Fat Pipe
From Free net encyclopedia
A Fat Pipe is a data transmission circuit or network that is capable of carrying large amounts of data without significantly degrading the speed of transmission. The term is derived from the simple plumbing fact that a larger diameter pipe will carry a larger volume of fluid at a greater rate than one with a smaller diameter.
Whether a particular network could be considered a fat pipe is somewhat subjective and depends on the application. A cable modem or DSL Internet connection might be considered a fat pipe by dial-up users, but those used to T1 networks would consider an OC-12 a fat pipe. Meanwhile, grid users and those who have worked extensively with high-speed networks would consider an OC-768 (approx 40 Gbit/s) a fat pipe.
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