IPQoS contains features that can help you make network performance more efficient as you implement quality of service. For example, for an enterprise or institution, you must maintain an efficient network to avoid traffic bottlenecks. You must also ensure that a group or application does not consume more than its allotted bandwidth. For an ISP or ASP, you must manage network performance to ensure that customers receive their paid-for level of network service.
Some symptoms of an overused network include lost data and traffic congestion. Both symptoms result in slow response times. In the past, system administrators handled network traffic problems by adding more bandwidth, which is the maximum amount of data that a fully used network link or device can transfer. However, the level of traffic on the links often varied widely. With IPQoS, you can manage traffic on the existing network and help assess where, and whether, expansion is necessary.