Network latency’s effect on the efficacy of a high-speed dedicated server

The performance of internet-based business applications and processes is significantly impacted by latency. The financial health of any information technology company should make reducing network latency a top priority. The application’s performance suffers when network latencies are excessive, and if the latencies are high enough, the application will fail. Customers will not make a purchase if the service they receive has latency issues such as lag or poor loading times; therefore, if you do not give them a latency-free experience, one of your competitors will most likely do so. The question now is, what precisely is latency?

What exactly is “latency” in a network

The term “network latency” refers to the delay in communication caused by a network. It displays the amount of time required for data to be transferred across the network. The term “latency” refers to the amount of time it takes for a network to respond to a request; networks with longer delays or lags have higher latency than networks with shorter response times.

Network latency, often known as lag, is the amount of time that elapses between the sending of data from a client device to an origin server and the receipt of a response from the server. To put it another way, network latency refers to the amount of time that passes between when a user performs an action (such as clicking on a link) and when a response is received from the server.

Knowing that latency is almost double that of ping, which measures the amount of time it takes for data to travel from a user’s device to a server, is useful information. However, some people continue to use the terms “latency” and “ping” interchangeably, which is fundamentally incorrect.

Why is it vital to account for latency

To put it another way, it slows down the Internet.

People frequently confuse the term “speed of the internet” with “bandwidth of the internet.” The physical amount of data that may be transmitted via a connection in a predetermined amount of time is referred to as the connection’s bandwidth. The link between bandwidth and latency has an effect on the speed of the Internet, but it also has an impact on how quickly websites load.

Cloud-based applications and services are becoming increasingly common among businesses as a result of the increasing prevalence of digital transformation initiatives. Data gathered via internet-connected smart devices, which are referred to collectively as “the Internet of Things,” is also essential to the operation of the business. The delay that results from latencies can lead to inefficiencies, particularly in real-time processes that are reliant on data collected by sensors. Even if companies spend a lot of money on expensive network circuits, high latency can undermine the benefits of increasing expenditure on network capacity. This has a negative impact not only on the user experience but also on the level of customer satisfaction.

Why your company needs dedicated servers with great performance to host its website

One of the most significant decisions that a company will ever have to make is regarding its infrastructure. It is what decides whether a platform or program functions smoothly, and thus, it is what affects the quality of the experience for the user.

When it comes to selecting high-performance servers, conventional wisdom centers on the debate between dedicated and cloud hosting. Even while there is no such thing as an inherently good or bad decision, there are certain circumstances in which opting for high-performance dedicated servers will be the more advantageous alternative. The very finest dedicated servers are those that enable platforms to reach their full potential in terms of flexible operation, optimum performance, and ongoing expansion.

What are the factors that contribute to a slow network

Even while physical distance is one of the primary causes of latency, there may be more factors that are keeping your website’s latency from remaining at a low level.

A client device and a server communicate with one another through the use of a computer network, according to the terminology for networks. The client is responsible for sending data requests, while the server is responsible for sending data responses. The computer network is composed of a collection of components, such as routers, switches, and firewalls, as well as links, which can take the form of cables or wireless transmission. Data requests and responses travel over links in the form of little data packets as they are passed from one device to another. This continues until the data reaches its final destination. Data packets are continuously processed and routed via various network channels that can be constructed of wires, optical fiber cables, or wireless transmission medium by network equipment such as routers, modems, and switches. Because of this, the operations of a network are complicated, and the pace at which data packets move can be affected by a number of different factors. 

The following is a list of frequent reasons that contribute to latency in a network. 

• The most important factor in determining network delay is the physical distance that separates the device that is making the request from the server.
• Size of the packet: It takes more time to transfer smaller payloads through a network than it does larger ones, such as those carrying video data.
• Packet loss and jitter: A large percentage of packets failing to reach the destination or too much variation in the transit time of a packet both contribute to an increase in network latency.
• Issues pertaining to the user: Latency is typically caused by a number of factors, the most prevalent of which is a weak network signal and other client-related difficulties (such as having insufficient memory or having sluggish CPU cycles).
• Too many hops in the network: Latency is caused by an excessive number of network hops, which occurs when data must go through many Internet service providers (ISPs), firewalls, routers, switches, load balancers, intrusion detection systems, etc.
• Adjustments made by gateways: The network’s latency will increase if an excessive number of gateway nodes make adjustments to the packet (such as modifying the hop counts in the TTL field).
• Problems with the hardware: One of the most prevalent causes of network delay is outdated equipment, particularly routers.
• DNS issues: A malfunctioning domain name system server can cause a network to run more slowly, as well as result in 404 errors and the creation of wrong paths.
• What kind of internet connection: DSL, cable, and fiber all tend to have low lag (in the range of 10-42 milliseconds), however, satellite typically has a higher delay than the other transmission channels.

Infections with malware and other forms of cybercrime also contribute to the slowing down of networks.

Websites with an unsatisfactory design: When compared to a website that has been thoroughly optimized, the performance of a page that contains substantial amounts of heavy material (such as an excessive number of high-definition photographs), loads files from a third party, or is dependent on an overworked backend database is slower.

Inadequate web hosting service: Shared hosting frequently causes latency, but dedicated servers normally do not suffer from lag. Shared hosting costs less but due to its limitations may not suit serious projects and businesses.

Divine Intervention: Stormy weather of any kind, particularly hurricanes, can disrupt signals and cause them to lag.

Overall, one should be careful when choosing a hosting provider, so to make sure to avoid the above factors as much as possible. 

What Kind of Impact Can Latency Have On Your Company

As was just discussed, latency has a direct impact on the overall performance of a company’s network. Therefore, having a high latency can have a detrimental influence on anything from the loading time of a homepage to the speed at which an important document is uploaded or downloaded to the general efficiency of internal processes. In addition, the quality of both incoming and outgoing calls may suffer significantly if a company uses a voice-over internet protocol (VoIP) phone system. All of these issues, if they are not remedied as soon as possible, might lead to a major loss in productivity, reputation, and income for the organization. Find a few examples of such assertions taken from actual life down below.

Reduced Productivity as a Result of

The investigation of a recently introduced product by a rival company has been delegated to a group of analysts. They instinctively start by looking up material on the Internet to get a sense of what kinds of data are easily available. Every web page that the team navigates takes what seems like an interminable amount of time to load, which gradually leads them to the realization that the task is going to take significantly more time than they had anticipated. A project that could have been completed in an hour has instead taken up a full day’s worth of time.

A reputation that has been tainted occurs when an online retail company introduces a new product line, and it quickly becomes popular. The number of orders continues to increase rapidly. Although most people would assume that the company in question would be rejoicing, in reality, they are in a state of complete worry. Why? As a direct result of the network experiencing the perfect storm, which consists of high latency, limited bandwidth, and maximum throughput, the business’s backend online order portal is currently inaccessible. The portal is inaccessible for a number of hours since there is insufficient capacity in the backup circuit. These few hours cause a significant delay in the company’s internal operations as well as lead times, which prevents the organization from delivering within the 48-hour window that was promised. The conclusion? A high number of callers and dissatisfied customers.

Every day, more and more business transactions, both internal and external, are migrating online. This shift is resulting in a loss of revenue. Consider any restaurant that makes use of a point-of-sale (POS) system as an example. An Internet connection is required for point-of-sale (POS) systems, which are used to enter orders and process payments. Slow Internet equals delays, which equals long wait times, which equals customers deciding to go to your competition next door, which equals lost money.

How Can We Decrease the Latency of the Network

A substantial degree of latency can clog up network traffic and interfere with interactions disrupting communications, which can lead to dissatisfied end users.The following is a list of the most successful strategies for reducing the latency of a network:

Traffic can be prioritized and the performance of mission-critical network segments can be improved through the use of techniques such as traffic shaping, quality of service (QoS), and bandwidth allocation.

By utilizing load balancing, you can prevent congestion and unload traffic to sections of the network that are able to manage the additional activity.

Be certain that the users and applications on the network are not consuming bandwidth unnecessarily or putting undue strain on the system.

Make use of edge servers to cut down on the amount of data that needs to be transferred from the server at the network’s edge to the server at its center. In this manner, the majority of the processing of real-time data takes place close to the data source, rather than all of it being sent to the central server.

Utilize a content delivery network (CDN) to cache content in many locations across the world so that it may be served to users more rapidly. The content distribution network (CDN) stores data in close proximity to end users, eliminating the need for requests to be sent to the original server.

You may increase the performance of your website and app by reducing the size of the content. Common techniques include decreasing the amount of render-blocking resources, reducing the file size of pictures, and utilizing code minification to reduce the file size of JavaScript and CSS files.

In order to avoid slowdowns in the network, the Domain Name System server should be optimized.

To decrease the overall network latency, subnetting, which is the practice of grouping endpoints that communicate frequently, should be considered.

In order to provide the impression that the page loads more quickly, you should configure it so that particular assets load first. It is a standard practice to begin by loading the section of a website that is visible without having to scroll down. Because of this, the end user can begin engaging with the page even before the remainder of it has finished loading.

Make sure that your website is not slowed down by your backend database, which could be caused by things like huge tables, complex calculations, long fields, or inappropriate usage of indexes.

Utilize HTTP/2 to reduce latency by loading many page components simultaneously in order to save time.

Rely on network tools to monitor latency and fix problems that are caused by it (packet sniffing, NetFlow analysis, SNMP monitoring, CBQoS monitoring, and so on, for example).

Make sure that all of your software is up to date with the most recent patches, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for updates to your network and modem.

What steps can consumers take to reduce the delay on their end

On the user’s end, rather than on the server’s, problems can occasionally be the cause of “latency” in the network, which refers to a slowdown in network performance. Although bandwidth is not necessarily a reliable indicator of website performance, consumers always have the option of purchasing additional bandwidth in the event that slow network performance is a persistent problem. Switching from WiFi to Ethernet will result in a more constant Internet connection and will, in most cases, improve the speed of the Internet connection. Users should also ensure that their Internet equipment is up to date by frequently installing firmware updates and replacing their equipment entirely if necessary.

The final word

It is our sincere hope that this post has assisted in answering the question of what latency is and has provided readers with a better knowledge of the factors that contribute to it. Latency is an inevitable component of today’s networking ecology, and while we can attempt to reduce it, it is not something we can completely do away with. However, doing the methods suggested above is crucial if you want to cut down on the latency of your website and assist in minimizing the amount of time it takes for your consumers’ pages to load. After all, in this day and age of the Internet, the significance of the speed at which a website loads is measured in milliseconds and can be worth millions of dollars in terms of earnings made or lost.

A fantastic experience for the end user is essential to the success of any firm. And remember, the speed of your website should be a top priority if you run an online business.

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