Why Does Packet Loss Only Affect Some Applications?
One of the most confusing aspects of packet loss is its ability to affect different applications in different forms, leading to a sense of uncertainty.
This difference is due to the varying workloads that employees require day-to-day: a 10% packet loss would only add an extra second to the 10-second download time; in other applications. But, even a packet loss of 3% can drastically reduce the quality of a video or voice call.
Plus, packet loss rates change depending on the protocol being used.
The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is able to almost completely avoid packet loss, as it ensures any lost packets are re-sent. This still incurs network slowdown, as this retransmission process makes the network feel more sluggish.
Different protocols like the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) can’t check for packet loss, since they’re built for speedy rather than accurate data transfer.
The Causes of Packet Loss
Here are the most common causes of packet loss:
Network Congestion
One of the most common causes of packet loss is network congestion. When a network reaches its capacity, it may struggle to keep up with the data flow and start discarding or ignoring incoming packets to relieve the network load. In some cases, the lost data packets can be resent, allowing the application to recover.
However, this still results in delays and potential disruptions in service.
Inadequate Hardware
Often, this backed-up network is caused by the hardware itself. Devices like routers, network switches, modems, and firewalls all have a maximum throughput that they can sustain and if there are too many high-traffic devices on a network, it can begin to ask too much from each router’s limited resources.
As endpoints begin to overwhelm these layer 3 devices, packets are lost. The farther the packets have to travel, the higher the chances of loss. This is why packet loss is more common in wireless networks.
The rise of programmable networking hardware also means that it’s not just hardware that can be the packet loss issue.
If the virtualization layer has an error or bug, the ability for Software Defined Networking (SDN) devices to handle packets can be severely compromised.
Security flaws
Denial of Service attacks can result in packet loss as attackers deliberately push a network close to its limits. While TCP prevents the accidental loss of packets, it also lays the foundation for deliberate misuse of its packet re-capturing ability.
SYN floods abuse this protocol by directing high-quantity streams of requests that initiate the SYN/ACK handshake with the server, but don’t send the final ACK that commences data transferral.
This quickly consumes the server’s resources and can drastically increase congestion, leading to packet loss.
How to Fix Packet Loss Effectively
Since packet loss is a broad symptom with many underlying causes, the approach to curing a network of packet loss varies by enterprise.
The following approaches cover the majority of possible fixes.
#1: Up the Bandwidth
If packet loss is primarily caused by simple network congestion, usually after a period of significant growth or a shift in network structure, increasing bandwidth allows more data to pass through at once, reducing any delays.
Keep in mind that the network performance heavily depends on the integrity of each individual component, however: when any single component is pushed beyond its recommended capacity, it can slow down the entire data processing chain. As network admin, you’re able to check the path of various packets with Traceroute.
In cases where your internal network is theoretically powerful enough, don’t forget to check the firewalls and routers that the data packets travel through.
#2: Implement Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)
Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) provides an advanced form of packet filtering by examining the contents of data packets in real-time. Identifying, classifying, and then rerouting or blocking packets based on their payload, DPI can:
- Streamline network traffic
- Alleviate congestion
This approach also allows administrators to tag high-priority packets, ensuring they are processed ahead of lower-priority ones.
Also, prioritization can help reduce packet loss by ensuring critical data is handled efficiently.
#3: Optimize Network Configurations
Network misconfigurations are a frequent cause of packet loss, whether it’s due to:
- Faulty settings on individual devices
- Mismatched configurations across multiple systems
Both types of errors can disrupt network traffic and result in lost packets.
To mitigate this risk, IT administrators should implement a robust network configuration management process, ensuring that all network devices are properly configured and regularly monitored for inconsistencies. In cases where the cause cannot be remedied, packet loss concealment may be used to minimize the effects of lost network packets.
Defeat Packet Loss with Check Point Quantum
With the shift toward remote work, enterprises are now tasked with providing scalable and secure access to critical data center applications at high speeds. This is essential not only for employees working from distributed locations but also for industries like retail and healthcare, which have seen a significant increase in online traffic.
For example, the rise of online shopping has forced retailers to enhance their network infrastructure to handle spikes in website traffic, especially during peak shopping periods. Check Point’s Quantum Force firewall is designed to meet these challenges by offering on-demand scalability:
- Allowing enterprises to increase their secure data center access throughput to as much as 3 Tbps.
This level of scalability ensures that businesses can support ultra-fast access to data center applications, even during periods of high demand, such as:
- Peak e-commerce traffic
- Intensive data usage in healthcare.
See how Quantum Force achieves this throughput with a demo.
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