Internet Traffic

What Is Internet Traffic

Internet traffic is not something ephemeral like a “signal” or a “wave”. This is a very specific amount of data transferred between your device and the rest of the world. Every time you open a website, watch a video, listen to music, or even just chat in a messenger, you send and receive “packets” of data. These packets are the traffic.

Imagine a highway. Cars are scurrying along it — someone is driving towards you, someone away from you. These machines are like those packages with information: some carry pictures from the site, others — your clicks, requests, messages. Only instead of tires and headlights, there are bytes and kilobytes.

The key thing is that traffic is counted because it costs money. The Internet is not magic, but infrastructure: channels, cables, servers. All these “roads” require maintenance, and therefore someone pays for every transferred amount of data — even a gigabyte, even a terabyte. Sometimes it’s you. Sometimes it’s an advertiser. Sometimes it’s a service. But someone always pays.

Incoming And Outgoing Traffic Are Not The Same Thing.

There are two traffic streams: incoming (download) and outgoing (upload). And although most users only think about incoming traffic — they say, “if you download a movie, you spent it” — in fact, both downloading and sending data are taken into account. They’re just disproportionate.

You open YouTube and a video stream comes in, which can be measured in hundreds of megabytes. But for this video to arrive, you send a tiny request: “give me video X.” This is already an upload, and it’s almost invisible. So there is usually 10-100 times more incoming traffic.

Some providers really only consider one type. For example, in the “tariffs for gamers” the emphasis is on upload, because it is important how fast the signal is being sent to the servers.

Sometimes there are situations where it is the outgoing traffic that becomes critical: for example, if you stream or upload gigabyte files to the cloud. Then the proportions change — and suddenly upload becomes the main character.

Megabytes, Gigabytes, Terabytes: Counters And Quotas

So that traffic does not seem like something abstract, it is translated into understandable units of measurement: megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), terabytes (TB). One gigabyte is about 1000 megabytes (if you do not delve into the binary system). In turn, one HD movie can “eat” 1.5–3 GB, and a TikTok evening can even consume 5 GB without batting an eye.

Many people are faced with such a phenomenon as a traffic limit. For example, the tariff is “20 GB per month”. If you exceed the limit, you will either be slowed down to a snail’s pace, or you will be asked to pay extra.

Another option is “unlimited Internet”. It sounds nice, but it often says in small print at the bottom: “after 30 GB, the speed limit is up to 1 Mbit/s.” This is a limited unlimited limit — that is, yes, you don’t have to pay anymore, but using it is already more difficult.

There are also package rates: for example, “5 GB for YouTube, 3 GB for messengers.” This splitting is convenient, but it makes it more difficult to understand what you are actually spending.

Who Creates The Traffic — And Where Does It Go?

Internet traffic does not originate from thin air. We create it ourselves — using applications, browsers, background services, and updates. And if you open the traffic manager on your phone or router, you might be surprised.: Telegram “eats” quite a bit, and Instagram eats megabytes before our eyes. Why?

It all depends on the type of content. The text is light, the picture is heavier, the video is voracious. Especially streaming, in HD and above. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram Reels are the main culprits for the sudden disappearance of gigabytes.

There are also hidden traffic sources: OS updates, cloud synchronization, and backups. Sometimes the app runs in the background, loads the map, uploads ads, or sends data to the developer.

An interesting point: in corporate networks, the main traffic may not go to websites or videos at all, but to databases, video conferences, and internal portals. There is no TikTok, but the load is huge.

And then there’s the advertising traffic. This is the imperceptible loading of banners, pop-ups, widgets and other digital tinsel, which is transmitted even without your participation.

How Traffic Moves: From The Device To The Server

Imagine opening YouTube on your phone. It seems that the video “just appeared”, but in fact there is almost magic behind it — only technical. It all starts with your smartphone sending a request to a router—your home Wi-Fi, school hotspot, or mobile station. Then this signal gets to your Internet service provider, and then to a whole chain of servers, routers, and intermediate nodes.

The request must pass through the DNS server in order to understand where YouTube is physically located. Then he will jump to Google’s servers, perhaps through a data center in a neighboring region or even a country. And the “packages” with the video file start pouring back to you, frame by frame. They are accepted, assembled, unpacked and displayed on the screen.

Each byte goes through many stages. One failure in this circuit and the picture freezes. All this is called routing, and it provides the “path” of Internet traffic from you to the target and back.

Network Protocol And Its Impact On Traffic

The word “protocol” sounds strictly like it’s about diplomacy. But on the Internet, a protocol is just a rule that devices agree on.: how to transfer data, who speaks first, and how to verify information integrity. The simplest example is HTTP and HTTPS. The first is an old protocol without encryption, the second is secure, almost mandatory on the modern Internet.

Another important protocol is TCP. It is slow but reliable: it checks that each data packet arrives in the correct order. Therefore, web pages are loaded sequentially without losing information. But UDP is more “brazen”: it just throws data packets into the network and does not wait for a response. This is useful for streaming, video calls, and online games, where speed is more important than accuracy.

The choice of protocol affects the traffic behavior. One is suitable for emails and texts, the other is suitable for live communication and video. The Internet is an orchestra, and protocols are its conductors.

Internet Traffic And DPI: When It Starts To “Speak” For You

If you think that providers only see the volume of traffic, you are greatly underestimating technology. Deep Packet Inspection (or simply DPI) is a way to “look inside” your Internet packets. It’s not just to find out that you’ve opened a website, but which pages, which videos, and which words you’ve typed into the search bar.

DPI technology analyzes the contents of packets on the fly. This allows an Internet service provider or organization to filter traffic: block “harmful” sites, limit the speed of certain applications, and even substitute content in particularly paranoid systems.

Legally, everything is not so clear. In some countries, DPI is limited — it is considered an invasion of privacy. In others, on the contrary, it is mandatory: to monitor traffic in the interests of the state. And in schools and offices, it’s just part of the standard security policy. In any case, it’s worth understanding that your traffic can “speak” for you even when you yourself are silent.

Who Restricts Traffic And Why

Restrictions are not always about censorship. More often it’s about economics and technical feasibility. Providers impose limits to evenly distribute the load. There are tariffs with priorities: for example, the Internet is faster at night, but during the day it is “stifled” so that everyone has enough.

Offices and schools restrict access to YouTube, TikTok, and online games. Sometimes for moral reasons, sometimes to avoid killing the work network. And there is also filtering by category.: social networks, torrents, and streams. All this is done either through DPI or through special gateways.

Providers also don’t want you to download 500 GB per day. Therefore, restrictions are imposed: the speed drops after the limit, or the “brake” on torrents is turned on. Some consider it unfair, others consider it a reasonable policy. But the fact is that your traffic is constantly being analyzed, counted, and limited.

History: How We Got From 100 Mb Per Month To Unlimited

There were times — and not so long ago — when people opened the Internet “by the minute.” Not figuratively, but literally.: you bought a card for 100 rubles and got access to the network for 10 hours. Or 100 megabytes. Traffic was considered like gold: each megabyte image was like a step through a minefield. Open YouTube? You’re crazy. One clip could cost you a third of the monthly limit.

In the noughties, the Internet was slow and expensive. People sat at night on purpose — then traffic was cheaper or didn’t count at all. Is it familiar? Welcome to the Internet in 2005.

Then 3G came. For the first time, it became possible to download megabytes per minute instead of 50 KB/sec. Smartphones began to “eat” the Internet, like teenagers eating pizza. YouTube, Spotify, and social media all required data, and a lot of it. Providers resisted at first, introducing tariffs like “500 MB per day,” but realized that it was easier to give people “unlimited” than to explain why TikTok was not loading again.

And now, in 2025, “unlimited” is not a luxury, but the norm. Even if it’s not completely honest (with speed limits), the main thing is that we no longer think about every megabyte. And this is a revolution of thinking.

Mobile And Home Internet Traffic: These Are Different Worlds.

You can surf the Internet both at home and on the street, but the traffic will be different. Why? Because in the first case, you’re on Wi-Fi, and in the second, you’re on a mobile network. It’s like the difference between cooking and delivery: you eat there, but the conditions are completely different.

• The home Wi-Fi goes through a router connected to the provider. You usually pay a fixed amount per month, and it’s all inclusive. But this does not mean that the Internet is free. It’s just that you’ve already paid. And the provider doesn’t care how much you watch Netflix — it’s included in the tariff.
• Mobile Internet is a completely different story. Literally every gigabyte is taken into account here. Operators have limited frequencies, transmission is more expensive, plus the network is common to all. Therefore, your tariff may include, say, 50 GB — and then “cut” the speed.

With the advent of 5G, the situation is changing. The bandwidth is higher, the delays are lower, and the speeds are almost like at home. But so far, this only applies to large cities. This means that mobile traffic is still precious, especially when roaming. One Instagram video abroad and you already owe the bank.

Traffic And Security: What Can Leak

Every byte of traffic is not just information. This is a potential vulnerable element. When you open a website, your browser sends requests, receives responses, loads images, scripts, and ads. And all these are paths along which someone else can get through.

For example, if you’re sitting in a cafe with open Wi-Fi, anyone nearby can intercept your traffic. If the site doesn’t use HTTPS, everything you do is clearly visible. Yes, even usernames and passwords.

But even with HTTPS, you’re not completely safe. Advertising networks can embed “surveillance” directly into traffic: special tags, trackers, pixels. I noticed that you were looking for sneakers, and now the whole tape is littered with Nike. This is not magic, but competent work with traffic.

Moreover, even an ordinary picture can be a Trojan horse. For example, an inconspicuous 1×1 pixel can tell the server that you have opened an email or a page. And this is also Internet traffic. Therefore, security is not just about “don’t click on suspicious links.” It’s also about understanding how traffic works, where it goes, and who can read it.