1/f noise in computer network traffic

Abstract

A huge number of computers connected together form an international network (Internet). As a result of their communication, trains of data packages travel through this network; due to the limited transfer rate and the behaviour of data source agents, the traffic fluctuates. Our measurements show that the power spectrum of the round-trip time between two points on Internet is 1/f-like over a broad range. Models of collective phenomena, such as highway traffic models could be appropriate for describing this behaviour.