Passive Packet Loss Detection and its Effect on Web Traffic Characteristics

Abstract

Network traffic measurement is an effective tool for monitoring, performance evaluation, network troubleshooting and control. In this paper we analyze the effect of packet loss on web traffic characteristics by taking passive measurements on an operational network. We show how packet loss effect duration, size, and throughput of TCP connections. Different trends are identified in the duration and size of connections with increasing loss rates. We discuss whether the end user behavior, such as interrupting connections, be identified from these parameters. We also want to know if a TCP connection being small or large, in duration and size, is because of end userpsilas behavior. We explain the reasons for different trends that emerge with increasing loss rates. In addition we also show the effect of packet loss on throughput of TCP connections and explain when this parameter can play a more effective role. A more precise way of estimating packet loss in passive measurements has been devised, giving us a lower bound on the total packet loss estimation.