Throughput is the amount of data successfully transferred over a period of time. It reflects practical delivery under the conditions measured, rather than only a link's advertised capacity. Throughput can change with network congestion, device performance, protocol behaviour and the server or test endpoint involved, so measurements need context when diagnosing playback problems.
A practical example
A speed test can report one transfer rate while a media server delivers a programme at another. Running a relevant test on the viewing device and noting the time helps distinguish a household bottleneck from differences between particular destinations.
A common misunderstanding
One fast result does not establish stable performance for a whole evening or every source. Record where, when and how a measurement was taken before drawing a broad conclusion.
Related terms
Stable technical definition. Editorial approach