Network optimization is far more than a buzzword. It’s an essential strategy for modifying and adjusting a network to ensure it always works at its operational best.
Networks, in their most basic form, are computers that share data, resources, and communications. Each component works together at its best to achieve the desired outcome. However, with so many millions of smaller networks making up a large system, it’s easy for components to run inefficiently. Optimizing networks ensures they get back to working at their best.
What Is Network Optimization?
Network optimization strategies and tools enable the consistent monitoring, management, and improvement of network performance while ensuring ongoing reliability. The initial step is to analyze the current network performance metrics to spot inefficiencies or concerns, and then strategies are built to overcome any challenges.
To ensure optimal performance, you should monitor the following aspects of network performance:
- Traffic
- Bandwidth
- Latency
- Jitter
By monitoring these areas, it’s possible to pinpoint common network problems related to insufficient infrastructure or, in some cases, poor network security. For example, if network hardware, such as routers, is out of data, this impacts bandwidth and latency, impacting the overall performance of the system as a whole.
Why Network Optimization is Important?
Improving network performance offers several benefits. Typically, improved performance ensures easily available, flexible, and scalable enterprise networks. These networks can respond immediately, provide accurate functionality, and deliver secure data and services as designed.
At the heart of network optimization are the benefits of providing increased security and compliance, simplified network management, and reduced spending on hardware and software.
The ultimate goal of network optimization is to ensure data and network traffic flow smoothly from one point to the next without interruption or security risk. In doing so, it directly:
- Improves productivity
- Reduces downtime
- Enhances user experience for all customers and employees
With so much potential benefit, investing in effective network optimization tools and strategies is critical.
What Metrics Impact Network Performance?
To measure network performance, you must have a baseline or a specific set of goals and metrics to meet. This enables users to pinpoint deficiencies in the system over time.
Prior to establishing such baselines, it’s often obvious that concerns exist. For example, organizations report apps moving slowly. They may struggle with video conferences that freeze up. Or, in some way, data transfers take longer or fail to complete.
The following are the most common network optimization factors to focus on, though these can be narrowed down based on the business’s specific needs.
- Bandwidth: Bandwidth describes the maximum data transfer capacity provided to the network at any given time.
- Network availability: This metric describes the percentage of time a network is accessible to the user, often expressed as uptime. Most enterprise networks should reach “five nines” or 99.999% uptime.
- Throughput: The average volume of data that transfers over a network within a set amount of time is throughput.
- Packet loss occurs when data packets do not reach the desired destination. While there is always some packet loss, increasing rates can indicate a problem within the network.
- Jitter: This is the variation in latency of packet flows across the network.
- Latency: Network latency refers to the amount of time it takes for a data packet to travel from one location across the network to another. Read more here.
- Error rate: This figure describes the number of errored bites or data packets that occur within the network.
Other metrics may also be used to determine the functional health of a network at any given time.
Factors That Affect Network Performance
In situations where larger data packets are being transmitted, it can take longer, causing congestion for the next data package to move forward within the network.
Other factors that may impact network performance include hardware performance, transmission medium, and network hops.
How To Optimize Network Performance
Recognizing changes within the network performance is step one. The second step is determining the underlying cause. Both the physical and logical topology of the network will impact performance. Consider the following.
Network topology
The network topology refers to the way a network is physically and logically designed. Logical topology specifically relates to how data transfers within the network, while physical topology refers to the real-world components connected to each other within the network.
Distance data must travel
One key factor in network optimization is understanding the distance data must travel within the network. The greater this distance, the more latency the application’s user will experience.
Network congestion
In situations where larger data packets are being transmitted, it can take longer, causing congestion for the next data package to move forward within the network.
Other factors that may impact network performance include hardware performance, transmission medium, and network hops.
How To Optimize Network Performance
Numerous methods to optimizing a network are possible. There are times when upgrading the hardware is the best first step. Other times, there needs to be more focus on the underlying cause of problems. The following are some strategies to optimize networks.
Use data to determine optimization strategies
Data-driven optimizations require the use of real-time monitoring software that can identify and, in most cases, fix any bottlenecks within the network quickly in real time. IT teams typically will utilize these tools since they are more complex overall to use. With data, organizations can better understand and manage their network performance.
Optimizing network settings
Updating and adjusting network settings may offer significant optimization opportunities, especially in terms of how data and resources are allocated. Some of the most important optimization strategies focus on:
- Quality of service: The organization prioritizes traffic within the service to guarantee the performance of some of the most important services based on specific business needs and objectives.
- Resource allocation: Efficient network resource allocation is a critical component to network performance. Networks without the necessary resources to process data cannot handle tasks effectively. Providing networks with the correct resources based on needs is a critical component to this process.
- Network protocols: Updating network protocol configuration may impact network performance. For example, TCP services, IP setting adjustment to determine packet size and congestion control mechanisms may provide improved latency and reliability.
Other critical network optimization strategies may include:
- Load balancing
- Use of CBNs and subnetting
- Improved network security
- Bandwidth optimization
- Infrastructure updates
What Are the Benefits of Network Optimization?
Another way of viewing the importance of network optimization is to consider the direct business benefits it provides.
- Greater network performance: Ensuring optimal use of system resources enables consistent data availability, creating better network performance on a consistent basis.
- Reduce IT support time and costs: By working to optimize cloud-based networks, it’s possible to reduce spending on IT services. That’s due to the direct impact on the amount of traffic on your legacy infrastructure.
- Enhance security: Network optimization enables systems to counter network attacks, securing both customer and enterprise data.
- Proactive management of architecture: Utilizing network optimization strategies also enables more accurate analytics, which can improve account management in real time. Ultimately, this enables account managers to operate proactively instead of reactively.
- Improved customer experience: Improved network performance directly translates into improved customer experience, which is a bottom-line factor important to every business.
Network optimization ensures the best possible outcome every time. To achieve these goals, you must have real-time knowledge of digital networks.
At Domotz, we work to provide network monitoring and management software that enables businesses to run efficiently, embracing network optimization.
How Can Domotz Help Improving Your Network Optimization
In an increasingly digital world, maintaining an optimized network is crucial for both businesses and individuals. Domotz offers a comprehensive solution for network monitoring and optimization, ensuring seamless connectivity and peak performance.
- Real-time Insights: Domotz provides real-time monitoring of your network’s health, allowing for prompt issue indentification and resolution.
- Automated Network Mapping: Automatically maps all connected devices, giving you a clear and comprehensive view of your network.
- Proactive Alerting: Sends notifications of potential problems before they escalate, helping to prevent downtime.
- Remote Management: This feature enables you to troubleshoot and manage your networks from anywhere, enhancing flexibility and reducing the need for on-site visits.
- Enchanced Productivity: By resolving issues quickly and efficiently, Domotz helps ensure that networks run smoothly, supporting uninterrupted digital operations.
- Comprehensive Platform Capabilities: Offers a suite of powerful tools designed to optimize network performance and maintain seamless connectivity.
By leveraging Domotz’s powerful tools, you can ensure your networks run efficiently, providing a robust foundation for their digital operations.
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