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HTTP/2 Multiplexing vs HTTP/1.1 Connection Limits

Interactive 3D simulator: watch mobile page requests race across a shared link as HTTP/1.1's 6-connection cap queues them behind each other, versus HTTP/2 multiplexing every request over one connection at once. Real bandwidth-sharing and TCP-handshake model.

Networks & Graph Theory3DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted

Mobile network optimization guides always list "use HTTP/2 multiplexing" as a headline tip, but rarely show why it actually matters. This simulator models the mechanic directly: a page's requests race across a shared link of fixed bandwidth, and the two protocols differ only in how many requests are allowed to be in flight at once. HTTP/1.1 caps concurrency at a small number of persistent TCP connections (6 per origin in every modern browser) and pays a handshake for each one it opens — anything beyond that limit sits queued, even a tiny stylesheet stuck behind someone else's large image. HTTP/2 multiplexes every request as an independent stream over one connection, so the whole page can start transferring in parallel from the first instant. Tune the request count, connection cap, bandwidth and handshake latency, then compare the live completion time, queue depth and per-request wait time between the two protocols.

⚙ Under the hood

Watch a mobile page's requests race across a shared link as HTTP/1.1's 6-connection cap forces them to queue behind each other, versus HTTP/2 multiplexing every request over a single connection at once.

networkinghttp2mobilebandwidthqueueingweb-performance

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install