Network Bottlenecking is a real pain in the neck, am I right?

Yes, that joke was rather cringeworthy, but so is a network’s degrading performance. A slow network is an issue many of us have experienced time and time again, and it can be very frustrating. All too often, businesses assume that they have outgrown their network, and will think that spending money on upgrades to their system will solve the issue. The problem with this, however, is that network bottlenecking is usually an issue that deserves a good cause analysis. Keep in mind that although there can be various causes for a slow network, for the most part, it comes down to a few basic reasons. And once you understand the “why,” you can swiftly come up with a plan of attack.

First things first, network bottlenecking is defined as a delay in transmission of data which results in a drastically slower communication speed, therefore, limiting user efficiency.

Network bottlenecking typically can occurs when a system cannot support the amount of information being relayed at the speed it is being processed. Best way to avoid such situations is to first look into each application’s performance that is using your network and analyze it over time to see how much bandwidth is being used to operate it. Some applications do require more bandwidth than others, so once you monitor your applications and gain a better understanding as to which ones are the biggest bandwidth eaters, then you can plan accordingly as to when you should use certain applications and when you should just close out of them to improve your overall network speed. Examples of applications that are known to take up more bandwidth than others are video streaming and file sharing.

Another feasible and very common reason for a sluggish network is the cabling itself. Sometimes, loose ends or badly crimped cables can be the culprit. Other times, it can be inadequate cables that cannot transfer large amounts of data. For instance, the speed of an Ethernet network used to be 10 Mbps over Category 3 or 5 cabling. But nowadays with the technology we have, the amount of data we share, and the speed at which we want to share it, networks that can run at 100 Mbps or even 1,000 Mbps are necessary, and for situations like this, proper cables installed to handle it. No idea what type of cabling you might need? Check out our page on Structured Cabling and our “Types of Cabling” blog!

Final words: Again, these are the most common reasons behind network bottlenecking. However, there can be various other causes. That’s why It’s important that if you’re experiencing a slow network, to first step back and analyze your network situation. Because who knows, sometimes it could just be a random slowdown caused some unknown intermittent connection issue. Other times, it can be a bit more complex. Luckily, at Genesis BCS we have a heavily skilled and dedicated team that have the knowledge to tackle any cabling and/or network issue.

So, if you’re experiencing a slow network, contact us for service! We also provide free consultations.