Improving TCP Performance Over Wireless Networks

This paper proposes a novel end-to-end congestion control mechanism called TCP NewZag. NewZag is simple and effective in dealing with random packet loss, so it can improve TCP performance in the wireless network. TCP NewZag proposes two new mechanisms: (1) a new end-to-end loss differentiation algorithm (LDA); (2) the adjustments of TCP NewReno multiplicative decrease algorithm. These two mechanisms only require the adjustment of TCP sender side, while the receiver side protocol remains the same. Based on experimental measurements of single link, it is shown that NewZag achieves significant throughput improvement when the wireless random packet losses occur. Compared with NewReno in 0.5% random packet loss rate, 20% throughput improvement can be demonstrated.