How can you improve network routing?

1 Use dynamic routing protocols

Dynamic routing protocols are algorithms that automatically adjust the routing tables based on the network conditions and topology. They can help you avoid manual configuration, reduce errors, and adapt to changes. Some common dynamic routing protocols are RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, and BGP. Each protocol has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the network size, complexity, and requirements. You should choose the protocol that best suits your network goals and policies.

2 Implement quality of service

Quality of service (QoS) is a mechanism that prioritizes and manages the traffic flow according to different criteria, such as bandwidth, delay, jitter, and packet loss. QoS can help you improve network routing by ensuring that the most important or sensitive data packets get the highest priority and the best service. For example, you can use QoS to allocate more bandwidth to voice or video applications, or to limit the bandwidth for non-critical or recreational traffic. QoS can also help you prevent congestion, buffer overflow, and packet drops.

3 Apply load balancing

Load balancing is a technique that distributes the traffic load across multiple paths or servers, to improve network routing efficiency and availability. Load balancing can help you avoid overloading a single path or server, which can cause delays, failures, or outages. Load balancing can also help you balance the traffic demand and supply, by redirecting the traffic to the least congested or most responsive path or server. Load balancing can be implemented at different layers of the network, such as the application layer, the transport layer, or the network layer.

4 Use network monitoring tools

Network monitoring tools are software applications that collect and analyze the network data, such as traffic volume, speed, latency, errors, and performance. Network monitoring tools can help you improve network routing by providing you with real-time and historical insights into your network status and behavior. You can use network monitoring tools to identify and troubleshoot network problems, such as bottlenecks, misconfigurations, or attacks. You can also use network monitoring tools to optimize your network routing decisions, by adjusting the parameters, policies, or protocols based on the network data.

5 Secure your network

Securing your network is crucial for improving network routing and protecting your data. Network security involves implementing various measures and practices to prevent unauthorized access, modification, or disruption of your network. Some network security methods are encryption, authentication, firewall, VPN, IDS, and IPS. Encryption is the process of transforming the data into a code that only authorized parties can decipher. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of the users or devices that access your network. Firewall is a device or software that filters the incoming and outgoing traffic based on predefined rules. VPN is a service that creates a secure and encrypted connection between your device and a remote server. IDS is a system that detects and alerts you of any suspicious or malicious network activity. IPS is a system that blocks or mitigates any potential network threats.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?