Observations about the Network
Current network performance is unpredictable.
- The connection at any of 20 routers can be interrupted at any time (actually happened about once a semester).
- Packet loss can vary by 10% within minutes due to bursts of traffic.
Typical internet traffic is very high between 1 and 5pm, leaving insufficient bandwidth for time-sensitive applications.
Essential is a list of phone numbers and contact people (router administrators) who can react promptly when network problems occur.
For acceptable audio stream delivery, network latency should be below 0.5 seconds and jitter (variable speed delivery ) must be minimal.
- This demonstrates the need for “Internet 2” traffic control mechanisms and resource reservation model.