Maximizing single connection TCP goodput by trading bandwidth for BER

SUMMARY All other conditions being equal, the end-to-end throughput of a TCP connection depends on the packet loss rate at the IP level. This is an issue when IP runs on a wireless link, where the bit error rate is variable and typically much higher than it i s on fixed links. Especially on ph ysical l inks where the bandwidth d elay product is high, TCP performance is s ignificantly impaired by apparently low values of the bit error rate. Generally speaking, on a wireless link b andwidth can be traded for information quality (error r ate), the simplest method being to change the type or parameters of forward error correction. On this basis, we show a general method of taking advantage of this trade-off in order to maximize the throughput of a TCP connection.

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