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Effect of Network Congestion On Wireless Data Transmission
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Computer Engineering and Networking
Abstract
The exponential growth of wireless communication has resulted in increasing challenges related to congestion and performance degradation. Wireless networks, while offering mobility and ease of access, face unique limitations such as restricted spectrum, interference, and channel contention, which make them more vulnerable to congestion than wired networks. This paper investigates the effects of network congestion on wireless data transmission using simulation-based analysis. The study identifies key performance parameters such as throughput, latency, jitter, and packet loss that are directly impacted as the number of wireless clients increases. Using a simulated wireless local area network (WLAN) environment developed in Cisco Packet Tracer, congestion levels were modelled under varying traffic loads representing light, medium, and heavy usage. Results demonstrate that as congestion intensifies, throughput decreases significantly, latency and jitter rise disproportionately, and packet loss escalates. These findings highlight the importance of congestion-aware protocols and efficient traffic management strategies to optimise wireless network performance. Recommendations for mitigation include the implementation of Quality of Service (QoS) frameworks, dynamic channel allocation strategies, and the deployment of multiple access points to ensure scalable and resilient networks.
Keywords
network congestion; wireless lan; throughput; latency; jitter; packet loss; quality of service
How to cite this paper
@article{1722722,
author = {S. F. Ilo, Nwanebu O. T., Nnamdi H. I.},
title = {Effect of Network Congestion On Wireless Data Transmission},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {2},
pages = {3613-3622},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1722722.pdf},
abstract = {The exponential growth of wireless communication has resulted in increasing challenges related to congestion and performance degradation. Wireless networks, while offering mobility and ease of access, face unique limitations such as restricted spectrum, interference, and channel contention, which make them more vulnerable to congestion than wired networks. This paper investigates the effects of network congestion on wireless data transmission using simulation-based analysis. The study identifies key performance parameters such as throughput, latency, jitter, and packet loss that are directly impacted as the number of wireless clients increases. Using a simulated wireless local area network (WLAN) environment developed in Cisco Packet Tracer, congestion levels were modelled under varying traffic loads representing light, medium, and heavy usage. Results demonstrate that as congestion intensifies, throughput decreases significantly, latency and jitter rise disproportionately, and packet loss escalates. These findings highlight the importance of congestion-aware protocols and efficient traffic management strategies to optimise wireless network performance. Recommendations for mitigation include the implementation of Quality of Service (QoS) frameworks, dynamic channel allocation strategies, and the deployment of multiple access points to ensure scalable and resilient networks.},
keywords = {network congestion; wireless lan; throughput; latency; jitter; packet loss; quality of service},
month = {August},
}