Bandwidth utilization shows how much capacity is in use. Running at % means no headroom for spikes. Running at % means you overpaid.
Collecting data:
SNMP interface counters report bytes transferred. Poll regularly and calculate the rate of change.
What to watch:
Peak utilization. Short spikes cause congestion even if averages look fine.
Asymmetry. Upload vs download patterns reveal traffic characteristics.
Thresholds:
- Under %: Comfortable headroom
- -%: Monitor closely
- Over %: Plan for upgrade
- Over %: Expect problems