SELECTIVE-TCP FOR WIRED/WIRELESS NETWORKS

One of the main reasons for TCP's degraded performance in wireless networks is TCP's interpretation that packet loss is caused by congestion. However, in wireless networks, packet loss occurs mostly due to high bit error rate, packet corruption, or link failure. TCP performance in wired/wireless networks may be substantially improved if the cause of packet loss could be distinguished and appropriate rectifying measures taken dynamically. We propose a new end-to-end TCP protocol named SelectiveTCP, which distinguishes between congestion and wireless link transmission losses (high bit error rate and/or packet corruption). When detecting packet loss, Selective-TCP invokes correction mechanisms. It is suited for mixed wired/wireless networks and shows increase in goodput when compared to TCP NewReno.