPS and DNS Privacy

A network packet is a small, individually addressed unit of data transmitted across a computer network. Large transmissions are divided into these distinct packets, each labeled with source and destination addresses, enabling them to navigate independently across intermediate routers hop by hop before being reassembled in the correct sequence at the destination.

Network Packet

The Internet is a global network of networks comprising millions of independent networks that interconnect and exchange data by adhering to shared protocols.

The Internet

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a logical network-layer identifier assigned to a device to enable addressing and the routing of packets across multiple interconnected networks. Rather than identifying a permanent physical hardware interface or pinpointing an individual's exact physical location, an IP address typically specifies a device's network or regional presence.

IP Address

The Domain Name System (DNS) serves as the directory or "phone book" of the Internet by translating human-readable domain names, such as example.com, into the numeric IP addresses required by networked computers to route data. Without DNS resolution, users would be required to memorize and manually input numeric IP addresses to locate and communicate with network hosts.

Domain Name System (DNS)

The TCP three-way handshake is an ordered connection-establishment procedure that client and server applications perform before any application data is transmitted:

1. **SYN**: The client transmits a SYN ("synchronize") message to request opening a connection.
2. **SYN-ACK**: The server responds with a SYN-ACK message to acknowledge the request and agree to establish the connection.
3. **ACK**: The client sends a final ACK message, completing connection setup.

Only after this three-way exchange is complete does actual data transfer begin. This setup ensures connection reliability but makes TCP slightly slower to initiate than connectionless protocols like UDP.

TCP Three-Way Handshake

The cloud refers to physical data centers comprising remote computers and servers that are accessed over a network. Contrary to the misconception that the cloud is an abstract virtual entity detached from physical hardware, cloud services run on real, tangible computing hardware owned and operated by third-party providers.

The Cloud

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ch.4 Operational Performance and Analysis - Network Architecture and Data Flow: From Packets to Protocols @ University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Network Performance Metrics and Common Misconceptions - Network Architecture and Data Flow: From Packets to Protocols @ University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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