There is nothing worse than being stranded in a traffic jam. Even if you discover it in the air or on the road, we prefer to get rid of it. A few simple steps, like these, may help prevent network congestion.
Introduction
Network congestion occurs when there are too many communications taking place at the same time. Many people use the term “information superhighway” to describe the internet. It’s like traffic congestion on the internet because of all the traffic.
Internet activities such as searching for information, reading the news, or shopping on Amazon are also broken down into packets of data in the same way traffic on a highway is. They travel via the internet in the most efficient way possible. As soon as the data packets are reassembled, they are sent to the computer or server that received them.
These messages are sent over TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). A handshake is performed between the sender and the recipient’s computers or servers to establish a connection. Packets may begin to flow as soon as the handshake has been established. If a transmission packet contains an error, the TCP/IP protocol instantly transmits a request for a replacement packet.
There are moments of the day when the internet might experience significant traffic. Additionally, mistakes generate a considerable amount of traffic. Internet service providers are restricted in the amount of bandwidth they can provide each user (ISP). Your connection slows down because all of your data packets are being transmitted and received simultaneously.
You may have noticed that your internet connection slows down between the hours of 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. At this time of day, known as “internet rush hour,” individuals come home from work and use the internet at a high rate. A large quantity of data capacity is required for routine activities such as reading email, making purchases online, and watching streaming videos.
Network Congestion is the Primary Cause of Oversubscription
What time of day is the internet faster than other times of day, and why? At night, browsing is more enjoyable than browsing during the day. There is a higher concentration of network users during peak hours than other times (off-peak period). This time of day is like attempting to get on an already packed train.
Oversubscription, which happens when a system (such as a network) manages more traffic than it was meant to handle, is a common source of these situations. It’s important to remember that many people subscribe to many services to save money. It has been shown that this is plenty for a firm with 100 employees and a 100Mbps Internet connection.
Consider the fact that the majority of the company’s employees work from home in this circumstance. To save money, choose a connection with a lower bandwidth, such as 50Mbps, since only a small number of workers will be utilizing it at any one time. For example, imagine that the whole staff is summoned to the office for a company-wide conference. It’s no surprise that network congestion is to blame.
There are Too Many Gadgets
The amount of data that may be sent and received on a network is restricted. You’ll notice a drop in your network’s bandwidth and traffic capacity because of this. Data that is in good condition and does not impede performance is considered to be present. The network may get overwhelmed if too many devices connect to it.
A quantity of traffic may be handled by network components such as routers and switches. Here, we have a Juniper MX5 with a 20Gbps connection. Though it will be lowered in reality, theoretically, this is the most significant possible capacity. Due to CPU use and packet loss, a continuous 20Gbps data flow via that appliance will likely cause network congestion and compel the device’s removal from service and its replacement, respectively.
A slowdown occurs as a consequence. Overloaded devices may also cause traffic snarls. To guarantee that a higher-level device can handle all of the traffic generated by lower-level devices, thorough monitoring of its resources must be done. As a consequence, the higher-level device may cause a network bottleneck. This is an example of how to merge a four-lane motorway with an adjacent two-lane road.
Some Network Hogs are Out there
A “bandwidth hog” is a gadget or person who uses more data than other users, intentionally or by mistake. Average users may consume less data than heavy users, but the gap might be significant enough to warrant an investigation. Network Performance Monitors (NPMs) may assist you in detecting devices that are using excessive bandwidth. Certain NPMs allow you to monitor bandwidth use in real-time, so you’ll be able to catch bandwidth hoarders in the act.
Subnets That Aren’t Appropriately Built
There may be a design flaw in your network that’s producing congestion. Enhancing your network’s structure ensures that every component is linked and increases the overall performance of your network’s service area. Building subnets on a computer network requires the consideration of several different variables. Therefore, subnets should be established around devices that are always connected to the internet. Decide where the most data will be used before creating a subnet for that location.
Solutions
The issue of congestion on the network Network congestion may be seen; however, confirming that the network is crowded is a far more difficult task. There are several ways to check for network congestion in the next section.
Ping
Ping may be used to check for packet loss and round-trip time delays to discover whether a network is overloaded (RTT). Using a program like MTR, you can find exactly where the congestion occurs (which combines ping and traceroute).
An Examination of the Performance of the Local Area Network
Network performance problems, including bandwidth, latency, jitter, and packet loss, may be diagnosed using an application like this. Using this technique, network bottlenecks and defective devices/interfaces may be discovered.
Measurement of Network Traffic
To identify the network’s “Top Talkers,” ntopng was used. To put it another way, the server was using every ounce of bandwidth available. By monitoring the bandwidth utilization of other sites, one may determine if a host is using all of the bandwidth.
Clearing Traffic Congestion on a Network
The Network’s congestion may be eased if the root cause of the issue is discovered:
- A service provider’s additional bandwidth may be necessary if your internet connections are congested. Several service providers offer you to increase your bandwidth for a bit of charge temporarily. Vital applications may be protected even in the case of network congestion, thanks to Quality of Service components.
- Technology such as STP may be used to remove layer two loops from networks (STP). It is harder to fix a poorly created network since the network is already operational. Often, congestion may be avoided or decreased by making simple changes to the network.
- To avoid prolonged downtime, it may be necessary to replace equipment that has been overworked. The system’s capacity may be increased by using high-availability features like clustering and stacking.
- It’s time to get a new item when anything breaks. You can only change one thing, such as the device’s user interface if that’s all that is needed (such as the example I provided about the 100Mbps connection being lowered to 30Mbps).
- Security breaches must be dealt with quickly. As soon as we discovered the corrupted server, we promptly removed it from the network. Quick actions, such as building access control lists may be necessary to prevent the hacked device from becoming a crucial server.
