Bandwidth Management

Bandwidth Management Software

The need for Bandwidth Management

In an organisation with several pc users on a network and sharing an Internet connection, there is the possibility of experiencing a slow Internet service. This usually occurs when Internet usage exceeds the bandwidth capacity of the Internet connection.

For example, when multiple pc users are using the Internet simultaneously for different purposes, the amount of Internet traffic flowing through the Internet connection increases. This can cause Internet service to slow down due to network congestion and result in poor Internet performance.

In large organisations with several PC users, it maybe difficult to monitor which user is doing what on the Internet. In some cases there may be a level of bandwidth abuse from particular users.

Some examples of Internet sessions that can hog high levels of bandwidth include:

• Video streaming
  (e.g. viewing videos on Video sharing website)
• Audio streaming
  (e.g. listening to radio online)
• Downloading large files
  (e.g. downloading large images)
• Uploading large files
  (e.g. sending email with large attachments to many recipients)
• VoIP
  (e.g. making long duration VoIP calls)
• Video-conferencing
  (e.g. Video-conferencing meetings)

What is Bandwidth Management?

Bandwidth Management is the process of measuring and controlling the Internet traffic and data packets on a computer network in order to avoid exceeding the bandwidth capacity of the Internet connection.

How is Bandwidth monitored?

The level of bandwidth of the Internet connection is monitored using specialist hardware or software. These can monitor either every single data packet travelling through the Internet connection or provide a broader overview of Internet traffic.

How is Bandwidth controlled?

Bandwidth is managed using various techniques and depends on the hardware or software installed. One of these techniques is to prioritise PC users, Internet sessions or web applications and allocate specific levels of bandwidth capacity accordingly. For example, E-mail usage may be allocated a higher bandwidth capacity than VoIP; Or Management may be allocated higher bandwidth in comparison to end employees.

What are the benefits of using Bandwidth Management?

• Efficient use of bandwidth
• Improve end user Internet quality
• Ensure fast responsiveness of applications
• Reduce impact of bandwidth abuse
• Eliminate bottle neck queues which cause latency
• Save investing in additional bandwidth connections

Bandwidth Management Software

• Bandwidth Management Tools - total bandwidth management solution for Linux and can be used for firewalling, traffic graphing, and shaping.
• Anubis ISP Tools - a free bandwidth management and IP address restriction system for Internet Service Providers.
• YABMAS - allows automated management of client bandwidth allocation, and client authentication by MAC address through the use of iptables and htb/tc scheduling
• qos-htb - the easy bandwidth management solution you've been waiting for and graphix makes graphs from which you can see in a second exactly who's eating the bandwidth!
• Banjar - Web-based bandwidth management tools based on tc and iptables for internet cafe or small to medium network administrators.
• QoS Management - takes care of all Bandwidth management problems.
• Firecorp - linux based Firewall and Bandwidth Manager.
• Bandwidth Control - a modest but robust packet shaper able to perform most common tasks of traffic shaping (QoS).
• AstroFlow - a bandwidth management solution that features reports and many configuration options.
• MasterShaper - a Web application to control and manage network bandwidth and QoS (Quality of Service) easily with a Web browser.
• HTB Tools - a suite of tools that help simplify the difficult process of bandwidth allocation, for both upload and download traffic, using the Linux kernel's HTB facility.