What is the total transmission capability of a network called?

The total transmission capability of a network is referred to as bandwidth. Bandwidth measures the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a communication channel in a given amount of time, typically expressed in bits per second (bps). It reflects the potential capacity of the network to handle data traffic and is a crucial factor in determining overall network performance.

Higher bandwidth allows for more data to be transmitted simultaneously, which can result in faster download and upload speeds, particularly important for applications requiring significant data transfer, such as video streaming and large file downloads. Understanding bandwidth is essential for designing efficient networks and ensuring that they can meet the demands of various applications and user needs.

In contrast, other terms like latency refer to the delay before data begins to be transferred, throughput refers to the actual rate at which data is successfully transmitted, and packet loss indicates the percentage of packets that do not arrive at their destination. While these factors are also important in evaluating network performance, they do not define the maximum capacity in the same way that bandwidth does.