What is 'throughput' in the context of networking?

Throughput in networking refers to the actual data transfer rate achieved in a network over a specified period of time. This metric measures how much data successfully passes through the network from one point to another, taking into account various factors such as network congestion, protocol overhead, and physical media limitations. It provides a practical insight into network performance, allowing network administrators and engineers to assess the efficiency of data transmission under real-world conditions.

While the maximum theoretical data transfer rate represents the potential speed without considering real-world constraints, throughput takes these factors into account, making it a more accurate representation of current network performance. The amount of data processed over a network and the speed of network hardware contribute to throughput but do not fully encapsulate the concept as it specifically relates to the rate at which data is successfully transmitted.