RFC 2525 (rfc2525) - Page 1 of 61


Known TCP Implementation Problems



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                          V. Paxson
Request for Comments: 2525                                        Editor
Category: Informational                                     ACIRI / ICSI
                                                               M. Allman
                            NASA Glenn Research Center/Sterling Software
                                                               S. Dawson
                                          Real-Time Computing Laboratory
                                                               W. Fenner
                                                              Xerox PARC
                                                               J. Griner
                                              NASA Glenn Research Center
                                                              I. Heavens
                                                    Spider Software Ltd.
                                                                K. Lahey
                                           NASA Ames Research Center/MRJ
                                                                J. Semke
                                        Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
                                                                 B. Volz
                                            Process Software Corporation
                                                              March 1999


                   Known TCP Implementation Problems

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999).  All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

   1.  INTRODUCTION....................................................2
   2.  KNOWN IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS...................................3
     2.1  No initial slow start........................................3
     2.2  No slow start after retransmission timeout...................6
     2.3  Uninitialized CWND...........................................9
     2.4  Inconsistent retransmission.................................11
     2.5  Failure to retain above-sequence data.......................13
     2.6  Extra additive constant in congestion avoidance.............17
     2.7  Initial RTO too low.........................................23
     2.8  Failure of window deflation after loss recovery.............26
     2.9  Excessively short keepalive connection timeout..............28
     2.10 Failure to back off retransmission timeout..................31



Paxson, et. al.              Informational