What is the difference between "Ingress" and "Egress" traffic?

Ingress traffic and Egress traffic are fundamental concepts in networking, specifically regarding how data flows in and out of a network. The correct distinction is that ingress traffic refers to data packets entering the network. This typically includes any incoming data from external sources, such as user requests from the internet or data being uploaded to a system within the network.

On the other hand, egress traffic pertains to data packets that are leaving the network and heading towards external destinations. This could include data being sent out to the internet or communications being transmitted to another network. Understanding this distinction is crucial for network management, security policies, and efforts to monitor and control data flow for performance optimization and compliance.

This definition aligns with network traffic management practices, where it's important to distinguish between incoming and outgoing traffic for proper routing, security configurations, and bandwidth management.