Which of the following is a common consequence of network congestion?

Network congestion occurs when the volume of traffic exceeds the capacity of the network, leading to a backlog of data packets. One of the primary consequences of this congestion is reduced application performance. When applications request data or send information across a congested network, it often results in slower response times, increased latency, and sometimes packet loss. This degradation can notably affect user experience and operational efficiency, as applications may not perform as intended when faced with delays or interrupted data flows.

In contrast, increased bandwidth utilization, enhanced data transfer rates, and more efficient resource allocation do not accurately reflect the state of a congested network. While bandwidth utilization may be high, it is not indicative of effective performance; rather, it often highlights an overloaded system. Enhanced data transfer rates would typically occur in a well-functioning network, while resource allocation efficiency can diminish significantly when congestion is present due to the need to reroute or manage traffic overloads. Hence, the consequence that most accurately represents the impact of network congestion is the reduction in application performance.