When troubleshooting a link, what is essential to compare to assess its performance?
The correct answer and explanation is:
When troubleshooting a link, the most essential factors to compare are latency, throughput, packet loss, and error rates. These factors help assess the performance of a network link and identify potential issues affecting its quality.
- Latency: Latency is the delay in sending a packet from the source to the destination. It is crucial to compare latency values against expected performance standards for the specific application or network setup. High latency can result in delays in communication, which can be especially problematic in real-time applications like voice or video calls.
- Throughput: This refers to the actual amount of data transmitted over the link within a specific time frame. Comparing the throughput to the link’s advertised bandwidth helps to determine if the link is operating at its full capacity. If the throughput is much lower than the expected value, it may indicate congestion or hardware issues.
- Packet Loss: Packet loss occurs when data packets fail to reach their destination. It is important to monitor packet loss because even a small percentage can have a significant impact on the performance of applications, especially those that require real-time data transfer, like VoIP or online gaming. Identifying packet loss helps pinpoint problems such as network congestion or faulty hardware.
- Error Rates: Error rates refer to the number of corrupted or incorrectly transmitted data packets. Comparing error rates to acceptable thresholds allows the identification of issues like interference, hardware malfunctions, or cable problems. High error rates can cause slowdowns and reliability problems in communication.
By comparing these performance indicators to their expected values, network engineers can troubleshoot and identify whether the link is functioning as expected or if there are underlying issues that need to be addressed, such as hardware failures, network congestion, or configuration errors.