Numerous problems can affect Network performance, some of which are highly complicated to identify and comprehend. Intermittent network problems are a nuisance for network administrators to handle. They frustrate users, lower productivity levels, overwhelm your IT team, and are a source of frustration for network administrators.

Effective connectivity became the top concern when CIOs were asked what challenges they faced to deliver growth into new regions. While these changes have given users more functionality than ever before, they have also significantly increased reliance on a high-performing network to help ensure the maintenance of these critical applications. New devices and applications are introducing business-critical traffic to enterprise networks. These technologies require large amounts of Bandwidth that strain existing network infrastructures. Let’s explore what this means for enterprises.

Unpredictable Demand for Applications

Overly demanding data applications can strain an enterprise’s IT networking infrastructure, creating congestion and slowdowns. The problem is exacerbated by business operations often being subject to Unpredictable Demand due to external factors like weather-related disruptions, aging hardware,, or cyberattacks.

To combat network congestion, enterprises can segment traffic to separate different data types. They can also update firmware and drivers on network devices to improve performance. They can also use bandwidth optimization tools to reduce data transfer rates and implement caching solutions to store frequently accessed content on-site. Finally, they can utilize load-balancing techniques to distribute traffic across multiple network links or paths.

But the most effective way to tackle these network challenges is by leveraging software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) to deliver greater automation, visibility,, and cost savings. With SD-WAN, enterprises can be far more agile – deploying sites in minutes, enabling remote workers with secure access to critical data over any Internet connection, and scaling a global connectivity solution without the high costs of managed MPLS services.

Unpredictable Demand for Data

The constant shift in consumer demand puts pressure on enterprise networks. This demand can impact network traffic and end-to-end services, productivity, and the ability to scale. When data traffic overwhelms bandwidth, latency increases, and packet loss can occur. It impacts real-time applications like video conferencing or online gaming and can frustrate users. Wear and tear, flaws in the manufacturing process, or overheating are all causes of hardware failure in network devices. Power surges or electrical issues can also damage network equipment and cause it to malfunction.

Streaming or downloading large files can monopolize network bandwidth, which leads to congestion. Checking for excessive data transfers can help identify and resolve the issue. Other solutions include implementing quality of service policies and utilizing load balancing techniques to distribute traffic across multiple routes, alleviating bottlenecks in specific areas of the network. Direct measurement of resource utilization is another solution, eliminating the need for prediction models and reducing the risk of costly over-provisioning.

Unpredictable Demand for Security

A business network’s security is a continuous battle against cyberattackers. Misconfiguration, software vulnerability, or hardware failure can expose the entire enterprise to threat actors. Keeping the network secure requires skilled technical staff, a scarce resource. Even the most experienced and dedicated IT team may make mistakes, such as unplugging a vital device or leaving a password written on a whiteboard for all to see.

Other factors that lead to unforeseen network problems include external influences like Internet service provider outages, weather-related disruptions, or cyberattacks. Changing consumer demand also drives changes in network operations, prompting enterprises to optimize direct-to-customer channels and shift resources to new projects.

Inadequate bandwidth allocation and inefficient network configurations can lead to congestion, slow data transfer, and degraded performance. Wi-Fi interference from non-Wi-Fi devices or networks operating on the same frequency range can also cause high bandwidth usage. Reviewing backup and replication processes and optimizing Wi-Fi settings can reduce bandwidth consumption. Hardware malfunctions caused by aging hardware or environmental conditions can also lead to unforeseen network issues.

Unpredictable Demand for Availability

Various legitimate and non-legitimate factors can cause bandwidth consumption to exceed capacity, resulting in network congestion. The most common causes of congestion include:

Video streaming and large file downloads can consume substantial bandwidth, especially during peak traffic hours. Be sure to check bandwidth consumption for these applications and consider implementing controls like quality of service to ensure critical services have priority over other data traffic. Cloud services and data backups can also utilize much bandwidth, so monitoring their usage is important, especially during peak times.

Failed routers, switches, access points, and firewalls can disrupt network connectivity and lead to performance degradation or outages. Software and firmware bugs can also cause devices to behave unpredictably. New networking products may be subject to product hype, with enterprises eager to implement them despite not knowing whether they fit their goals and infrastructure. It can lead to unforeseen challenges from gear that fails to meet enterprise expectations. Use wire data as a source of truth for end-to-end visibility rather than vendor-provided dashboards and graphs.

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