What causes jitter to occur in data packets?

What causes jitter to occur in data packets?

• A. Same flow packets experiencing different E2E delays
• B. Network congestion affecting all packets
• C. Packet fragmentation during transmission
• D. Defective network components

Answer: (A)

Jitter occurs when packets within the same data stream experience varying delays during transmission. When all packets are sent from one point to another but arrive at their destination at different times, this variation in timing leads to jitter. Specifically, the correct choice reflects that even though the packets originate from the same flow, differences in end-to-end (E2E) delays can cause them to be received at irregular intervals. This can create difficulties for applications that require consistent timing, such as voice or video streaming, where smooth delivery is essential for quality. The other options address factors contributing to network issues but do not directly explain jitter. For instance, network congestion may impact packet delivery but typically affects the entire flow rather than causing varying delays within a specific stream. Packet fragmentation relates more to how data is divided for transport, which can introduce latency but not directly cause jitter unless combined with other factors. Lastly, defective network components can create packet loss or consistent delays but do not inherently cause the variance in timing needed to define jitter.

Jitter occurs when packets within the same data stream experience varying delays during transmission. When all packets are sent from one point to another but arrive at their destination at different times, this variation in timing leads to jitter.

Specifically, the correct choice reflects that even though the packets originate from the same flow, differences in end-to-end (E2E) delays can cause them to be received at irregular intervals. This can create difficulties for applications that require consistent timing, such as voice or video streaming, where smooth delivery is essential for quality.

The other options address factors contributing to network issues but do not directly explain jitter. For instance, network congestion may impact packet delivery but typically affects the entire flow rather than causing varying delays within a specific stream. Packet fragmentation relates more to how data is divided for transport, which can introduce latency but not directly cause jitter unless combined with other factors. Lastly, defective network components can create packet loss or consistent delays but do not inherently cause the variance in timing needed to define jitter.