Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!amdahl!ramana From: ramana@uts.amdahl.com (Ramana Gadagottu) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip Subject: tcp maximum-segment-size Keywords: tcpip Message-ID: Date: 21 Nov 89 21:46:04 GMT Distribution: usa Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA Lines: 22 A non-unix tcp/ip station on our network is setting its tcp MSS(maximum segment size) to zero causing a flood of zero length data packets onto the network from Sun and other BSD based-stations. It looks like the BSD code doesn't check if the MSS is being set for zero and tries to send zero length packets out. I have a few questions: 1. Is it acceptable to set the MSS to zero ? If not what should be the minimum value ? 2. If not acceptable, can the host decide not to send any data and close the connection ? 3. How are the non-BSD implementations deal with it ? Thanks in advance for any suggestions. -- ...!{cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!ramana ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The views expressed here are solely of my own. My employer has nothing to do with this article.