Common Network Problems

There are basically 5 ways through which errors occurred during transmission that are mentioned below.

1. Transmission Error

During the data transmission phase, data may be transmitted inaccurately due to many reasons like external electromagnetic interference, interrupted/degraded signal faulty hardware, etc. This leads to loss of data or corrupted data packets and inconsistency in data packet arrivals which triggers non-reliable data communication. This type of mis-transmission of data is called Transmission error. Transmission errors can easily resolved by using error detection and correction mechanisms(CRC, checksums etc.), and high-quality networking equipment and data cables can reduce this error.

2. Data Packet Loss

Data packets can be lost during data transmission due to the presence of errors in routing protocols, highly congested networks, or may be for faulty networking devices. Data packet losses can lead to back-to-back packet retransmission which results in delay in next packet arrival and reduced network performance. During real-time communication, data-packet loss may badly affect the live streaming with distorted audio and videos with glitches. Countermeasures involve implementing forward error correction and congestion control technique reduces packet loss. Also, it is required to ensure that all networking devices are up-to-date and these devices are using optimized network configurations as per requirements.

3. Network Latency

If one of the two communicating devices uses high latency but another one is running at low latency then the delay may occur during data transmission which is called a network latency problem. It can be a consequence of high network congestion and different processing power of two communicating devices which leads to processing delays. The latency problem can directly effect real-time applications like online gaming and video conferencing. In modern technology, this problem can be easily solved by only implementing Quality of Service(QoS) techniques. Also, increasing the network bandwidth, optimizing network routing protocols, and utilizing a caching system can reduce this problem.

4. Configuration Errors

Misconfigured or pirated software faces configuration errors which results in inaccurate network operations. Configuration errors may lead to security vulnerabilities(mainly unauthorized access), instability in network connectivity, and incorrect packet routing which results in communication failures.

5. Hardware Failures

Using very old and unmaintained network devices(switches, routers etc.), no backups for power-cuts or manufacturing defect lead to hardware failure. This results network outages, high downtime, restricted productivity for business farms or users and loss of data if no backup taken. This problem can be handled by performing regular maintenance of networking devices, preparing alternative device if possible, taking data backups and disaster management tools to minimize the data loss and downtime and it is also required to replace the aged hardware in time.

Computer networks are the backbone of communication systems by which data and information can be exchanged between multiple communicating devices and users. In modern days, computer networks are essential for daily work life real-time video streaming, online gaming, various communicative applications, etc. However, there are many types of errors present in computer networks which can lead to restricted communication, and delay in packet transmission that produces glitches in videos and distorts the audio in real-time applications. In this article, we will discuss various types of errors in computer networks with their cause and countermeasures.