What fraction of the network bandwidth is filled with headers in this circumstance?

bandwidth, layer, network-protocols, networking

Solution

You have `n` layers of protocol, and at each layer `h` bytes are added, so the total number of header bytes is `nh`.

Your payload is `M` bytes, so the total packet size is M + nh.

The fraction of each packet used by protocol headers is therefore

    nh
  ------
  M + nh

This is actually a gross over-simplification, since each layer will have different protocol headers, with each likely to be of a different size. Further, the size of the protocol headers might be adjusted by routers along the way.

Problem

A system has an n-layer protocol hierarchy. Applications generate messages of length M bytes. At each of the layers, an h-byte header is added. What fraction of the network bandwidth is filled with headers? Please explain the answer to me.

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