Which of the following is an effective way to monitor network congestion?

Implementing bandwidth usage monitoring tools is an effective way to monitor network congestion because these tools provide real-time insights into the amount of data being transmitted over the network. By analyzing bandwidth usage, network administrators can identify patterns, peak usage times, and potential bottlenecks. This data is crucial for making informed decisions about resource allocation, network upgrades, or reconfiguration to optimize performance.

Monitoring tools can also alert administrators to unusual spikes in traffic, which could indicate congestion or potential security threats. This proactive approach allows teams to address issues before they significantly impact network performance, ensuring that the bandwidth is used efficiently and that users experience minimal disruptions.

In contrast, relying solely on load balancers does not provide a full picture of network congestion, as they are designed to distribute traffic rather than monitor it comprehensively. Reducing the number of network devices could potentially help but does not directly address the underlying traffic flow and capacity issues that monitoring tools can highlight. Ignoring network traffic reports would leave management unaware of critical data needed to make informed operational decisions.