Which term refers to a network device capable of traffic shaping?

Which term refers to a network device capable of traffic shaping?

• A. Traffic Shaper
• B. Bandwidth Manager
• C. Packet Filter
• D. QoS Engine

Answer: (A)

Traffic shaping is a method of controlling how quickly data is sent onto the network by delaying packets in a controlled queue to meet a target transmission rate. The device that implements this rate control directly is called a traffic shaper, since its primary role is to shape the traffic flow by buffering and scheduling packets to stay within defined limits. This makes it the clearest, most specific term for a device that performs this function. Other options touch on related ideas but don’t specify the shaping action itself. A bandwidth manager might oversee overall link capacity, but it isn’t inherently the component that enforces the timing and delay of packets. A packet filter handles access control and doesn’t shape traffic. A QoS engine can enforce quality-of-service policies and may include shaping as part of its capabilities, but the explicit device term for shaping traffic is traffic shaper.

Traffic shaping is a method of controlling how quickly data is sent onto the network by delaying packets in a controlled queue to meet a target transmission rate. The device that implements this rate control directly is called a traffic shaper, since its primary role is to shape the traffic flow by buffering and scheduling packets to stay within defined limits. This makes it the clearest, most specific term for a device that performs this function.

Other options touch on related ideas but don’t specify the shaping action itself. A bandwidth manager might oversee overall link capacity, but it isn’t inherently the component that enforces the timing and delay of packets. A packet filter handles access control and doesn’t shape traffic. A QoS engine can enforce quality-of-service policies and may include shaping as part of its capabilities, but the explicit device term for shaping traffic is traffic shaper.