3.14 What do latency, packet loss and transfer rate mean?

Latency: Latency is the period of time taken to move information from one location to another - it is the delay in moving a packet of data. This is most commonly expressed by ADSL users as their 'ping time' - which is actually a measure of the latency in moving a packet from one location to another and back again - otherwise known as the Round Trip Time. 

Packet Loss: Packet loss refers to the percentage of packets which, when transmitted in the network, fail to reach their destination. Packet loss, as indicated by tools such as 'ping', indicates the loss in either the outbound or the return direction, and does not indicate the location or direction in which that loss occurred. It is commonly referred to as a percentage, with 0% loss meaning that all packets were carried to their destination successfully. 

Transfer Rate: (often called 'download speed' or 'throughput'): This is the rate at which data is transferred over a connection. It is often expressed as a speed in KiloBITS per second or in KiloBYTES per second.

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