The discovery of scaling behavior in network has provided hope that mathematical models can be used to describe the nature of the traffic.A joint multifractal (JMF) model for network traffic is proposed based on the combination of multiplicative cascade process and independent K distributed process.The model focuses on both the scaling function and moment factor as the key for unraveling the multifractal characteristics of the network traffic.JMF model is objective and simple enough to describe the short-term fractal behavior as well as the long-term self-similar behavior of network traffic simultaneously

which is proved by theoretical analysis and simulated results from several real traffic data sets.The influence on the traffic characteristics due to timescale is expressed by scaling function

and traffic burstiness variation in a specified timescale is illuminated by moment factor.The combination of scaling function and moment factor describes the short-term behavior of network traffic

and the statistical properties of JMF model describe the traffic long-term behavior characteristics.