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Suppose Host A wants to send a large file to Host B. The path from Host A to Host B has 3 links of rates:

  • R1 = 512 Kbps
  • R2 = 2 Mbps
  • R3 = 1 Mbps

What is the throughput for the file transfer (in Kbytes per minute)?

According to me the whole link is equivalent to a 512kbps link and according to that the efficiency = 512*60/8 (KBytes/min).

Is the logic and answer correct, or am I missing something?

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    How are packets shared across the links?
    – Ron Trunk
    Jan 10, 2015 at 13:01
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    no info is given this is the complete question. Jan 10, 2015 at 13:06
  • Explain how you came up with your answer.
    – Ron Trunk
    Jan 10, 2015 at 13:13
  • i compared this with a typical pipeline structure where for large no. of instructions the lag depends on the slowest segment and hence here R1 will be the one. Jan 10, 2015 at 13:52
  • This sounds very much like a homework question (and a bad one at that as one must assume how packets are distributed across the various links)
    – Ricky
    Jan 11, 2015 at 4:07

1 Answer 1

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From the limited information provided and taking the most basic networking view you are correct, you will always be limited by the slowest link in a network with a single route from A to B. In reality most topologies are redundant, all file transport protocols have overhead and most networks have congestion.

Also you look to have assumed 8 bits in a byte and 60 seconds in a minute :)

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    but there are 8 bits in a byte and 60 seconds in a minute.. Jan 11, 2015 at 6:58
  • Yup which is why you are probably correct! Why do you assume you are wrong? Jan 11, 2015 at 10:02
  • because you said assumed one cannot assume what is true. It is what it is.... Jan 11, 2015 at 17:19
  • One can assume anything one wants, that is the point of assumption, unfortunately that is a little of the point of this SE site. Does my response answer the question? I have never met anybody ever in my 10 year professional career that using KB/min as a measurement, that is purely an academic twist, hence my slightly tongue in cheek reply. Jan 11, 2015 at 17:44
  • i guess there is a first time for everything and one generally assumes those things that are ambiguous and not inherently clear. Jan 11, 2015 at 18:32

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