Which three factors can influence differences in network throughput?

Network throughput can be influenced by various factors that affect the overall data transfer rate within the network. One such critical factor is the amount of traffic currently crossing the network. When there is a high volume of traffic, the available bandwidth can become saturated, leading to congestion and delays, which ultimately hampers the throughput. As devices try to send and receive data over the same pathways, collisions may occur, or packets may be queued for transmission, resulting in slower speeds for all users.

Thus, it becomes evident that traffic levels directly correlate with throughput; more traffic typically means lower throughput, due to bandwidth constraints and potential congestion in the network. Understanding this relationship aids network administrators in optimizing their network performance and planning for future capacity needs.

The other factors mentioned also have their own significance, but it's the real-time traffic levels that create the most immediate impact on throughput as they fluctuate during network usage.