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Networking Fundamentals · Foundational

Bandwidth

The maximum data rate a link or path can carry, expressed in bits per second.

Definition

Bandwidth is the theoretical capacity of a medium or interface, such as 1 Gbps on a Gigabit Ethernet port. Actual achieved rate, called throughput, is lower due to overhead, congestion and errors. Bandwidth is also used loosely for the frequency range of a signal in hertz.

Example

An ISP plan advertised as 500 Mbps down describes bandwidth.

Exam tip

Bandwidth is capacity; throughput is what you actually get; latency is delay, not speed.

Don't confuse it with

Related terms