Many employees and companies face a common issue: internet slowdown during online meetings. If you work in a company and notice that the internet suddenly becomes slow when a video meeting starts, you are not alone.
In this article, we will explore the reasons behind this issue and provide practical solutions, focusing on DrayTek routers with load balancing technology, offered by Modn Telecom as an ideal solution for businesses.
Introduction to the Problem and Its Importance
Virtual meetings have become a daily necessity for companies, but internet slowdowns can impact productivity and cause frustration among teams. This slowdown can create a negative impression of the company’s professionalism, especially in meetings with clients.
At Modn Telecom, we understand the importance of stable internet networks for businesses. We specialize in providing advanced communication solutions, including DrayTek routers, which are among the best routers in the market for managing complex networks.
Main Reasons for Internet Slowdown During Meetings
Internet slowdown during online meetings occurs due to several factors, but the most common reason is poor load distribution on the network. Let’s explain this in detail.
High Bandwidth Consumption
Video meetings require large amounts of data. For example, a high-quality video meeting can consume up to 1.5 Mbps for HD video, in addition to audio and shared screens. If multiple employees in the company are participating in meetings simultaneously, the network experiences significant strain.
Poor Load Distribution
In traditional networks, all traffic is routed through a single path or internet link. When the load increases—such as during a video meeting—congestion occurs, leading to packet loss and increased latency. If your network relies on a single internet link, all sessions compete for the same bandwidth, slowing everyone down. Poor load distribution means the inability to intelligently distribute traffic across multiple resources, making the network inefficient under pressure.
Other Related Issues
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Interference from Other Devices: If other devices on the network are using the internet simultaneously, such as downloading files or streaming videos, this increases congestion.
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Wired or Wireless Connection Quality: Wireless networks are prone to interference from nearby devices.
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Lack of Quality of Service (QoS): Without settings to prioritize video traffic, the router treats all data the same way.
Negative Impacts on Companies
Internet slowdown leads to wasted time, reduced productivity, and potentially lost business opportunities. In large companies, a single hour of downtime can cost thousands of dollars. Additionally, it increases stress among employees, further affecting workplace productivity.
General Solutions to the Problem
Before diving into the specific solution, here are some general solutions that can be tried:
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Increase Bandwidth: Subscribing to faster internet lines, though this is costly and does not address poor load distribution.
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Set Up QoS: Prioritizing video traffic in the router.
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Reduce Usage: Closing unnecessary applications during meetings.
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Use VPNs or Optimization Tools: However, these may add additional latency.
However, the optimal solution lies in using advanced technologies like load balancing, which intelligently distributes the load.
The Ideal Solution: DrayTek Routers with Load Balancing Technology
At Modn Telecom, we strongly recommend DrayTek routers, which support load balancing as a primary solution to poor load distribution. DrayTek is a leading company in the router industry, and its routers are designed for commercial networks handling high loads.
How Does Load Balancing Work in DrayTek Routers?
Load balancing in DrayTek routers relies on a “Session-Based Load Balancing” model, where the router automatically distributes new sessions (such as video meetings) across multiple WAN links. Here are the details:
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Automatic Distribution: The router distributes traffic to achieve balanced usage across all WANs. For example, if you have two internet links, 50% of the sessions are distributed to each link, preventing congestion on a single link.
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Weight Determination: The router automatically detects link speeds or allows manual input using the “According to Line Speed” mode. This ensures precise distribution based on each link’s capacity.
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Route Policy: Rules can be created to route specific traffic, such as directing video traffic to the fastest WAN or reserving certain links for specific uses.
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Failover: If one link fails, traffic automatically shifts to another, ensuring uninterrupted meetings.
In the context of online meetings, this allows the aggregation of bandwidth from multiple links, providing higher speeds and reduced latency. For example, if you have a 100 Mbps link and a 50 Mbps link, the total bandwidth for the entire network can reach 150 Mbps.
Benefits of Load Balancing in DrayTek Routers for Meetings
Here are five benefits of load balancing:
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Improved Performance: Reduces congestion, preventing packet loss and improving video quality.
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Increased Availability: With failover, meetings continue uninterrupted if one link fails.
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Cost Savings: Instead of purchasing a more expensive single internet link, use multiple cheaper links.
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Enhanced Security: Routers support features like VPN Load Balancing for secure connections.
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Ease of Setup: In routers like Vigor 2860 or 2925, load balancing is enabled through a simple web interface.
At Modn Telecom, we provide full support for installing and configuring these routers, ensuring they meet your company’s needs.
How to Implement It in Your Company
Here are the practical steps to apply DrayTek’s load balancing solutions in your company:
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Network Assessment: Evaluate your current bandwidth and number of users.
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Choose a Router: Select a DrayTek multi-WAN model, such as Vigor 3900 for large companies.
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Configuration: Go to WAN >> General Setup, enable Load Balance, and set the weights.
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Testing: Conduct test meetings to measure improvements.
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Maintenance: Monitor the network using DrayTek’s built-in tools.
DrayTek Router Models with Load Balancing Technology
DrayTek offers a range of routers that support load balancing to meet the needs of different businesses. Among these models:
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Vigor2865 Series: Dual-WAN router with VDSL/ADSL and LTE support, ideal for small and medium-sized businesses, offering load balancing for up to 60,000 NAT sessions.
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Vigor2927 Series: Supports dual WAN with SFP and Gigabit Ethernet, suitable for medium-sized networks, capable of managing 50 concurrent VPNs and automatic load balancing.
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Vigor3912: Multi-WAN (up to 8 links), ideal for large networks, supports load balancing across multiple interfaces with high performance.
All these DrayTek router models feature load balancing technology, ensuring intelligent traffic distribution and network stability during online meetings.
Conclusion
Internet slowdown during meetings is primarily caused by poor load distribution, but with DrayTek routers equipped with load balancing technology, this issue can be fundamentally resolved. At Modn Telecom, we are committed to providing the best solutions to ensure stable and efficient networks. Contact us today for a consultation and start improving your network.
Find more:
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