The dependence of Internet user traffic characteristics on access speed

A variety of Internet traffic characterization and source models already exist. Since the origin of the analyzed data differs, a comparison of the reported traffic characteristics is difficult. In this paper we analyze an IP packet trace and relate the trace data to the user access speed recorded at the same time. The obtained characteristics are contrasted with a second data set measured within an ADSL field trial. This second data set represents a limit in Internet usage, since, the high speed access was provided free of charge. This comparison leads to some interesting insights showing whether and how the access speed influences the Internet user behavior and thus the generated source traffic. The derived Internet traffic characterization is a first step to a generalized parametric Internet traffic model.