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How do you prioritize traffic using QoS in a congested network?
Asked on Feb 06, 2026
Answer
To prioritize traffic using Quality of Service (QoS) in a congested network, you can implement traffic classification and marking, followed by applying policies that allocate bandwidth and manage queues based on the traffic type. This ensures critical applications receive the necessary resources while less important traffic is limited.
Example Concept: QoS involves classifying network traffic into different categories, such as voice, video, and data. Each category is assigned a priority level, often using Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) values. Routers and switches then use these markings to manage traffic queues, ensuring high-priority traffic like VoIP and video conferencing is transmitted with minimal delay, while lower-priority traffic is buffered or delayed during congestion.
Additional Comment:
- Identify critical applications and assign them higher priority using DSCP or IP precedence.
- Configure traffic shaping and policing to control the rate of traffic flow.
- Implement queue management techniques such as Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) or Low Latency Queuing (LLQ) to handle different traffic types.
- Regularly monitor and adjust QoS policies to adapt to changing network conditions.
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