Telecom
How to Solve Your Network Performance Problems
Everyone wants their internet and private networks functioning at top levels all day, every day. For many people, it means quicker responses to queries, seamless communication, and tasks getting completed in good time. It’s what makes work smooth and productive for many people and businesses.
We get frustrated when networks degrade or fail. Our work slows down and productivity levels dip. And if connectivity is an important part of your business’s service delivery, your customers may experience network defects as a poor product of customer experience coming from your end.
If you don’t solve the problem early enough, you could lose clients. In the end, it might cost you a lot of (unearned) money.
So you’ll want to deal with your network issues as quickly as you can. Even better, you should be preventing them from happening in the first place.
First, you need to know what network performance issues you’re most likely to face. When you’ve learned this, you’ll be better able to prevent them, or deal with them if they crop up.
Common Network Performance Issues that Businesses Face
- Congested Bandwidth
Maybe you often use more data at any given time than your bandwidth can take care of. It’s not large enough to accommodate the amount of traffic that goes through your networks. If you have the right monitoring tools, you’ll see what users and devices contribute the most to the congestion.
- Failed Hardware
In some cases, network outages are the result of failed devices in the network infrastructure. Common culprits in this category include broken cables and damaged switches. Disabled devices can also cause networks to slow down or shut down.
- Network Loop
A network loop is when there are multiple paths to two endpoints on a network. This usually happens if there’s a problem with the way the network is configured. When there’s a loop, traffic keeps going back to its source– and growing in the process –instead of stopping at its destination. The expanding traffic will choke your bandwidth and slow your network.
- Incorrect Device Configuration
When devices are poorly configured, they won’t function as they should. This, in turn, causes performance problems for the networks that they support, or are a part of.
- Hidden Devices
Your employees may have connected more devices or applications to your network than what’s officially accounted for. These additions could be slowing your network speed. Unless you have a network monitoring tool or system that tracks these things, you won’t know what’s weakening your network’s performance.
- Prolonged Backup Process
Let’s say you set data backup to happen overnight. But for some reason, it extends into the working day. If it’s still going on during work hours, it could impede traffic on your networks. Prolonged backup processes, regardless of when they’re initiated, will slow down other significant traffic being generated at the same time.
How Do You Know When You Have a Network Problem?
There could be a problem with your network if you detect any of these things:
- Network services are not available for your users at a particular time
- Increased network latency (i.e. slow network)
- Complaints about slow response times from your end-users
- Clients frequently get disconnected from your applications
How to Solve Your Network Problems
Here’s how to prevent common network issues from cropping up, and deal with them if they arise.
- Increase Your Network Visibility
Deploy network monitoring tools to help you track the traffic on your networks. They will give you greater visibility of your networks and reveal what the data consuming users and devices are, so you can curb the excess traffic that may be coming from them.
- Prioritize Applications
Assign more bandwidth to applications that are closer to the top of your priority list, and less to those closer to the bottom. You may even have to remove some applications from your systems if they don’t contribute to your operations or productivity.
- Use Compression
One way to free up your network channels is to compress large files before sharing them. There’s a catch: it may take a while to compress files, especially if they’re really large. If you’re dealing with transactions, you will be better off adopting a technology that enables the speedy transmission of data instead.
- Time Your Traffic
This solves the problem of backup-induced network slowdowns. You can restrict heavy-duty work like backups to times in which networks have little else passing through them. This spreads out your traffic more evenly across the time that you have.
- Shut Out Junk Traffic
Put up things like firewalls and spam filters that can prevent irrelevant traffic from clogging your channels. Malware could also affect your network’s performance as well, so you should have a reliable antivirus installed too.
- Check Device Configurations
If poorly configured devices are a cause of network difficulties, it makes sense for you to ascertain that their configurations are in order before they are in full use. This will reduce the incidence of network loops and slowdowns.
- Educate Your Staff
Encourage employees to adopt data saving practices. They can access documents from a single cloud platform, instead of sharing those documents and holding them in private storage. Let them know how connecting more devices to the network than you authorize can stifle network speed and ultimately cost your company. Train them to react appropriately to risks like malware and DDoS attacks that could slow your networks.
Conclusion
The quality of your network will play a part in determining your organization’s productivity. If you have continuous connectivity problems, it could negatively affect your work, your customer’s perception of your business, and your revenues in the long run.
It also helps to have a proper IT services provider take care of your network issues. That’s what you’ll get from us at Layer3. For over a decade, we have helped organizations in the public and private sector solve their IT problems. We continue to deliver network security, virtualization, and data center solutions to our clients across Nigeria, enabling them with technologies that drive them up the growth ladder.
Is your business struggling with network issues? We can help you fix them. Send us an email via [email protected], or contact us here, and we’ll get back to you.
A new non-profit advocacy group, the National Affordable Connectivity Advocacy Network (NACAN), has launched initiatives aimed at addressing broadband affordability challenges and promoting policy reforms for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.
Broadband
The launch coincided with the 2026 edition of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), themed: “Digital lifelines: Strengthening resilience in a connected world.”
NACAN said its primary objective is to bridge digital access gaps affecting Nigerian SMEs by reducing broadband costs, advocating regulatory reforms and improving digital capacity for small businesses.
As part of its rollout plans, the organisation unveiled the Southern Connectivity Voucher Pilot, a programme designed to provide subsidised data vouchers to small businesses in major commercial centres in southern Nigeria.
According to the group, the intervention is expected to reduce internet-related operational costs for businesses and improve digital access.
NACAN also announced plans to host the Niger Delta Digital Lifelines Roundtable in Port Harcourt, bringing together state ICT commissioners, internet service providers, telecom stakeholders and civil society groups.
The forum is expected to focus on strengthening resilient last-mile broadband infrastructure across underserved communities.
Speaking at the launch, National Coordinator of NACAN, Uchechukwu Emmanuel Ugochukwu, said internet access had become critical infrastructure for Nigerian businesses.
“In the current economic climate, internet access is no longer a luxury for Nigerian businesses; it is an infrastructure lifeline.
“We are debuting to ensure that high data costs and weak network reliability do not permanently exclude Nigerian SMEs from the global digital economy,” he said.
The organisation also unveiled a policy advocacy agenda targeting reforms on Right-of-Way charges and measures to reduce frequent network outages affecting businesses.
To deepen stakeholder engagement, NACAN said it is collaborating with industry groups including the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NDCCIMA), and the APC ICT Directorate, alongside private sector partners.
NACAN described itself as a non-profit initiative focused on promoting digital equity for Nigerian SMEs through advocacy for affordable, reliable and secure broadband infrastructure.
The group said its long-term goal is to support the integration of local businesses into the formal digital economy and stimulate inclusive economic growth.
Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has said that sustained collaboration among African countries remains central to the continent’s drive toward digital transformation.
The organisation stressed that building secure, interoperable and inclusive digital systems across Africa cannot be achieved in isolation, calling for stronger regional partnerships to accelerate innovation and shared infrastructure development.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Head of Corporate Communications at Galaxy Backbone, Chidi Okpala.
As it prepares to host a major delegation of policymakers, technology leaders and development partners in Abuja, GBB said the engagement would further highlight the importance of cross-border cooperation in shaping Africa’s digital future.
Okpala explained that the initiative is designed to provide both dialogue and practical exposure to Nigeria’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.
According to him, the visit will allow delegates to better understand how shared ICT systems are supporting governance and service delivery in the country.
“This engagement will provide an opportunity for African stakeholders to not only discuss policy frameworks but also see firsthand how digital public infrastructure is being deployed to improve efficiency, connectivity and innovation in the public sector,” Okpala said.
He added that GBB’s hosting role reflects its growing importance in advancing digital governance and infrastructure development across the continent.
“Galaxy Backbone is increasingly positioned as a key enabler of trusted digital infrastructure, and this engagement reinforces that role within Nigeria and beyond,” he noted.
Speaking ahead of the programme, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, said the future of Africa’s digital economy depends on the ability of countries to work together in building resilient systems.
“No single country can achieve the level of transformation required on its own. We must share knowledge, align strategies, and invest in systems that can serve the entire continent,” Adeyanju said.
According to the statement, the engagement will feature a continental dialogue themed “Building Africa’s Digital Foundations Together,” bringing together stakeholders from 11 African countries in Abuja.
The programme is being organised in partnership with Co-Develop, Smart Africa, and MicroSave Consulting, with discussions expected to focus on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), digital identity systems, secure connectivity, interoperability frameworks, and inclusive digital ecosystems.
GBB said delegates will also undertake a guided tour of its infrastructure and facilities in Abuja, where they will be exposed to Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and the systems supporting cloud services, cybersecurity, government connectivity, and digital platforms.
The company noted that the tour is intended to demonstrate how shared ICT infrastructure is strengthening governance and enabling more efficient public service delivery.
Participants are expected to explore practical pathways for accelerating the deployment of digital public infrastructure to support economic growth and institutional reforms across Africa.
GBB maintained that the initiative also confirms Nigeria’s position as a regional hub for digital innovation and infrastructure development, while deepening cooperation among African nations.
MTN Nigeria reinforced its commitment to supporting African storytelling and emerging creative talent at the 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Eko Hotels & Suites.
MTN Nigeria
Hosted by Bovi Ugboma and Nomzamo Mbatha, the star-studded event brought together some of the biggest names in African film, television, and entertainment for a night celebrating creativity, culture, and cinematic excellence.
As part of its participation at the Awards Night, MTN Nigeria sponsored the Best Short Film category, one of the standout moments of the evening aimed at recognising and rewarding emerging filmmakers shaping the future of African storytelling.
The award was presented by the General Manager, Enterprise Sales, MTN Nigeria, Febisola Oyeleye, alongside actor Jide Oyegbile.
The winning film, Hussaini, by filmmakers Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa, earned both the prestigious AMVCA recognition and a ₦5 million cash prize sponsored by MTN Nigeria.
Speaking during the presentation of the cash prize to the winners, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, reiterated MTN’s commitment to youth empowerment and supporting the creative industry through platforms that spotlight emerging talent.
According to her, the brand remains intentional about supporting young Nigerians who continue to push boundaries through creativity and storytelling. “At MTN, one of the things that we are so committed to is youth empowerment.
We believe that the youth of Nigeria are actually the future of the country. When we see young people being productive and coming out tops in what they do, it speaks to their commitment and ability to move beyond boundaries.
One of the ways we support the creative industry is through the short film category, and we are delighted to see deserving winners who are obviously on their way to great things,” she said.
The filmmakers behind Hussaini also celebrated the win, with one of the creators describing it as a defining moment after multiple nominations in the category.
“This is our last nomination in this category, and I’m excited we finally have it,” he said. “Next year, we are coming for Best Feature Film.”
Beyond the Awards Night, MTN’s presence throughout the AMVCA week extended to initiatives such as Young Filmmakers Day and the #MTNFilmChallenge, both designed to spotlight emerging talent and create opportunities for young creatives to tell authentic Nigerian and African stories through film and digital content.
With its continued investment in platforms that celebrate creativity and empower young storytellers, MTN Nigeria once again highlighted the important role partnerships can play in shaping the future of Africa’s entertainment industry.
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