Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, identifying a flow of data packets between first and second network addresses of a network, with each packet including respective header and payload portions. The identified flow of data packets is monitored over a number of sample periods to obtain a number of monitored results. A data-flow activity record is generated, having a number of symbols corresponding to the number of monitored results, the symbols including an active symbol value indicative of a presence of an exchange of data and an idle symbol value indicative of an absence of an exchange of data. A suitability of the identified data flow is inferred for estimating a throughput of the network according to the data-flow activity record without interpreting contents of each respective packet payload portion. Other embodiments are disclosed.