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What key network performance issues spark service disruptions?

From cabling to capacity issues, IT professionals need to consider all possibilities when rooting out the underlying cause of network performance problems.

Amy Larsen DeCarlo
By
Published: 13 Aug 2018

Businesses' absolute reliance on their IT infrastructures to conduct corporate operations translates into zero tolerance for network downtime. IT is under intense pressure to guarantee consistently stellar network performance. 

But, in an era where sweeping digital transformations can lead to new connectivity complications, getting a handle on potential network performance issues requires awareness of some of the most common underlying causes of service disruptions.

Network performance issues can occur for many reasons and involve everything from a cabling and configuration issue to a nonresponsive domain name system (DNS).

On the cabling front, outdated backbone or incoming cabling that connects the service provider to the premise and does not meet current bandwidth requirements can result in traffic logjams. Organizations also need to ensure they have the correct structured cabling to support their transmission requirements.

Additionally, IT professionals should make sure their cabling is compatible with cabling and jacks from other vendors. Substandard patch cords and incorrect installation can produce bottlenecks, as well.

Common network performance issues run rampant

In addition, network switch configuration issues can lead to packet loss. Another potential configuration issue happens when there are multiple Layer 2 paths between endpoints creating a network loop. Until the network loop is eradicated, traffic will not be able to reach its destination.

An oversubscribed network in which the volume of data being sent to a destination surpasses capacity creates a bottleneck and seriously diminishes service quality. And a speed mismatch in which multiple users try to access the same server simultaneously can result in performance degradation and even outages.

Hardware malfunctions, such as a network adapter failure, can also render a system nonresponsive. Undetected malware can also make a system -- or systems -- unreachable. And a DNS server or authentication server that does not fulfill a client request in the requisite time can slow performance.

Application errors can also lead to network performance issues. If the application is creating errors for specific front-end or back-end server requests, those could stall traffic.

From cabling trouble and configuration errors to logjams and loops, network performance issues can run rampant. Consider all possibilities when rooting out the underlying cause of a network problem. 

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