您的网络连接是否(Does)比平时慢？这可能是由于您的调制解调器、路由器、WiFi信号、慢速DNS服务器甚至网络上的设备使您的带宽饱和的(saturating your bandwidth)问题引起的。
虽然这些是您在网络连接缓慢(network connection is slow)时会想到的更常见的问题，但您不会立即注意到的隐藏问题之一是数据包丢失。
这通常会降低给定连接的吞吐量或速度，有时会导致对延迟敏感的协议或应用程序（如VoIP或流视频）的质量下降。
数据包(Packet)丢失是一项关键的网络性能指标，在您的网络上任何时候都不应该发生这种情况。我们将研究什么是丢包，是什么原因造成的，如何检测它以及如何修复丢包。
什么是丢包？(What Is Packet Loss?)
信息作为一系列离散单元通过网络传输，通常称为数据包。
当以正确的顺序连接在一起时，这些单独的单元会形成一个连贯的整体，并且网络连接工作得很好。然而，数据包有时可能会到达不完整、有缺陷或损坏，导致它们无用，但当丢失时，网络连接会受到干扰(network connection is interfered with)。
简而言之，数据包丢失是在特定传输过程中丢失的数据(data lost)，导致连接速度比平时慢，并降低网络与本地和远程设备之间通信的可靠性。此外，它可能会通过增加 CPU 负载来处理额外的网络开销，从而影响您的CPU负载。(CPU)
大多数网络有时会出现低水平的数据包丢失，因为网络连接会发生变化，因此不可避免地会偶尔丢弃数据包。
理想情况下，网络不应该丢失数据包。在正常运行的网络上，这种情况很少发生，但几乎每个 ISP 都已经或受到数据包丢失的困扰。无线连接也比有线连接更常见。
是什么导致丢包？(What Causes Packet Loss?)
数据(Data)以数据包的形式传输，这些数据包以特定的时间间隔通过网络发送。当这些数据包没有到达它们的目的地时，发送者会收到一个 ping 来通知他们它是不成功的。
收到一两次这样的丢包是正常的，但如果随着丢包越来越多，问题变得更糟，就会有更多的回传传输，最终导致传输线路拥塞，您可能会遇到数据传输超时。
网络连接上发生丢包的原因有多种。其中包括：
- 通过网络传输数据的组件效率低下或出现故障，例如电缆连接松动、路由器故障或WiFi信号不佳。
- 高延迟，导致难以一致地传递数据包。
- 传送数据包的间距，导致目的地出现计时问题。
- 带宽不足(Inadequate bandwidth)或无法优化现有带宽。
- (Faulty)可能有过多错误的有缺陷的软件。
- (Old)用于传输数据的旧传输点。
- 可能“泄漏”数据包的损坏、接线不当或速度慢的电缆。
- 硬件(Hardware)和物理基础设施不是数据传输的最佳选择，或者可能已损坏或有故障。
- 无线(Wireless)网络可能会受到距离、厚墙或来自附近无线网络的其他干扰等因素的影响。
它也可能是有意的，例如，在网络拥塞严重的情况下，可以使用数据包丢失来限制视频流期间的吞吐量以避免延迟，或者在VoIP通话期间。结果是低质量的呼叫或流，进而影响用户体验。
为了知道丢包的根本原因，您需要先检测它，然后再反向解决它。它可能会向您发出有关网络漏洞的信号，尤其是在黑客攻击方面，或者使您面临可能吸引网络犯罪分子捕获并劫持您的安全系统的风险。
当数据包丢失水平超过总数据包流的 1-2% 之间的可接受率时，所有这些都会发生。(acceptable rate)任何高于此的值，质量都会受到显着影响。
您的网络管理员可以检查以确保数据包丢失率为 0%，如果它开始增加，请咨询您的 ISP 以确定根本原因。
数据包(Packet)丢失可能会向您发出有关网络漏洞的信号，尤其是在黑客攻击方面。同样，它可能使您面临可能吸引网络犯罪分子捕获并劫持您的安全系统的风险。
当数据包丢失水平超过总数据包流的 1-2% 之间的可接受率时，所有这些都会发生。任何高于此的值，质量都会受到显着影响。
您的网络管理员可以检查以确保数据包丢失率为 0%，如果它开始增加，请与您的 ISP 联系以确定根本原因并找出解决数据包丢失的方法。
如何修复网络连接上的数据包丢失问题(How to Fix Packet Loss Problems on Your Network Connection)
1.确定丢包原因
2.更换有问题的硬件
3. 修复(Fix)任何软件错误或向供应商报告（如果是第三方）
4.使用网络监控工具
确定丢包原因(Determine The Cause of Packet Loss)
为了找出网络丢包的根本原因，您需要首先检查一些事项，例如设备之间的以太网(Ethernet)连接、任何接线错误或损坏的物理迹象、电缆是否正常工作，以及检查您的交换机和路由器或调制解调器。
确定(Determine)您的网络上是否有足够的带宽来处理所需的设备，以及是否有任何硬件处理的超出了应有的范围。这是一个搜索问题，直到您找到并替换任何无法正常工作的东西，直到问题解决为止。
您还可以使用好的路由器或切换器，并与网络上有问题的硬件进行交换，看看它是否可以解决数据包丢失问题。
您可以使用一些软件应用程序来检测网络上的数据包丢失。这些程序通过查看数据包或分析它们的行程时间来嗅探数据包。但是，您也可以 ping 网络上的设备以发现是否存在丢包。
可以使用更高级的工具来确定数据包丢失，但是一旦您知道如何检查网络通信，您需要做的就是隔离并消除以确定问题的原因和根源。
更换有问题的硬件(Replace Problematic Hardware)
现在您知道网络连接丢包的根本原因，您可以做两件事来修复丢包：更换有问题的硬件。
隔离和消除步骤将帮助您了解数据包丢失的来源和原因，具体取决于导致网络上设备的硬件。
修复任何软件错误或向供应商（第三方）报告(Fix Any Software Bugs Or Report To The Vendor (Third-Party))
您可以自己修复软件错误，或者如果您使用第三方程序，请将其报告给供应商以获得支持和可能的错误修复。
使用网络监控工具(Use a Network Monitoring Tool)
具有更好连接和路由器的紧密结合的网络几乎不会丢失数据包。然而，并不是所有在互联网上发生的事情都是已知的，所以你应该预料到一些数据包丢失。
好消息是您可以使用网络监控工具来帮助您识别导致设备丢失的数据包，同时提供对设备的持续监控(continuous monitoring of your devices)以防止出现问题。
市场上最好的网络监控工具之一是SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor。它在Windows Server上运行，是一个全面的网络设备健康检查器，使用SNMP进行实时监控。
该工具映射您的网络，以便您可以查看任何丢包迹象并确定其来源。它具有自动发现(Auto Discovery)功能，可以不断映射您的网络，生成设备列表、网络地图和任何网络更改。
它还跟踪 VM 系统和无线设备的性能，获取SNMP消息，报告网络上所有设备中的任何警告。最终，它可以帮助您防止容量过剩，这可能导致数据包丢失。
防止丢包(Prevent Packet Loss)
根据丢包的根本原因，您可以选择我们上面提到的任何方法来解决网络连接上的丢包问题。
如果是硬件问题，请更换一个可以应对的新问题，但对于网络拥塞，您可以增加带宽，或使用服务质量解决方案为实时网络流量设置更高的优先级。
管理数据包丢失的简单(Simple)方法包括检查您的端口和电缆是否正确连接和安装，如果您想提高连接质量，您是否使用电缆连接。如果使用无线连接，请消除任何干扰，并保持设备和软件更新。
How To Fix Packet Loss & Know When It’s a Problem
Does your network connection seem slower than usuаl? It could be cauѕed by issues with your modem, router, WiFі ѕignal, a slow DNS server, or even devices on yоur network saturating your bandwidth.
While these are the more common problems that you’d think of whenever your network connection is slow, one of the hidden issues you wouldn’t immediately notice is packet loss.
This generally reduces the throughput or speed of a given connection, sometimes resulting in reduction in quality to protocols or apps that are latency sensitive such as VoIP or streaming video.
Packet loss is a critical network performance metric, which should never happen at any one time on your network. We’re going to look at what packet loss is, what causes it, how to detect it and how to fix packet loss.
What Is Packet Loss?
Information is transmitted across a network as a series of discrete units commonly referred to as packets.
When connected together in the right order, these individual units create a coherent whole, and the network connection works just fine. However, the packets can sometimes arrive incomplete, flawed, or damaged rendering them useless, but when lost, the network connection is interfered with.
In simple terms though, packet loss is data lost during a specific transmission, leading to a slower connection than usual and reduced reliability of communication between your network and local and remote devices. Plus, it may affect your CPU load by increasing it in order to process the extra network overhead.
Most networks have low levels of packet loss from time to time, because network connections vary such that it’s inevitable that a packet will be dropped once in a while.
Ideally though, networks shouldn’t lose packets. On properly functioning networks, it’s a rare occurrence, but almost every ISP has been or gets plagued by packet loss. It’s also more common with wireless than wired connections.
What Causes Packet Loss?
Data is transmitted in packets, which are sent over the network at specific time intervals. When these packets don’t reach their destination, the sender receives a ping to notify them that it was unsuccessful.
It’s normal to receive one or two of such losses, but if the problem gets worse with more and more packet loss, there’ll be more return transmissions, which end up becoming transmission line congestion and you could experience a data transfer time out.
There are several reasons why packet loss occurs on your network connection. Among them include:
- Inefficiency or failure of a component carrying data across a network like a loose cable connection, faulty router, or poor WiFi signal.
- High latency, which causes difficulty in delivering data packets consistently.
- Spacing of packets being delivered, resulting in a timing issue at the destination.
- Inadequate bandwidth or failure to optimize existing bandwidth.
- Faulty software that could have excessive bugs.
- Old transfer points being used to transfer data.
- Damaged, improperly wired, or slow cables that can “leak” packets.
- Hardware and physical infrastructure not optimal for data transfer, or may be corrupted or buggy.
- Wireless network may be affected by elements like distance, thick walls, or other interference from nearby wireless networks.
It can also be intentional, for example, where there’s high network congestion, packet loss can be used to restrict throughput during video streams to avoid lags, or during VoIP calls. The result is low quality calls or streams, which in turn affect the user experience.
In order to know the root cause of packet loss, you need to detect it first and then work backwards to resolve it. It could signal to you about the vulnerability of your network, especially with reference to hacking attacks, or expose you to risk that could attract cybercriminals to capture and take your security system hostage.
All this happens when the packet loss levels exceed the acceptable rate of between 1-2 percent of the total packet stream. Anything higher than that and the quality is significantly affected.
Your network admin can check to ensure the packet loss is 0 percent, and if it starts increasing, check with your ISP to determine the root cause.
Packet loss could signal to you about the vulnerability of your network, especially with reference to hacking attacks. Similarly, it could expose you to risk that could attract cybercriminals to capture and take your security system hostage.
All this happens when the packet loss levels exceed the acceptable rate of between 1-2 percent of the total packet stream. Anything higher than that and the quality is significantly affected.
Your network admin can check to ensure the packet loss is 0 percent, and if it starts increasing, check with your ISP to determine the root cause and figure out how to fix that packet loss.
How to Fix Packet Loss Problems on Your Network Connection
1. Determine the cause of packet loss
2. Replace problematic hardware
3. Fix any software bugs or report to the vendor (if third-party)
4. Use a network monitoring tool
Determine The Cause of Packet Loss
In order to find out the root cause of packet loss on your network, there are some things you need to check for first such as the Ethernet connection between your devices, any miswiring or physical signs of damage, whether the cables work properly, plus check your switches and router or modem.
Determine whether you have sufficient bandwidth on your network to handle the required devices, and whether any hardware is handling more than it should. It’s a matter of searching until you find and replace whatever isn’t working properly until the problem resolves.
You can also use a good router or switcher and swap with the problematic hardware on your network to see if it resolves packet loss.
There are software applications that you can use to detect packet loss on your network. These programs sniff packets by looking into them or analyzing their trip time. However, you can also ping devices on your network to discover whether packet loss exists or not.
More advanced tools are available for determining packet loss, but once you know how to check network communications, all you need to do is isolate and eliminate to determine the cause and source of the problem.
Replace Problematic Hardware
Now that you know the root cause of packet loss on your network connection, you can do two things to fix that packet loss: replace problematic hardware.
The isolation and elimination steps will help you know the source and cause of the packet loss depending on the hardware that’s causing it from the devices on your network.
Fix Any Software Bugs Or Report To The Vendor (Third-Party)
You can fix software bugs by yourself, or if you’re using a third-party program, report it to the vendor to get support and a possible fix for the bug.
Use a Network Monitoring Tool
Tightly knit networks with better connections and routers hardly face packet loss. However, not everything that happens over the internet is known along the way, so you should anticipate some packet loss.
The good news is you can use network monitoring tools that can help you identify equipment-causing packet loss while offering continuous monitoring of your devices to prevent the problem.
One of the best network monitoring tools on the market is SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor. It runs on a Windows Server, and is a comprehensive network device health checker that employs SNMP for live monitoring.
The tool maps your network so you can see any signs of packet loss and identify its source. It has an Auto Discovery function that constantly maps your network generating a list of devices on it, a network map, and any network changes.
It also tracks performance of VM systems and wireless devices, picking up SNMP messages that report on any warnings in all devices on your network. Ultimately, it helps you forestall overcapacity, which could lead to packet loss.
Prevent Packet Loss
Depending on the root cause of packet loss, you can choose any of the methods we’ve mentioned above to fix the packet loss problem on your network connection.
Where it’s a hardware issue, replace with a new one that can cope, but for network congestion, you can increase bandwidth, or use a quality of service solution to set higher priority for real-time network traffic.
Simple ways of managing packet loss include checking that your ports and cables are properly connected and installed, and that you use cable connections if you want improved connection quality. Remove any interference if using wireless connections, and keep devices and software updated.
