network propagation delay

Network propagation delay refers to the time it takes for a signal to travel from one point in a network to another. It measures the latency experienced by data packets as they travel across the network. This delay is influenced by several factors, including the physical distance the signal must travel, the transmission medium used (such as fiber optic cable, copper cable, or wireless), and the speed of light within that medium.[1][6].

In wireless communication, the transmission speed is equal to the speed of light. In copper wire, the speed generally ranges from 59-77% of the speed of light. In optical fiber, signals travel at approximately 70-75% the speed of light, though recent experiments have achieved nearly 99.7% in fiber in controlled conditions[7].

You can reduce the network propagation delay by using fiber optics, choosing the right protocols, and using edge computing to process information closer to where it's needed.

In essence, propagation delay is about how fast a bit can move through a network.Transmission delay, which is about how long it takes to get all of a packet's bits onto the network. Both types of delay are crucial for understanding the total time it takes for data to be transmitted from one point to another in a network.

Compare to: network transmission delay and network processing delay

Citations:

[1] https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/propagation-delay

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_propagation_delay

[3] https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/delays-in-computer-network/

[4] https://www.baeldung.com/cs/propagation-vs-transmission-delay

[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/propagation-delay

[6] https://nordvpn.com/cybersecurity/glossary/propagation-delay/

[7] https://www.tutorialspoint.com/what-are-transmission-and-propagation-delay

[8] https://www.flukenetworks.com/knowledge-base/dtx-cableanalyzer/propagation-delay