Whether you're working at home or in the office, your ability to perform your job is often only as good as the strength of your IT network. Network slowdowns don't just cost time, they cost serious amounts of money. A recent survey of US businesses revealed that a full 98% of organisations report the cost of a single hour of network downtime being in excess of $100,000 (£79, 700).
While such exorbitant costs are more commonly incurred by very large businesses, it nonetheless highlights how important it is to have a fully functioning, high-speed IT network. That's why being able to identify the main causes of network slowdown, so that you can respond as quickly and effectively as possible, is crucial. Here are the most common causes of network slowdown explained.
1. Hardware Failure
If you're experiencing network latency, you should always consider whether the root of the problem lies in your hardware. Cheap equipment such as routers, switches, and adapters that are insufficient to handle the needs of your network will almost definitely lead to network slowdown, if not complete network failure. Never skimp on hardware, especially if high-speed networks are vital for your work.
2. Bandwidth Congestion
Bandwidth bottlenecks are one of the most common global causes of network latency. Spikes of activity in the network, perhaps caused by increased data consumption via streaming, can mean that the amount of data that is sent or received at a certain point in the network can exceed the available amount of throughput. This can often be the result of employee behaviour, or it can be caused by a poorly designed network that is unable to cope with spikes in demand. It's worth looking into solutions for both causes simultaneously: educated your employees on good bandwidth etiquette, within the parameters of what is necessary for their work, while also getting in touch with your provider to work out a deal that best suits your typical usage as a business.
3. Application Errors
Faulty or data-hungry applications on your network can divert resources from where they are needed and clog up your servers with error requests. Certain applications that are not malicious software, but are poorly designed and take up a disproportionate amount of resources on your network, are a very common cause of latency. The most effective way to counter this problem is to make use of deep packet inspection software that can instantly detect which applications are causing the problems and shutting them down on your behalf.
4. Malware
We should not forget that cyber attacks are the leading threat to networks worldwide, responsible for untold billions of pounds worth of damage and theft every year. If malware manages to make its way into your network, the fallout can be devastating. The best counter for this is to always have high-quality, regularly updated malware detection and prevention software on all connected devices at all times. Also, make sure to adopt cybersecurity best practice procedures, such as never clicking on links in suspicious emails and never connecting unknown USB drives to a device in your network.
All of these common causes of network slowdown can be identified and resolved with relative ease, as long as you have the right resources at your disposal.
