Why Do We Need QoS (Quality of Service)?

Why Do We Need QoS (Quality of Service)?

QoS is needed to manage network traffic efficiently so that important, time-sensitive applications get the performance they require—even when the network is congested.

🔹 The Core Problem (Without QoS)

Networks often carry many types of traffic at the same time:

• Video calls
• Voice (VoIP)
• Online classes / meetings
• Web browsing
• File downloads
• Backups

When bandwidth is limited and everyone competes equally, critical traffic can suffer from:

• High delay (latency)
• Jitter (uneven packet delivery)
• Packet loss

This leads to:

• Choppy voice calls
• Frozen video meetings
• Slow or broken applications

🔹 What QoS Does

QoS allows the network to:

• Identify different types of traffic
• Prioritize important traffic
• Control bandwidth usage
• Reduce delay, jitter, and packet loss

🔹 Why QoS Is Important (Key Reasons)

1️⃣ Protect Real-Time Applications

Voice and video are delay-sensitive.

QoS ensures they are delivered first.

📌 Example: VoIP packets are prioritized over file downloads.

2️⃣ Ensure Business-Critical Traffic Works

ERP systems, databases, and cloud apps must stay responsive.

QoS prevents them from being slowed down by non-critical traffic.

3️⃣ Manage Limited Bandwidth

When bandwidth is not unlimited, QoS helps use it wisely.

📌 Example: Limit YouTube traffic so business apps stay fast.