Web Browsing Applications

QoS needs for web browsing applications cannot be generalized into a single category. For example, ERP applications that use a browser front-end might be more important than retrieving daily news information. Traffic groupings can typically be distinguished from each other by their server source and destinations. Most browser-based applications are distinguished by the dataflow being asymmetric (small dataflows from the browser client, large dataflows from the server to the browser client).

An exception to this might be created by some Java™-based applications. In addition, web-based applications are generally tolerant of latency, jitter, and some packet loss; however, small packet loss might have a large impact on perceived performance because of the nature of TCP. The relevant parameter for protecting browser applications is minimum bandwidth. The relevant parameter for preventing non-critical browser applications from overwhelming the network is maximum bandwidth.