What is Packet Loss?
What is Cybersecurity?
Cyber Security refers to the practice of protecting users, devices, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information, extorting money from users, or interrupting normal business operations. Implementing effective cybersecurity measures is particularly challenging today because there are more devices than people, and attackers are becoming more innovative.
What is Dedicated Internet Access? (DIA)
Packet loss in networking occurs when data packets traveling across a network fail to reach their intended destination. This can result in disruptions, degraded performance, and poor user experience in applications that rely on real-time data transfer, such as video calls, online gaming, and cloud services.
Data transmission over a network follows a packet-switching model, where information is broken down into smaller units called packets. These packets travel independently through various network paths and reassemble at the destination. However, due to network congestion, hardware failures, signal interference, or security threats, some packets may get lost, delayed, or dropped before reaching their target.
When packet loss occurs, the receiving device may request retransmission, leading to increased latency and bandwidth consumption. In severe cases, excessive packet loss can render a network connection unusable. Understanding the causes and implementing preventive measures is essential to maintaining optimal network performance and reliability.
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Causes of Packet Loss
Packet loss can be caused by several factors, including congestion, hardware failures, misconfigurations, wireless interference, and cyber threats. Understanding these causes can help in diagnosing and mitigating packet loss issues.
Network Congestion
When too many devices compete for limited bandwidth, network infrastructure becomes overwhelmed, leading to dropped packets. This is common in busy corporate environments, data centres, and public Wi-Fi networks where high traffic exceeds the network’s handling capacity. During peak usage times, internet service providers (ISPs) may also throttle bandwidth, exacerbating congestion-related packet loss.
Hardware Issues
Malfunctioning or outdated network hardware, such as routers, switches, and network interface cards (NICs), can lead to packet drops. Overheating devices, power fluctuations, and faulty Ethernet cables can further degrade connectivity. Inadequate hardware maintenance or using consumer-grade equipment for high-traffic applications can also contribute to packet loss.
Software or Configuration Errors
Misconfigured routers, outdated firmware, or software bugs can interrupt packet transmission. Firewalls with overly strict rules might block legitimate traffic, while misconfigured Quality of Service (QoS) settings can deprioritise critical data. Network administrators must regularly update and optimise software settings to prevent packet loss.
Interference in Wireless Networks
Wireless networks are more prone to packet loss due to environmental factors. Physical barriers like walls and furniture weaken signals, while interference from other wireless devices, such as Bluetooth devices, microwaves, or neighbouring Wi-Fi networks, can cause instability. Using the wrong Wi-Fi channel or operating too far from an access point can further degrade signal strength and lead to packet loss.
Security Threats (DDoS Attacks)
Cyberattacks, especially Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, flood networks with excessive traffic, exhausting bandwidth and causing packet loss. Attackers may exploit unprotected network devices to disrupt communication between servers and users. Security vulnerabilities, such as unsecured routers or weak firewall settings, can make networks more susceptible to these attacks.
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How Packet Loss Affects Network Performance
Packet loss can significantly impact network performance, leading to delays, instability, and poor user experience across various applications. From business communications to entertainment, excessive packet loss can disrupt critical operations and degrade service quality.
Increased Latency and Slower Data Transmission
When packets are lost, they must be retransmitted, increasing overall latency. This results in noticeable delays when loading websites, streaming videos, or transferring files. In time-sensitive applications, such as financial trading or remote access software, even minor packet loss can cause serious disruptions.
Jitter and Instability in VoIP and Video Conferencing
Packet loss disrupts the regular flow of data, causing jitter—an inconsistency in packet arrival times. This leads to broken audio, video lag, and frequent interruptions in VoIP calls and video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet, making real-time communication unreliable.
Reduced Throughput Affecting Application Performance
Since lost packets need to be resent, overall network throughput decreases. This can lead to slower download speeds, frequent buffering in video streaming services, and sluggish performance in cloud-based applications like Google Drive, Microsoft 365, and CRM platforms.
Poor User Experience in Gaming, Streaming, and Online Services
Online gaming requires a steady and uninterrupted data flow for real-time player actions. Packet loss can cause lag, rubberbanding (where players suddenly teleport), and even game disconnections. Streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify may experience buffering, pixelation, or degraded audio quality due to lost packets disrupting the data stream.
By minimising packet loss, organisations and individuals can maintain a smooth, high-quality network experience, ensuring seamless communication, entertainment, and productivity.
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How to Detect Packet Loss?
Detecting packet loss is essential for diagnosing network performance issues. Various tools and techniques help pinpoint the source of packet drops, allowing IT teams to take corrective action and improve connectivity.
Ping Command
The ping command is a simple yet effective method for detecting packet loss. By sending multiple packets to a target IP address and measuring response times, it helps determine if packets are being dropped. A high percentage of lost packets indicates instability or network congestion.
Traceroute Command
Traceroute maps the entire path packets take from the source to the destination, revealing each router (hop) along the way. If certain nodes consistently show delays or fail to respond, they may be contributing to packet loss. This is useful for diagnosing routing issues and identifying weak network points.
Network Monitoring Tools
Advanced tools like SolarWinds, Wireshark, and PRTG Network Monitor provide real-time packet analysis, tracking loss, latency, and jitter. These tools help IT administrators detect patterns of packet drops, monitor network health, and resolve issues before they impact users. Some solutions also offer automated alerts when packet loss exceeds acceptable thresholds.
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How to Fix and Prevent Packet Loss?
To minimise packet loss and enhance network reliability, a combination of hardware upgrades, configuration optimisations, and security measures should be implemented. Addressing the root cause ensures stable connections and improved performance and enterprise-grade services like Orixcom’s IP Transit play a critical role in this.
Upgrading Network Hardware
Using high-quality routers, switches, and network cables (e.g., Cat6 or fibre optic) improves data transmission and reduces packet loss caused by outdated or faulty equipment. Regular maintenance and firmware updates help keep hardware performing optimally. Orixcom IP Transit offers carrier-grade infrastructure with dedicated high-capacity ports (1GE to 100GE) that support seamless data transfer, ensuring your hardware investments aren’t undermined by network bottlenecks.
Optimising Network Configuration
Properly configuring firewalls, updating router firmware, and adjusting Quality of Service (QoS) settings allow better traffic prioritisation, reducing unnecessary packet drops. Setting up VLANs and segmenting networks can also enhance performance. Orixcom IP Transit integrates advanced BGP routing, automatically selecting the most efficient data paths in real time. This intelligent routing reduces the chances of packet loss due to misrouted or congested links, especially during peak traffic periods.
Reducing Network Congestion
Managing bandwidth consumption by limiting non-essential traffic, using load balancing, and deploying traffic shaping policies prevents congestion-related packet loss. Implementing Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) reduces latency and improves data flow efficiency. Orixcom supports this with burstable bandwidth options and guaranteed SLAs (99.999% uptime), enabling enterprises to scale without risking congestion-related losses. Their peering with Tier 1 networks also ensures smoother, more direct routes for global data flows.
Improving Wireless Network Signals
Poor Wi-Fi signals contribute to packet loss. Placing access points in optimal locations, reducing physical obstructions, switching to less congested Wi-Fi channels (e.g., 5GHz instead of 2.4GHz), and using mesh networks or range extenders can strengthen connectivity. However, reliable internet backhaul is just as important. Orixcom’s IP Transit provides low-latency international connectivity, ensuring that once the signal reaches your router, the wider internet path is equally robust and packet loss-free.
Implementing Security Measures
Cyber threats like DDoS attacks can overwhelm networks, causing packet loss. Deploying DDoS protection, enabling encryption, using intrusion detection systems (IDS), and monitoring traffic patterns help safeguard networks from malicious disruptions. Orixcom’s proactive 24x7x365 network monitoring and support help detect and mitigate such threats early. Combined with their secure, resilient infrastructure, this significantly reduces the impact of malicious traffic on data delivery.
Acceptable Levels of Packet Loss
Packet loss is measured as a percentage, indicating the number of lost packets compared to total transmitted packets. Different applications have varying tolerance levels, with real-time services being the most sensitive to packet loss.
- VoIP Calls & Video Conferencing – Less than 1% packet loss is ideal to maintain clear audio and video quality. Higher packet loss can lead to choppy sound, delays, and dropped calls.
- Online Gaming – A loss above 2-3% can result in lag, delayed actions, and an overall poor gaming experience, especially in fast-paced multiplayer games.
- Streaming Services – Streaming platforms can tolerate up to 5% packet loss, though it may cause buffering, reduced video quality, or occasional interruptions.
- File Transfers & Web Browsing – Packet loss is less critical in these applications, as data can be retransmitted. However, excessive loss can slow down downloads and cause incomplete file transfers.
If packet loss consistently exceeds these thresholds, it can significantly impact performance and requires troubleshooting to identify and fix the root cause.
Contributors:
Anthony Grower
Topic Specialist
Kelly Brighton
Topic Specialist
Richard Peace
Topic Specialist
Sources:
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Quality of Service (QoS)
Prioritising network traffic for better performance by managing bandwidth allocation and reducing latency. QoS is crucial for applications like VoIP, video conferencing, and online gaming, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted communication.
Bandwidth Utilisation
The percentage of available bandwidth used at any given time, influencing network performance and congestion levels. High utilisation can lead to slower speeds and packet loss, requiring proper traffic management and optimisation strategies.
TCP vs UDP
Two common transport layer protocols used for data transmission: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) ensures reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data, making it ideal for web browsing and emails, whereas UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is faster but less reliable, often used in real-time applications like VoIP and online gaming.
MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit)
The largest size of a packet that can be transmitted over a network without fragmentation. An optimised MTU setting improves efficiency by reducing overhead, while mismatched MTU values can lead to performance issues and packet loss.
DDoS Mitigation
Techniques to protect networks from distributed denial-of-service attacks, which overwhelm a system with excessive traffic. Methods include rate limiting, traffic filtering, using firewalls, and deploying specialised security solutions like scrubbing centres or cloud-based DDoS protection.