nanog mailing list archives
Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too)
From: Karl Denninger <karl () mcs net>
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 20:15:18 -0500
On Wed, May 27, 1998 at 03:13:53PM -0700, Vadim Antonov wrote:
Check http://cnn.com/TECH/computing/9805/26/net.access.idg/index.html Those bozos are suggesting to reduce MTU from 1500 to 576 to "improve performance", so packets "won't fragment in backbones"! The bright idea to fix CTS/RTS setting didn't come along in their brilliant minds. Here goes the average packet size. Down the drain... Now what do we do to control the damage? I also think it's a good time to measure the gullibilty of the general public by measuring packet size distribution :) --vadim
Yes, doing this really does work, and really does improve performance - for Win95. The reason it does has nothing to do with fragmentation (they got that part wrong); the reason has to do with poor handling of larger packets in the IP stack and what I can only consider to be bugs in their code. Cut the MTU, get rid of the problem, and the system "seems" faster on the Internet. The reason is that you aren't dropping frames on the floor any longer. Does it suck in REALITY for the network packet size averages? Yes. Does this have anything to do with CTS/RTS and flow control? Nope. Its a genuine, no-bullshit, honest-to-god probelm in the code that is worked around by doing this. Go talk to Mister Softee about the millions of copies of Win95 that are out there IP stacks that make this an "optimization". But until then, expect it to be done, because it really does make the connection work better. -- -- Karl Denninger (karl () MCS Net)| MCSNet - Serving Chicagoland and Wisconsin http://www.mcs.net/ | T1's from $600 monthly / All Lines K56Flex/DOV | NEW! Corporate ISDN Prices dropped by up to 50%! Voice: [+1 312 803-MCS1 x219]| EXCLUSIVE NEW FEATURE ON ALL PERSONAL ACCOUNTS Fax: [+1 312 803-4929] | *SPAMBLOCK* Technology now included at no cost
Current thread:
- PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Vadim Antonov (May 27)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Karl Denninger (May 27)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Dean Robb (May 28)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Matthew Marlowe (May 27)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Michael Dillon (May 27)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) ken emery (May 27)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Vadim Antonov (May 28)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Darrell Fuhriman (May 28)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Richard Irving (May 28)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Forrest W. Christian (May 28)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Michael Dillon (May 27)
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Karl Denninger (May 27)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Vern Paxson (May 29)
- RE: PC Bozo's World bites again (CNN, too) Doug Stanfield (May 29)