High packet rate

Stressed routers, switches, and firewalls resulting in excessive packet discards

High packet rates for short periods

Can be mitigated by allocating sufficient buffer space in affected devices. Be careful when increasing buffer capacity because delay-sensitive applications might be adversely affected. It is better to discard a voice packet than to delay it in a buffer.

Sustained high packet rates

Might need to upgrade the device capacity.

As with routers, switches, and firewalls, the monitoring device might discard packets during short periods of high packet rates.

SPAN port could be dropping packets.

Unusually low packet rate

Network issue.

High packet rate coupled with a low bit rate

Security attack.