Bandwidth Management & Link Speeds
Bandwidth management is important for making sure that the internet is shared fairly among all the users on the ships network. For the many different ways for the internet to come into the network (called WAN interfaces), it’s important to tell the gateway (Kerio, Sophos etc.) how fast each one is. This helps the firewall to proper calculate the distribution and makes sure that each user gets the right amount of internet and that the most important things, like video calls or online work, get the bandwidth they need. In this blog, we will talk about why it’s important to set up the right speeds for each WAN interface on the computer system so that everyone can use the internet effectively.
Why Setting Up Internet Link Speeds correctly is Crucial.
Accurate Bandwidth Allocation:
The firewall uses the link speeds to determine the available bandwidth on each WAN interface. If the link speed is not configured correctly, the firewall may allocate more or less bandwidth than is actually available on each interface. This can result in network congestion, packet loss, and affect the performance of critical applications.
Accurate bandwidth allocation is critical for effective bandwidth management. It ensures that the available bandwidth is distributed appropriately among users and applications, preventing network overload and maintaining optimal network performance.
Effective Traffic Shaping
Bandwidth management techniques such as traffic shaping and priority queuing require accurate information about the available bandwidth on each WAN interface to function effectively. Traffic shaping prioritizes certain types of traffic over others, while priority queuing ensures that critical applications receive the necessary bandwidth.
Without accurate information about the available bandwidth, traffic shaping and priority queuing may not work as intended. This can result in sub optimal network performance and affect the user experience.
Improved User Experience
The correct WAN interface link speeds setup on the firewall can improve the user experience. It ensures that critical applications receive the necessary bandwidth for optimal performance, preventing interruptions and delays. This can lead to increased productivity and improved user satisfaction.
Moreover, accurate bandwidth allocation and effective traffic shaping can prevent network congestion and packet loss, resulting in a more stable and reliable network connection.
Reduced Downtime
Setting up internet link speeds accurately can also reduce network downtime onboard a ship. Inaccurate configurations can cause network outages, leading to loss of productivity. With the bandwidth features of the firewall, the ship’s administrator can regulate the amount of bandwidth available to each user or group of users. This ensures that critical ship operations continue to function during periods of high network traffic.
Cost Savings
Accurate bandwidth allocation and effective traffic shaping can help to prevent unnecessary bandwidth usage, reducing network costs.
Conclusion
The correct WAN interface link speeds setup on the firewall are important for effective bandwidth management. Accurate bandwidth allocation, effective traffic shaping, improved user experience, and cost savings are some of the benefits of configuring the correct WAN interface link speeds on the firewall. By ensuring that the available bandwidth is allocated appropriately and effectively managed, network administrators can provide a stable, reliable, and efficient network connection for users and applications.
