The Network Metrics That Really Matter

When end users begin complaining about slow or generally unreliable network performance, the network leader must take immediate action. But where to begin? The answer, in most cases, can be found by studying a handful of key metrics.

Key Network Metrics to Consider

Uptime

Uptime is the most important network metric, says Gaurav Kataria, a Meta software engineer. "It's the foundation all other metrics are built upon," he states in an email interview. "Without a high uptime, you can't expect to have a reliable and efficient network," he notes.

Uptime directly affects both productivity and efficiency. "When your network is down, everything comes to a grinding halt," Kataria warns. Employees can't work, customers can't access services, and revenue takes a hit. "High uptime ensures that users can access resources, communicate, and perform tasks without interruption."

Packet loss

Packet loss runs a close second to uptime in terms of importance. "It's a key indicator of network performance and can have a significant impact on user experience," Kataria says. High packet loss rates can lead to poor voice and video quality, slow file transfers, and decreased overall network performance. Packet loss provides valuable insights into overall network performance. "By monitoring packet loss, you can identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues, and optimize network performance." It's an essential metric for ensuring high-quality voice and video communications, as well as fast and reliable data transfers.

Packet loss is a silent killer of network efficiency, says Anbang Xu, founder of JoggAI, an AI-driven video platform. "Think of it like a leaky pipe—data gets lost in transit, and what arrives is incomplete or delayed," he explains in an online interview. "This leads to inefficiencies that can cascade into longer processing times or lower-quality outputs, particularly for bandwidth-heavy applications like video streaming or collaborative platforms."

Even relatively small amounts of packet loss can lead to degraded performance in sensitive applications, such as VoIP, where lost packets translate to audio dropouts, or streaming, where it manifests as buffering, says Vladislav Bilay, a DevOps engineer at IT services provider Aquiva Labs and an AWS solutions architect. Address these issues promptly, ensuring reliability and consistency of the network," he advises via email.