PathF3 - Improved Accuracy in Bandwidth Estimation

An increase consumption of bandwidth by networked applications has created the urge to have a measurement tool which is used to measure the available bandwidth, in order to maximize the usage of this limited resource. Internet Service Providers (ISP) requires this measurement tool to convince the subscribers about their Internet connection speed and suit the subscription packages. On the other hand, subscribers would also need the tool to measure their Internet connection, so that they can make any complaints if the speed is not equivalent to what is subscribed. Moreover, the proper tool will complement the ISPs and subscribers to establish mutual trust among each other. Many methods of bandwidth estimation have been presented by various researchers. However, there are two major problems in the current methodologies namely the accuracy of estimation and the suitability to network users. In this research, the results of a series of available bandwidth experiments were presented. PathF3 was classified according to the available bandwidth methodology of Self Loading periodic Streams (SLoPS).