Quality of Service (QoS) improves network performance
In congested Wi-Fi networks, clients may spend significant amounts of time competing for airtime, delaying the transmission of data traffic. For latency-sensitive traffic, these delays ultimately translate into poor video or audio user experience.
Quality of service (QoS) in networking generally refers to any action performed on a traffic stream to ensure the performance of the underlying application, and ultimately improve the end-user experience.
QoS in networking offers visibility into the bit rate, delay, jitter and packet rate of the network and allows networks to optimize the performance of apps used by changing how packets are routed to prevent transmission delays. This helps networks deliver the expected service quality for resource-intensive apps such as IPTV, online gaming, streaming media and videoconferencing.
RUCKUS QoS Innovations
RUCKUS QoS Mirroring
RUCKUS QoS Mirroring is a patented innovation that gives latency-sensitive traffic priority over other traffic by matching downlink flows so that they match their respective uplink flows.
SmartCast™
SmartCast is an advanced QoS engine that inspects each packet and automatically classifies it into one of four queues—voice, video, best effort, and background. It inspects a variety of headers, including those of Ethernet frames (both TCP and UDP), VLAN tags, and IPv4 and IPv6 packets to properly classify all data.
Benefits of QoS
Improved performance for real-time applications
By prioritizing latency-sensitive traffic over less critical data, QoS helps the network deliver clearer voice calls, smoother video playback and better connectivity for cloud-based collaboration tools.
Optimized bandwidth utilization
QoS helps network administrators allocate bandwidth efficiently based on the needs of the users or applications. It prevents traffic congestion by reserving bandwidth for mission-critical apps, throttling or deprioritizing background traffic and prohibiting one device or service from hogging up the network.
Better network reliability
By managing traffic flow during peak use periods, QoS avoids packet loss and service interruption, which produces higher uptime for critical apps and a more consistent network when under heavy loads.
More predictable outcomes
QoS in networking provides a prioritization scheme into the network performance. By classifying each traffic type entering a device into access category (Voice, Video, Best Effort or Background), QoS gives top priority to time-sensitive apps by allocating the necessary bandwidth needed for optimal performance.
Case Studies
United Center
Discover how the largest indoor arena takes fan experience to new heights thanks to a Wi-Fi redesign by RUCKUS Networks.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Learn how RUCKUS Networks enhanced the operational efficiency and guest experience by supporting secure, reliable access and innovative applications.
Altice Portugal
Altice Portugal, the country’s largest telecom company, needed to provide indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi coverage for the 23rd MEO Sudoeste, the largest music festival in Portugal.
Paycom Center
Learn how Oklahoma City's Paycom Center designed a top-of-the-line wired and wireless network by deploying RUCKUS Networks switches and access points.