Which two methods can be used to assess traffic flow patterns and network traffic types?

Capturing traffic during peak utilization times offers the most insight into typical network conditions and user behaviors. This method allows network administrators to analyze the traffic patterns that occur when the network is experiencing high demand. During these times, various types of traffic can be observed, including voice, video, and data transfers, making it easier to identify bottlenecks, monitor application performance, and evaluate the overall health of the network under load.

Assessing traffic during peak times helps to understand how well the network infrastructure can handle the maximum traffic expected, which is critical for proper capacity planning and resource allocation. Additionally, it provides a clear view of which services or applications are consuming the most bandwidth, helping in troubleshooting and ensuring that the network is optimized for business operations.

While collecting data during low usage periods can reveal baseline performance metrics, it does not reflect the network's performance under typical operational conditions. Capturing traffic during weekends or off-hours may not provide a representative sample of daily usage patterns. Similarly, capturing traffic on different network segments could provide useful information but may not directly assess traffic flow patterns and types in a way that peak utilization times do.