Types of Errors in Computer Network

Computer networks are the backbone of communication systems by which data and information can be exchanged between multiple communicating devices and users. In modern days, computer networks are essential for daily work life real-time video streaming, online gaming, various communicative applications, etc. However, there are many types of errors present in computer networks which can lead to restricted communication, and delay in packet transmission that produces glitches in videos and distorts the audio in real-time applications. In this article, we will discuss various types of errors in computer networks with their cause and countermeasures.

Common Network Problems

There are basically 5 ways through which errors occurred during transmission that are mentioned below.

1. Transmission Error

During the data transmission phase, data may be transmitted inaccurately due to many reasons like external electromagnetic interference, interrupted/degraded signal faulty hardware, etc. This leads to loss of data or corrupted data packets and inconsistency in data packet arrivals which triggers non-reliable data communication. This type of mis-transmission of data is called Transmission error. Transmission errors can easily resolved by using error detection and correction mechanisms(CRC, checksums etc.), and high-quality networking equipment and data cables can reduce this error.

2. Data Packet Loss

Data packets can be lost during data transmission due to the presence of errors in routing protocols, highly congested networks, or may be for faulty networking devices. Data packet losses can lead to back-to-back packet retransmission which results in delay in next packet arrival and reduced network performance. During real-time communication, data-packet loss may badly affect the live streaming with distorted audio and videos with glitches. Countermeasures involve implementing forward error correction and congestion control technique reduces packet loss. Also, it is required to ensure that all networking devices are up-to-date and these devices are using optimized network configurations as per requirements.

3. Network Latency

If one of the two communicating devices uses high latency but another one is running at low latency then the delay may occur during data transmission which is called a network latency problem. It can be a consequence of high network congestion and different processing power of two communicating devices which leads to processing delays. The latency problem can directly effect real-time applications like online gaming and video conferencing. In modern technology, this problem can be easily solved by only implementing Quality of Service(QoS) techniques. Also, increasing the network bandwidth, optimizing network routing protocols, and utilizing a caching system can reduce this problem.

4. Configuration Errors

Misconfigured or pirated software faces configuration errors which results in inaccurate network operations. Configuration errors may lead to security vulnerabilities(mainly unauthorized access), instability in network connectivity, and incorrect packet routing which results in communication failures.

5. Hardware Failures

Using very old and unmaintained network devices(switches, routers etc.), no backups for power-cuts or manufacturing defect lead to hardware failure. This results network outages, high downtime, restricted productivity for business farms or users and loss of data if no backup taken. This problem can be handled by performing regular maintenance of networking devices, preparing alternative device if possible, taking data backups and disaster management tools to minimize the data loss and downtime and it is also required to replace the aged hardware in time.

Types of Errors in Computer Network

1. Single-Bit Error

It is nothing but a special type of transmission error. During transmission of data packets from one networking device to another, if only one bit from this whole data packet is being changed/corrupted/altered then Single-bit transmission error occurs. This single bit corruption can be occurred due to induced noise in data transmission cable or presence of electromagnetic interference.

The word single-bit error can lead to be sound a very simple and harmless but in reality single-bit errors can corrupt the whole data and the receiver may get fully incorrect data when they decode it. Also a very worthy error detection mechanism is required to detect it as the error is truly very small but results high data damage. For example say one sender sent a data packet to a receiver and the data packet is 0111. And during transmission single-bit error occurred and receiver receives 0011 instead 0111 i.e. only one bit is flipped. Now let receiver will decode it to decimal and so receiver will get 3(0011) instead of the correct data 7(0111). So, when this data is used for complex logic a huge data corruption will occur. Countermeasures involve implementing error detection and correction methods like CRC, parity bits etc.

2. Burst Error

Similarly it is one kind of Transmission error and very likely to single bit error. But in Burst error, multiple data bits of a data packets are being changed/corrupted/ altered during transmission. And these multibit corruption occurs in a very short period so it is called ‘Burst’. Communication line interference, impulsive noise are the main factors which lead to burst error. As multiple bit are being corrupted so it can fully corrupt a data packet and making it fully valueless. Burst errors can be rectified by retransmission but it consumes additional network resources and burst error can occur in that also. So, we need to implement robust error detection and correction techniques like Reed-Solomon codes or convolutional codes. These algorithms adds redundancy bits of data so that the receiver can reconstruct the original data from that if burst error occurred. For example the sender sends a data block of 110001 and receiver receives 101101. Here, we can see that in a single instance total 3bits of data corrupted i.e. burst error occurred.

Difference Between Single Bit Error and Burst Error in Computer Network

Single-Bit error	Burst Error
Only one bit of a data packet is altered or corrupted.	Multiple bits of a data packet is being corrupted in a very short period of time(bursting).
May occur randomly and can affect individual bits in a data packet.	It occurs like a cluster and affect consecutive bits of a data packet.
Minor data corruption and easy to restore the original. This error can be handled using CRC, parity bit etc.	High data corruption(Clustered errors) and hard to detect and restore to original. Robust coding required like Reed-Solomon codes or convolutional codes.
As only one bit is altered so it is easy to correct the wrong sequence.	In a short sequence multiple bits are altered so it is hard to correct and may lead to entire corruption of data packet.

FAQs On Types of Errors in Computer Network

Q.1: Write some common causes of errors in computer networks?

Answer:

Various factors can lead to result in errors in computer networks like transmission problem(electromagnetic interference, signal degradation etc.), malfunctioning communication cables or outdated networking devices, misconfigured networking devices, excessive network traffic, data packet loss etc.

Q.2: How to detect and correct errors in computer network?

Answer:

Implementing error detection and correction mechanisms within the transmission network can restrict errors. Some very common and widely used algorithms are Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC), parity bits , checksum etc. Also some more robust codes are Reed-Solomon codes(for Burst error) and Hamming codes(For single-bit error) etc.

Q.3: What are some potential consequences of errors in a computer network?

Answer:

What kind or amount of error is occurring that measures the consequences of that particular error. Like a single-bit error may lead to minor glitches where as a burst error may harm the whole data block. A hardware failure may lead to huge data loss, service breakdown etc.