Actually, no they are not the same. Bandwidth
is the amount of data that can be transferred over the network in a
fixed amount of time. On the Net, it is usually expressed in bits per
second (bps) or in higher units like Mbps (millions of bits per
second). 28.8 modem can deliver 28,800 bps, a T1 line is about 1.5
Mbps.
Additionally, bandwidth is the amount of traffic you
are allowed to send and receive (including broadcast packets). Traffic
is typically used to refer to the bandwidth demand of a web site, but
can also be used when describing the loading of a physical network
link . Examples: a DSL line is dedicated to you, so typically your
bandwidth is the limits on the link. But cable carries data from many
subscribers in your segment. The cable company may limit you to 3Mbit,
but the physical cable can probably handle up to 50Mbits depending on
TV channels and cable modem spectrum usage.
Traffic is also defined as The volume of visitors to
a website. Traffic is the currency of online success, but is not the
only factor. Massive, low grade traffic to a website with poor content
will inevitably result in failure. Plus, the amount of data
transferred from one computer to another computer per unit of time.
Normally measured in megabytes (MB). For billing purposes, traffic is
normally quotes in MB per month. Traffic is one of the variables by
which most web hosting companies charge their customers.
Think of bandwidth like an interstate or the
autobahn. Bandwidth and the number of lanes you have available. And
traffic is how many cars are packed on the road per lane. The more
lanes available, the more traffic the road can handle. Too much
traffic and you have gridlock, backups, or no traffic moving. The same
is true for bandwidth.
You could also think of bandwidth as the size of a
water pipe and traffic as the flow and pressure of water in the pipe.
The bigger the pipe, the higher the flow and pressure will or can be.
Too high of a flow and the pipe will break due to the pressure.
So as you see, there is no one definition for the
two terms.
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