The Internet has now become a need in every individual’s daily life. Therefore, the speed and the quality of internet service are very important. Internet Service Providers play an important role in defining the quality of your internet experience. They use some techniques to regulate the flow of Internet speed to balance their networks and maintain quality services. Some of these techniques include speed capping, traffic prioritization, etc. Let’s discuss in detail how ISPs control your internet speed!
Throttling Speed
Throttling is one of the most popular ways ISPs regulate internet speed. In this method, ISPs reduce the internet speed. This is done to handle congestion and to ensure equal bandwidth distribution. Throttling usually occurs when you engage in high-bandwidth activities.
Traffic Shaping
Traffic shaping is another method used by the ISPs to regulate internet speed and traffic. It gives preference to some specific types of traffic. ISPs break down the data transmitted through their network and divide them according to priority levels depending on the service type. For instance, applications such as video telephony are usually prioritized as they need steady data transfer. On the other hand, such as downloading files and browsing websites may be assigned a lower priority. To check if your ISP is shaping your connection, you can use the Vodafone Speed Test Tool.
Data Caps
Data caps are the maximum amount of data that an ISP allows its users to use. Once a user crosses this limit, they may face a slow internet connection. Data caps are among the common strategies that ISPs can use to regulate the bandwidth usage in the network. People who watch movies, gaming or download something large are more likely to hit the data limit. You can use Speed.is to check your internet speed and usage.
Quality of Service
Quality of service gives preference to some types of applications, services, or users. For example, an ISP can apply QoS to guarantee the priority of video streaming traffic to avoid frustrating pauses during playback. Also, gaming traffic could be prioritized so that the gaming experience could be enhanced or latency could be minimized. Overall, QoS may benefit ISPs by improving their current performance, allowing them to deliver better service to customers with priorities for vital applications.
Network Congestion Management
Traffic control is crucial in preserving the general well-being and efficiency of an ISP’s network. If more people are on the network accessing the internet, congestion occurs. ISPs use several measures to deal with congestion. This may involve the use of storing and analyzing the patterns of network traffic and assigning resources depending on the load. This could be done through redirecting traffic, moderating the bandwidth, or slowing down users who consume much data.
