Final answer:
The average throughput of a 100Base-TX network may be less than 100 Mbps due to network congestion, suboptimal cabling, high error rates, operating in half-duplex mode, hardware limitations, and network overhead.
Step-by-step explanation:
A 100Base-TX network is expected to yield a throughput close to 100 Mbps under optimal conditions. However, there are various factors that can cause the average throughput to be less than that figure. These contributing factors include:
- Network congestion: When multiple devices are trying to communicate over the network simultaneously, data collisions can occur, which leads to the need for packets of data to be resent.
- Quality of the cabling: The use of lower-quality cables or cables that exceed the recommended maximum length can introduce signal loss and interference.
- Error rates: High error rates due to environmental interference or hardware faults require packets to be resent, reducing effective throughput.
- Half-duplex mode: If the network is operating in half-duplex mode, devices cannot send and receive data simultaneously, thus creating a bottleneck.
- Hardware limitations: Older network switches, routers, or network cards may not be capable of handling 100 Mbps.
- Network overhead: Protocol overhead for tasks such as error checking and data packet headers can consume part of the available bandwidth.
Through careful diagnosis and addressing these potential issues, it is possible to improve the network performance and increase the average throughput closer to the expected 100 Mbps.