What occurs when network traffic exceeds capacity?

In the context of network management, when network traffic exceeds its capacity, it leads to saturation. Saturation occurs when the network is unable to handle the amount of data being sent through it, resulting in degraded performance and potential disruptions in service. During saturation, resources are overwhelmed, and packets may experience delays or loss, affecting the overall efficiency of the network.

While packet drop, timeout, and throughput are all relevant in networking scenarios, they describe specific phenomena that can occur as a result of saturation rather than defining the condition itself. Packet drop refers to the loss of packets that can happen when the network is congested. Timeout may occur when a connection duration limits are reached due to excessive delays. Throughput indicates the amount of data that is successfully transmitted in a given period, but it can diminish when saturation occurs. Thus, saturation is the overarching condition reflecting the situation when network traffic exceeds its capacity.