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
