On the Overall Performance of Informational Networks

Within the framework of a simple model, we are able to study the overall performance of a given informational network, depending on its uptaking as well as on the level of traffic control.We find that traffic control is useless in homogeneous networks but may improves global performance in inhomogeneous ones,enlarging the free-flow region in parameter space.Traffic control also introduces non-linear effects and, beyond a critical strength,may trigger the appearance of a congested phase in a discontinuous manner.Our model also reproduces the scaling crossover of traffic fluctuations empirically observed in the Internet.