What is Weighted fair queuing (WFQ)?

Weighted fair queuing (WFQ) is like giving different toys a turn on the swing based on how important they are to you.

Imagine you're at a playground with your friends. There’s one big swing, and everyone wants to use it. But instead of letting whoever gets there first take the swing every time, you decide that some friends get more turns because they’ve been waiting longer or their favorite toy is on the other side. That way, everyone still gets a fair chance, but not exactly equal, some people get more chances if they need it.

Weighted fair queuing works like this in computer networks. Think of data packets as toys fighting for space on the swing (the network connection). Some data is more important, maybe it’s part of a video call or your favorite game. WFQ lets those important packets go first, but still makes sure all packets get their turn.

In simple terms: WFQ helps computers share internet time fairly, giving some packets extra turns when they need it most. It's like the playground swing, fair, but not exactly equal.