Network degradation
(also performance degradation, network deterioration)
Network degradation definition
Network degradation is a decline in network responsiveness, connectivity, and overall performance, resulting in a deterioration of network quality.
Symptoms of network degradation include:
- Outages.
- Disconnections.
- Network slowdown.
Causes of network degradation
Many different reasons can cause network degradation:
- Routing issues.
- Hardware problems and failures (insufficient memory, processing capacity).
- Malicious software.
- Cyberattacks (such as DDoS attacks).
Another cause of network degradation is simply growing out of network capacity. For example, companies that hire more employees or start using their bandwidth more may need to upgrade their networks due to increased demand for internet access and online services.
Network congestion (e.g., internet browsing, using voice communicators, downloading files, buffering videos) and network misconfiguration can also cause degradation. Network and device misconfiguration is often caused by human error and can lead to performance problems. In addition, outdated or faulty software can also be a culprit for degradation.
Diagnosing and fixing network degradation
Various performance and data routing tests may be needed to diagnose and repair a deteriorating network. It is advisable to check for hardware failures, malware infections, and hacking attacks, which can also cause network deterioration.
If there are no apparent problems causing network degradation, the network is likely misconfigured or overloaded due to exceeding its capacity, and an upgrade is recommended.