Bandwidth Delay Product Calculator
Calculate the maximum amount of data in transit in a network using bandwidth and round-trip time
Calculate Bandwidth Delay Product
Data link capacity - maximum data transmission rate
Time for a signal to travel to destination and back
Bandwidth Delay Product Results
Formula used: BDP = B × RTT
Calculation: 0 bps × 0.000000 s = 0 bits
Alternative formula: 0 Mbps × 0 ms × 1000 = 0.000 Mbits
Network Analysis
Example Calculation
High-Speed Internet Connection
Bandwidth: 220 Mbps (home broadband)
Round-trip Time: 14 ms (typical ping to Google)
Network Type: Cable/Fiber internet connection
Calculation
BDP = 220 Mbps × 14 ms × 1000
BDP = 220,000,000 bps × 0.014 s
BDP = 3,080,000 bits = 3.08 Mbits
BDP = 0.385 MB
Interpretation
When the sender has transmitted 3.08 Mbits, the receiver is just starting to receive the first bit. There can be up to 3.08 Mbits "in-flight" in the network before the sender receives acknowledgment.
Network Types & Typical Values
LAN/Ethernet
Bandwidth: 100 Mbps - 10 Gbps
RTT: 0.1-1 ms
Cable/DSL
Bandwidth: 10-1000 Mbps
RTT: 10-50 ms
Satellite
Bandwidth: 10-100 Mbps
RTT: 500-600 ms
Mobile 4G/5G
Bandwidth: 10-1000 Mbps
RTT: 20-100 ms
Key Concepts
BDP determines optimal TCP window size for maximum throughput
High BDP networks are called "Long Fat Networks" (LFN)
BDP represents maximum data in transit before acknowledgment
Satellite links typically have the highest BDP values
Understanding Bandwidth Delay Product
What is Bandwidth Delay Product?
The bandwidth delay product (BDP) is the maximum amount of data that can be in transit in a network at any given time, measured in bits. It represents the "capacity" of the network pipe between sender and receiver.
Why is BDP Important?
- •Determines optimal TCP window size for maximum throughput
- •Critical for high-performance network design
- •Helps identify Long Fat Networks (LFN) requiring special handling
- •Essential for satellite and high-latency connections
Formula & Variables
BDP = B × RTT
BDP = B [Mbps] × RTT [ms] × 1000
- BDP: Bandwidth Delay Product (bits)
- B: Bandwidth - data link capacity (bps)
- RTT: Round-trip Time - signal travel time (seconds)
Long Fat Network: Networks with BDP > 10⁵ bits (typically high bandwidth × high latency)
TCP Window Sizing
For optimal TCP performance, the TCP window size should be at least equal to the BDP:
Optimal TCP Window Size ≥ BDP
This ensures the sender can continuously transmit data without waiting for acknowledgments, maximizing network utilization.