title: Configuring client throughput in simple TCP server
body: <p>I was given a sample project which goes like this:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Client A connects to server B.</li>
  <li>A sends packet to B, B returns the same packet to A.</li>
  <li>Client A sending throughput is configurable</li>
  <li>Measure turnaround time per packet.</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Now step 3 is what is confusing me.</p>
  
  <p>Using python, the only way I can think of "configuring throughput" is to set a delay between characters in a string.</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Take a string "test"</li>
  <li>Start a timer, then send "t" to the server, and have the server return it.</li>
  <li>Once the server returns it, stop the timer and log it.</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Then call <code>sleep()</code> for a determined amount of time (this is the configurable part)</p>
  
  <p>Then do the same for the letters</p>
  
  <pre><code>e
  s 
  t
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Logging, the time in-between.</p>
  
  <p>However, this seems silly, because I am not at all affecting the relationship between the client and server, just setting a delay between characters being sent. </p>
  
  <p>Or am I missing something? Is there actually a way of "configuring" client A's throughput, and if so, what would that mean?</p>
  
  <p>Thank you.</p>