Network congestion occurs

Network congestion occurs when a network or a part of it is overloaded, meaning there are too many packets (units of data) being transmitted simultaneously, exceeding its handling capacity. This situation is similar to traffic congestion on roads, where the number of vehicles surpasses the road’s capacity to efficiently manage the traffic flow. In the context of data networks, this can lead to delays (increased latency), packet loss, and the degradation of network service quality. It happens in various scenarios such as when numerous users access a service simultaneously, an unexpected surge in network traffic, or when bandwidth is limited. Network congestion can be managed and mitigated through techniques like traffic shaping, congestion control algorithms, upgrading network infrastructure, and using quality of service (QoS) mechanisms to prioritize traffic.