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WRED stands for Weighted Random Early Detection. It is a queue management technique commonly used in routers and switches to manage congestion and reduce packet loss by utilizing specific dropping algorithms based on traffic priorities.

The core function of WRED is to selectively drop packets from queues based on their priority levels, which allows the network to provide better service to higher priority traffic. If the queue becomes too full, WRED randomly drops packets; however, it prioritizes the dropping of lower priority packets. This approach helps to ensure that important data, such as voice or critical application data, is less likely to be dropped compared to less critical traffic, thus improving overall network performance and user experience.

This function distinguishes WRED from other techniques that may not consider packet priority in the same way or are focused on different aspects of traffic management. It effectively balances the needs of multiple traffic classes during periods of congestion, maintaining the quality of service for high-priority applications while managing the risk of network overload.