End-to-end Performance Implications of Links with Errors Status of this Memo This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

This document makes performance-related recommendations for users of network paths that traverse "very low bit-rate" links. "Very low bit-rate" implies "slower than we would like". This recommendation may be useful in any network where hosts can saturate available bandwidth, but the design space for this recommendation explicitly includes connections that traverse 56 Kb/second modem links or 4.8 Kb/second wireless access links - both of which are widely deployed. This document discusses general-purpose mechanisms. Where application-specific mechanisms can outperform the relevant generalpurpose mechanism, we point this out and explain why. This document has some recommendations in common with RFC 2689, "Providing integrated services over low-bitrate links", especially in areas like header compression. This document focuses more on traditional data applications for which "best-effort delivery" is appropriate.

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