Internet Speed Issue - Why TCP window size is matter

CiscoNET
Sharing Cisco Expertise

● Home ● LAN/MAN ● WAN ● TCP/IP ● Routing ● Multicast ● QoS ● Security ● Wireless ● Application ● OS ● Vendor ● Traffic Analysis ● WWW ● Programming ● Free Tools

Smart Link Google Translation

Home Traffic Analysis Traffic Analysis General Internet Speed Issue - Why TCP window size is
matter
● Cisco Hardware and
Equipment.
Select Language
● Hard Drive Data Recovery
BGP routing issue?
Internet Speed Issue - Why TCP window size is matter ● We Buy & Sell used Cisco
equipment
Tuesday, 09 June 2009 17:18 | Written by CiscoNET |
● new york podiatrists
Using default TCP receive window size, 64 Kbytes (MS windows OSs, XP, Vista, 2003 server etc), not always is
● printer toner
good if you have a high speed connections such as OCs and Gigabit Ethernet or extremely slow (?) connections World Route Servers
such as Satellite link, 56 Kbps fractal T1s and so on. Because of TCP receive window size is not adequate for ● IT Support London
those network circumstance. TCP window scaling option (RFC 1323) will dramatically improve your TCP
● Download employee
throughput, denoted download and upload speed. However, circuit condition should be under strict conditions as
error free, no packet lost and no bottleneck. If a link condition is bad, TCP window scaling option makes worse monitoring software
TCP throughput. Let's dig more info why the window size is matter and how we can tune it to get faster download/
● read about replica rolex
upload speed (TCP throughput) Latest News & Articles
watch deals

● Sjamsul Nursalim ● How to restore Firefox default

● Internet Speed Issue - Bandwidth VS. Throughput
setting
● Internet Speed Issue - How to troubleshoot(FTP)
search... ● How to reduce Firefox high
● Internet Speed Issue - How to troubleshoot(IPERF)
memory usage
● Internet Speed Issue - Why TCP window size is matter
Sponsored Links ● Click here to download plugin
● Internet Speed Issue - How to use TCP window scaling option
error on Firefox
● Internet Speed Issue - Optimal MTU size on VPN or others
Statistics ● How to configure BGP peer-
session template
Content View Hits : 107662
● Joomla Error:the xml response
I mentioned few times that default TCP receive window size is 64 Kbytes on most of MS OS (Later of Window NT Related Items that was returned from the
and millennium version). Microsoft document said TCP window size is 64 Kbytes, but based on 16bit of TCP
server is invalid
window field at TCP header, maximum TCP window size would be 2^16 -1 = 65535 bytes=65 Kbytes(the

http://cisconet.com/traffic-analysis/traffic-analysis-general/413-internet-speed-issue-why-tcp-window-size-is-matter.html (1 of 5) [2/15/2010 8:52:21 PM]

Internet Speed Issue - Why TCP window size is matter

maximum unscaled window size). As you know TCP/IP was born in 1969 and it was designed and developed on ● Internet Speed Issue - How
Popular Articles
WAN and LAN speed at that time. Most common Ethernet protocols were 10based-5, 10base-2 and later to troubleshoot(FTP)
10based-T. Yes, still we are using same TCP / IP header. It's kinds of old for these days fast network
environment. Even my home network is based on GigE ports. Most of the networks are 100 times faster than ● Internet Speed Issue - How ● How to use IP helper-address
when TCP was developed. Well, WAN speed is not being moved fast than LAN. Still many people are using to use TCP window scaling to connect remote DHCP
enhanced 56K modem links, T1s and below 3Mbps broadband link (of course upload is much slower than option server
download). Then what is adequate TCP receive window size? For fast LAN and slow WAN.
● How to calculate WAN links ● TCP Throughput Calculation
Formula
Why TCP receive window size is matter?
Polls
● Internet Speed Issue - Why
Commonly TCP window size means a sender can send maximum amount of window size of data to receiver Highly recommended TCP window size is matter
without acknowledge(confirmation) packet. firewall vendor?
● Internet Speed Issue -

Let's assume default TCP window size is 64 Kbyte on both testing devices at location A and B, Ethernet MTU is Cisco Bandwidth VS. Throughput
1500 bytes, we are sending 100 Mbytes files from location A to B. Round trip time(RTT) is 50ms and transport Juniper ● Internet Speed Issue - How to
link is under good conditions, no packet lost and bottleneck. Also, WAN trunk is big enough to send full size Sonicwall use TCP window scaling
packets. Just simplify all the numbers and calculation. We just want to know how window size is affecting TCP Nokia option
throughput. (** please do not tackle me...... based on below numbers ^.^)
Check point
Symantec
First, chop data to make size can be transferred. Who's Online
Barracuda
100000000(bytes) / 1500(bytes) = 66666.66.
Linux based We have 33 guests online

Roughly, 66667 packets can be sent to complete data transfer. However, as we assumed window size is 64
Results
Kbytes. In every 43rd packet would be containing 1000 bytes instead of 1500 bytes. So, new number of packet to
complete transferring data with TCP window size 64 Kbytes is total 67188 packets(65625 full packets and 1563
Sections
non-full packets).

● News

● FAQs
TCP window size 64 Kbytes ● Traffic Analysis

100 Mbytes / 64 Kbyte = 1562.5 ● Tools

● Application
About 1562.5 times, sender has to wait acknowledgement packets. As we assumed RTT(Round Trip Time) is 50
ms, so one way trip time would be 25 ms. ● LAN/MAN

● OS
25 ms = 0.025 second x 1562.5 = 39.0625 seconds.
● Multicast
Per TCP Throughput Formula, TCP throughput with TCP window size 64 Kbytes and 50 ms RTT
● Program Language
Expert Links
(64 Kbytes x 8) / 50 ms = 512000 / 0.05 = 10240000 = 10.24 Mbps ● QoS
http://cisconet.com/traffic-analysis/traffic-analysis-general/413-internet-speed-issue-why-tcp-window-size-is-matter.html (2 of 5) [2/15/2010 8:52:21 PM]
Internet Speed Issue - Why TCP window size is matter

● Routing ● Aaron's Worthles words

100 Mbytes = 800000000 bits / 10240000 bits = 78.125 sec
● Security ● Bitbucketblog
Total transmission time for 100Mbytes with TCP window size 64 Kbytes is 78.125 sec. (included 39.0625 ms)
● TCP/IP ● Etherealmind

Check other article TCP Throughput Formula ● Vendors ● CCIE Journey

● WAN ● Cisco Tips

If we have bigger TCP window size, the waiting time for acknowledgement (above case 39.0625ms) would be
reduced. Per RFC 1323, we can use TCP window scaling option and it increase TCP window size up to 2^30.(1 ● Wireless ● CCIE Quest
Gbytes).
● WWW ● CCIE Pursuit Blog

Okay, let's change window size below (Applied same condition of previous testing) ● Cisco Mars Blog

● Cisco NAC Blog

● Cisco Security Center

TCP Window size 2^18 = 262144 bytes ● Cisco IOS Hints and Tricks

Moment of stop sending and awaiting for Acknowledge packets ● Global Config
= 100 Mbytes / 262144 bytes = 381.47 ● Internetwork Experts

Time for waiting Acknowledge packets ● Internetnetwork Expert's online

= 0.025 x 381.47 = 9.54 seconds. community

● Internetnetwork Expert's blog

TCP throughput = (262144 bytes x 8) / 0.05 = 41943040 = 41.94 Mbps
● internetworkexpert.org
Total transmission time for 100 Mbytes data
● IPexpert
= 100 Mbytes / 41.94 Mbps = 19.07 seconds (included 9.54 sec ACK waiting time)
● IPexpert's Blog

● Jeff Doyle's Blog

TCP Window size 2^20 = 1048576 bytes ● Mr.Configure

● Packetlife.net
Moment of stop sending and awaiting for Acknowledge packets
= 100Mbytes / 1048576bytes = 95.37 ● Should have gone with Cisco

● Terry's Blog
Time for waiting Acknowledge packets
= 0.025 x 95.37 = 2.38 seconds. ● The CCIE Journey

● Write mem
TCP throughput = (1048576 bytes x 8) / 0.05 = 167772160 = 167.77 Mbps

Total transmission time for 100Mbytes data

= 100 Mbytes / 167.77 Mbps= 4.768 seconds (included 2.38 sec ACK waiting time)
http://cisconet.com/traffic-analysis/traffic-analysis-general/413-internet-speed-issue-why-tcp-window-size-is-matter.html (3 of 5) [2/15/2010 8:52:21 PM]
Internet Speed Issue - Why TCP window size is matter

TCP Window size 2^30 = 1073741824 bytes

Moment of stop sending and awaiting for Acknowledge packets

= 100Mbytes / 1073741824 bytes = 0.093

Time for waiting Acknowledge packets

= 0.025 x 0.093 = 0.0023 seconds = 2.3 ms

TCP throughput = (1073741824 bytes x 8) / 0.05 = 171798691840 = 171.79 Gbps

Total transmission time for 100Mbytes data

= 100 Mbytes / 171.79 Gbps = 0.00465 seconds = 4.65 ms (included 0.0023 seconds ack waiting time)

I guess now you have an idea, how TCP window size affects TCP throughput which is denoted download and
upload speed.

How about UDP?

UDP doesn't wait Acknowledgement packet from receiver, so you would get maximum bandwidth on your link. So
sometime UDP testing is useful, when you verify what is maximum bandwidth or TCP throughput between
location A and B. Even your ISP link. For example, if you have 3 Mbps download speed from certain server on
DS3 link, but UDP testing gave you 43 Mbps download. It gives you information that no connection issue, but
something else such as application or software issue.

I don't think everybody need to change TCP window size, because if connection is not reliable or congested on
the path to get destination, it would give you worse TCP throughput due to TCP recovery function that missing or
corrupted packets need to be retransmitted. If you decide to use, see next article "How to use and configure TCP
window scaling options"

< Prev Next >

Last Updated (Thursday, 11 June 2009 17:49)

http://cisconet.com/traffic-analysis/traffic-analysis-general/413-internet-speed-issue-why-tcp-window-size-is-matter.html (4 of 5) [2/15/2010 8:52:21 PM]

Internet Speed Issue - Why TCP window size is matter

Copyright © 2009 CiscoNET.com. All Rights Reserved.

Term of use | Privacy policy

http://cisconet.com/traffic-analysis/traffic-analysis-general/413-internet-speed-issue-why-tcp-window-size-is-matter.html (5 of 5) [2/15/2010 8:52:21 PM]