Estimate the upload and download bandwidth online gaming consumes, and the monthly data a regular gaming habit uses.
Concurrent sessions multiplied by per-session bitrate gives the aggregate demand; the overhead factor covers packet headers and retransmissions. Dividing by 8 converts bits per second into bytes to get the data volume. Sizing a link on average usage guarantees congestion at peak, and monthly data volume is what actually triggers a cap or an overage charge on a gaming session.
Gaming Bandwidth
Bandwidth (Mbps) = Concurrent gaming sessions × Bitrate per session × (1 + overhead)
Bandwidth (Mbps) = Concurrent gaming sessions × Bitrate per session × (1 + overhead) Concurrent sessions multiplied by per-session bitrate gives the aggregate demand; the overhead factor covers packet headers and retransmissions. Dividing by 8 converts bits per second into bytes to get the data volume.
Sizing a link on average usage guarantees congestion at peak, and monthly data volume is what actually triggers a cap or an overage charge on a gaming session.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Concurrent gaming sessions, Bitrate per session, Protocol overhead, Hours of use per day. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.