A new system and method of available bandwidth estimation applies even where the narrow link and tight link in a network path are in different locations. In embodiments of the invention, a unique packet probe series structure and processing is employed to estimate available bandwidth. In an embodiment of the invention, the spacing between probe packets is adjusted at the source to account for dilation caused by links leading to the tight link, so that the spacing is appropriate when the probes arrive at the tight link. Moreover, the multi-packet probe comprises a large packet followed by two much smaller packets. The large packet is then dropped once it has traversed the tight link. The two small packets, which are impacted little by subsequent narrow links, preserve the spacing set by the tight link, encoding the delay induced by the tight link, all the way to the destination.