EXPERT RESPONSE
A good answer to this question starts with a definition of "utilization," For starts, consult an answer to a similar question asked some time ago:
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/ateQuestionNResponse/0,289625,sid7_cid528562_tax293255,00.html
and
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/ateQuestionNResponse/0,289625,sid7_cid514600_tax293255,00.html
Finally I would suggest a look at my white paper on traffic just to get another perspective on the nature of congestion and its sources.
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/whitepaper/1,289194,sid7_gci903796,00.html
All that said, and without getting any clearer about the nature of how you actually measure utilization, some typical numbers (extracted from another reader's question) could be
<38% = stable
38-42% = borderline
42-47% = concern
>47% = definite upgrade
Knowing where most people get those number (MRTG for example), this scale is appropriate for typical networks. That said, this is a very broad rule-of-thumb and your mileage will certainly vary.
|