The Bandwidth Math Behind Choosing Snowball

The decision between Snowball and network transfer comes down to a straightforward calculation: dataset size divided by realistically sustained available bandwidth gives an estimated transfer time, which can then be compared against how long ordering, loading, shipping, and importing a Snowball device would take (typically one to a few weeks depending on data volume and device count). A useful mental benchmark: even a solid dedicated 1 Gbps connection, sustained perfectly with zero contention (an optimistic assumption in practice), transfers roughly 10TB per day at best — a 500TB dataset would take on the order of 50 days of continuous, uncontended transfer at that rate, versus a Snowball job that could realistically complete in one to two weeks including shipping. This is why exam scenarios and real infrastructure decisions alike treat 'very large dataset, limited timeframe, limited bandwidth' as close to a direct signal toward Snowball, without needing to guess.