What does packet loss rate mean? Detailed explanation of the principle and impact of packet loss rate

in the process of network communication, we often encounter problems such as video cards, slow loading of webpages, and soaring game delays. These abnormalities are often closely related to a key network indicator. This indicator is not only the core basis for network operation and maintenance personnel to troubleshoot faults, but also an important criterion for ordinary users to judge network quality. It is the packet loss rate. This article will comprehensively interpret this network core indicator from the basic definition, generation principle, actual impact and optimization methods to help you clarify the root cause of network anomalies.

What is the basic definition of packet loss rate?

to understand the role of packet loss rate, we must first clarify its core definition, which is the starting point of understanding this network indicator.

1, the core meaning of packet loss rate

packet loss rate refers to the number of lost data packets during network transmission as a percentage of the total number of data packets sent. In simple terms, when a device sends 100 data packets to the network, only 95 are successfully received, then the packet loss rate is 5%. It is a key indicator to measure the reliability of network transmission. The lower the value, the stronger the transmission stability of the network.

2, common measurement methods of packet loss rate

there are two common ways to measure the packet loss rate, one is based on the end point test, such as the common user ping command, by sending the test data packet to the target address, the reception success rate statistics to calculate the packet loss rate; the other is professional network equipment monitoring, such as routers, switches and other built-in traffic statistics function, can collect data packet transmission data of network nodes in real time, accurately calculate the packet loss rate of different links.

What are the principles of packet loss rate?

packet loss rate does not appear out of thin air, it is closely related to all aspects of network transmission, from the underlying equipment to the transmission link may become incentives.

1, network equipment resource overload

this is one of the common reasons for the increase in packet loss rate. When the CPU utilization of core network devices such as routers and switches is too high, or the data packet cache queue is full, the device will automatically discard some newly entered data packets, so as to avoid system crashes. For example, during the e-commerce promotion period, the data packet processing pressure of the server increases sharply, and the packet loss rate caused by the overload of equipment resources is prone to increase.

2, transmission link signal interference

for wireless local area networks, signal interference is the main factor that causes the packet loss rate to increase. For example, multiple wireless routers use the same channel, or there are electromagnetic interference sources such as microwave ovens and Bluetooth devices around, which will lead to wireless signal attenuation, data packets are lost during transmission, and then push up the packet loss rate. Wired networks may cause signal transmission interruptions and cause packet loss due to aging lines and loose interfaces.

3, network congestion caused by packet loss

when the data traffic in the network exceeds the carrying capacity of the link, there will be network congestion. At this time, the data packet will be queued at the node for transmission. Once the queuing queue exceeds the buffer limit of the device, the subsequent data packets will be discarded. This is also an important reason for the increase in the packet loss rate. For example, during the peak hours in the morning and evening, when the users of the broadband in the cell are concentrated on the Internet, the packet loss rate caused by network congestion is prone to increase.

What is the impact of packet loss rate on network services?

packet loss rate directly determines the quality of network services, and network services in different scenarios are also affected by packet loss rates.

1, the impact on the daily Internet scene

in the daily browse a web, download file scene, a slight increase in packet loss rate will lead to slow loading of web pages, some pictures or text can not be displayed normally; if the packet loss rate exceeds 3%, may appear page loading failure, download task interruption, seriously affect the user's Internet experience.

2, the impact on audio & video communication

audio & video communication is highly sensitive to packet loss rate, even if it is 1% packet loss rate, it may lead to video card, audio noise or disconnection; when the packet loss rate exceeds 5%, the video will frequently appear Mosaic, or even direct interruption, which has a particularly obvious impact on online conferences, live broadcasts and other scenes, which may lead to important information transmission interruption.

3, the impact on the online game scene

online games have extremely high real-time requirements on the network. The increase in packet loss rate will directly lead to game operation delay, screen card, and even character teleportation, skill release failure and other problems. Especially in competitive games, even a 0.5% packet loss rate may affect the player's operation judgment, resulting in game failure and seriously affecting the game experience.

4, how to effectively reduce the packet loss rate?

since the packet loss rate will cause many negative effects on network services, mastering the method of reducing the packet loss rate has become the key to improving network quality.

1, optimize network device configuration

first of all, regularly check the resource occupancy of network devices such as routers and switches, turn off unnecessary background functions in time, and release the CPU and cache resources of the device; at the same time, adjust the size of the data packet cache queue of the device according to the network traffic situation to avoid packet loss due to insufficient cache. For old equipment, timely upgrading or replacement of equipment with stronger performance can also effectively reduce the packet loss rate.

2, improve the transmission link environment

for wireless networks, to select a channel with less interference, away from microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices and other sources of electromagnetic interference, while adjusting the placement of the router, improve signal coverage and strength; for wired networks, regularly check whether the network cable interface is loose, replace the aging network cable, ensure the stability of the transmission link, reduce the packet loss rate from the physical level.

3, optimize network traffic management

can configure the QoS traffic management function to prioritize different types of network traffic, such as setting the traffic with high real-time requirements such as audio & video and games to high priority, and prioritizing its transmission to avoid being crowded by large-traffic download tasks. Bandwidth, thereby reducing the packet loss rate in key scenarios. At the same time, avoiding high-traffic downloads during peak network hours can also relieve network congestion and reduce the packet loss rate.

To sum up, the packet loss rate is the core indicator to measure the reliability of network transmission. Its generation is related to many factors such as network equipment, transmission links, and traffic load, which will affect various scenarios such as daily Internet access, audio & video communication, and online games to varying degrees. By optimizing device configuration, improving link environment, and managing network traffic, it can effectively reduce the packet loss rate, improve the stability and fluency of network services, and provide reliable transmission guarantee for various network applications.