Although bandwidth has become more affordable and available in recent years, many companies and individuals still face problems when it comes to reliable internet connection. For example, even an organization that has sufficient amount of bandwidth can experience unexpected downtime due to sudden spurts in network usage. Unfortunately, even though we have multi-gigabit links to avert reliability issues, we are still faced with the same problems.
Effective bandwidth management can help avert such problems.
Bandwidth management is the process in which web traffic is evaluated and necessary data is diverted or delayed, as the case may be.
Why is this important? Effective bandwidth management avoids the possibility of filling a link to its maximum capacity which would result in bad performance.
A number of bandwidth management techniques are employed to ensure maximum reliability. Different bandwidth management techniques employ different strategies. For instance, packet sniffers may be employed to examine data and explore network problems. Network traffic measurement tools are also used to manage traffic. Tools such as these ensure smooth flow of traffic and virtually no downtime. Whatever the tools, bandwidth management in itself has become very important because of the sheer amount of data that passes over the internet.
Most companies that depend on bandwidth management tools for optimal performance purchase products that help to control network traffic. Reputed products help analyze the volume of web traffic and inform you of what may be done to manage traffic. Many of these products also provide means for traffic compression which will enhance the speed of your network.
Bandwidth management also helps you prioritize data according to the needs of the company. Sometimes, you may want to limit access to video applications while at other times, you may want to allow voice messages preference. Through bandwidth management, you can limit bandwidth as per user and usage basis. Thus, a single user cannot hog web traffic as they wish.
Although bandwidth management using specific tools is the best way to ensure reliable connectivity, there are means and ways in which you can optimize bandwidth usage from your end. Some tips include:
Keep bandwidth hungry programs out of the reach of users who try and access them at peak hours
Prioritize and allow important programs to reach the user first
Optimize the network traffic to ensure maximum efficiency
