How do bandwidth and latency differ in how they affect network performance?

How do bandwidth and latency differ in how they affect network performance?

• A. Bandwidth is the maximum data transfer rate; latency is the delay before data starts transferring.
• B. Bandwidth is the data compression rate; latency is the bandwidth.
• C. Bandwidth and latency are the same.
• D. Bandwidth is the device's processing speed; latency is the network jitter.

Answer: (B)

Bandwidth measures how much data can move per second, while latency measures how long it takes for data to start moving or to reach its destination. These two ideas affect network performance in different ways: high bandwidth means you can transfer a lot of data quickly once the transfer begins, but high latency adds a noticeable startup delay, making interactive tasks feel slow. Conversely, low bandwidth limits how much data can be sent per second, even if the initial delay is short. The option that treats bandwidth as a data compression rate or says latency equals bandwidth mixes up distinct concepts, and the ideas that bandwidth and latency are the same or that bandwidth is a device’s processing speed or that latency is jitter are also incorrect.

Bandwidth measures how much data can move per second, while latency measures how long it takes for data to start moving or to reach its destination. These two ideas affect network performance in different ways: high bandwidth means you can transfer a lot of data quickly once the transfer begins, but high latency adds a noticeable startup delay, making interactive tasks feel slow. Conversely, low bandwidth limits how much data can be sent per second, even if the initial delay is short. The option that treats bandwidth as a data compression rate or says latency equals bandwidth mixes up distinct concepts, and the ideas that bandwidth and latency are the same or that bandwidth is a device’s processing speed or that latency is jitter are also incorrect.