Passive packet loss detection in Wi-Fi networks and its effect on HTTP traffic characteristics

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the performance of web applications that run on top of TCP over the passively collected data from an operational network based on wireless infrastructure. In particular, we evaluate the impact of 1) TCP loss rates; 2) user interrupts; 3) connection volume and their durations; and 4) variations in TCP throughputs on web applications. Since TCP behavior is dependent on events like packet losses, timeouts, and connection terminations, which affect the behavior of TCP-based web applications. The phenomena is more prominent in wireless networks. Our collected real network traffic traces provides very interesting insight on the TCP behavior showing the effect of TCP throughput on packet losses and user interrupted connections, which in turn also increases unnecessary retransmissions. Our performance evaluation reveal that the longer duration and higher volumes of TCP connections is a function of higher interrupted connections and loss rates. By further studying the statistical properties of TCP connections shows that the loss rate increases with decrease in connection duration, and also leads to frequent termination of TCP connections.