Introduction: The traditional networks mostly implement devices where the control plane is distributed and mixed with the data plane; this fact does not allow a fast evolution towards a process that contributes to improving the transport of services. Otherwise, Software Defined Networking is a set of transport services that optimize the use of resources as these have a centralized network structure. Objective: To determine the aspects that enable software-defined networking to provide quality of service features in data networks. Methodology: This study is performed through network simulation over the same base network and under the same working conditions by carrying out measurements of the packet forwarding response time and management of the transported bandwidth. This study includes the demonstration of the multimedia content transport over a network architecture defining priorities to the links. Results: The outcomes show how the Software Defined Networking achieves better management of data transmission through the base network. In the same way, the previous outcomes are reinforced with those obtained in the quality of service test performed on the streaming of a multimedia flow. Conclusions: Due to the centralized control of Software Defined Networking, forwarding functions with the quality of service features are enabled in data networks based on layer-2 devices.