Have you ever encountered poor internet speed despite paying for a high-speed plan? No worries; we have a fix for you.
When speed is lost, resetting the connection seems right, but getting frustrated is obvious when this doesn’t solve the issue. The online workflow gets disrupted, and lower speeds are not going anywhere.
Most of the time, users believe it is due to poor network strength. However, things become unbelievably complicated when the network appears to be at full strength. The core reason behind this is a phenomenon called Network Congestion.
Wondering, what is it?
That is exactly what we are going to talk about in this post. If this is the first time you have heard of the concept, read the post till the end, as it can help you understand why your internet is slow and what you can do about it.
What is Network Congestion? An Overview of the Problem
When using a network with limited bandwidth, limiting the number of users for its proportionate use is suggested. Say, if you have a network that can support 50 users on hi-speed at a time, and there are 100+ users on it, the network will become congested. This means only some of the 100 users will be able to access the network with proper speed. Thereby creating a major issue, especially for network managers like your ISP or network administrators in a facility.
To understand the problem better, think of the internet as a highway managed by a single authority (your ISP). Now, in rush hour, let’s say that the highway is equipped to handle 50 cars at a time, but the authority allows around 150 cars on it. What would happen? The entire highway would be jammed, and there would be no movement unless the authority took action and resolved the problem.
In the same way, when too many devices are connected to a network that are not equipped to handle the load, network congestion occurs. Usually, it can be experienced at places where a group of users is supposed to use the same network, usually places like offices, colleges, or small areas where the ISP offers limited bandwidth.
What are the Consequences of Network Congestion?
What would happen if you were stuck in a jam? You would reach the destination late, miss out on a few opportunities based on time, or run out of gas while waiting in the traffic. Right?
The same things happen when you are using a congested network. The latency of your internet is increased, causing poor connectivity and slow internet speed. There’s a solid delay in sending and receiving data packets, which means you experience data loss, and last but not least, you are subjected to unavoidable connection timeouts.
It is more than just a normal issue as it can make internet use challenging for a user. Some other issues that you might encounter while using a congested network are –
- High Ping
- Higher Levels of Network Jittering
- Lower Throughput Values
All in all, with the consequence that it brings with it, a congested network can turn into a nightmare for any user.
What Causes Network Congestion?
There are multiple reasons behind a network becoming congested. Some of them are known, while some of them require proper understanding. Take a look at the list of factors that cause network congestion –
1. Lower Bandwidth
When you are using the internet, bandwidth defines the capacity to which you can utilize the network. When your ISP provides you with a network with lower bandwidth, chances are that all the devices connected to the network will experience degraded performance. And as soon as the bandwidth lowers, network congestion will occur.
2. Too Many Devices on a Network
A network is designed for a purpose. For instance, your domestic connection is designed to cater to a limited number of devices through your router as a broadcaster. Think of it as your local roads. You have the invitation to go to 5th street. However, the same invitation was sent to the entire neighborhood. What will happen if all the cars start moving towards 5th street at once? It will block the road, causing congestion!
The same is true for a network. When the internet broadcast occurs, the hosts, such as your PC and mobile devices, tend to receive the network. When too many devices get broadcast, the ultimate congestion will occur at your domestic network level
3. Packet Retransmissions
If you are familiar with network theory and how it works, whenever a packet of data is damaged in the transmission, it is retransmitted to the sender through the same bandwidth. Now, when the internet speed is slow, the chances of retransmission increase. This can turn the entire cycle into a loop that causes the bandwidth to become congested.
Other than these causes, issues like collisions, use of outdated/obsolete hardware, throttled bandwidth, etc., can be solid reasons behind network congestion.
Must Read: How to Tell If Your ISP is Throttling Your Internet
How Can a VPN Help Your Fix Network Congestion?
Until now, you might have understood that bandwidth and network usage causes congestion. Now, if you want to solve network congestion, there are multiple solutions that your ISP or the network administrator should implement.
However, if the congestion issue directly comes from your ISP, you can avoid it using a VPN. How?
Well, when you use a VPN, the fundamental network server changes & you are not subjected to network throttling. This means you can avoid an important factor that causes Network congestion.
A VPN allows you to change your server and remove any ISP monitoring on your activities. The server that you use and the IP that your system uses depend on the VPN deployed. And hence, the chances of you getting stuck with a congested network are minimal.
Implementing a VPN on your PC is the ultimate fix you can use to eradicate congestion issues. However, even for that, you must ensure that you opt for a VPN with vivid server coverage. Otherwise, you might use a more congested server with a free VPN.
Must Read: 5 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Using a Free VPN
The ideal solution to your network congestion problem is Systweak VPN. It has 100+ genuine network servers from across the globe. You can connect to it for the open world of the internet and experience a more stable connection without issues like congestion or ISP throttling. Here’s how the tool works –
- Download the Systweak VPN.
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Install it and sign up with your email address.
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Once you have logged in, choose the server you want to use.
- In case you are fine with any server, click connect.
- You do have the option to disconnect using the kill switch instantly.
There’s nothing technical in implementing a VPN on your PC with Systweak VPN. This makes it a more desirable option for most users to fix network congestion. It is safe, secure, and, more importantly, easy to use!
Bid Adieu to Unstable Internet Due to Network Congestion
And with that, we have reached the end of this post. Throughout the post, we were able to understand network congestion as a problem, along with what are its consequences and causes. If you have encountered network issues related to timeouts and lower speed in the past, you should consider congestion as a problem with your network.
We have also tried to share a quick fix and an ultimate solution for network congestion from the users’ end: Systweak VPN. Download and install it today to experience the change!
That is all for this post. If you have any other queries, please drop them in the comments section below. We would love to address them for you.
Hope you find the information shared interesting and helpful. Thanks for reading! Good luck.
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