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From: jbvb@FTP.COM (James B. Van Bokkelen)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: UDP Reliability between processes on same host
Message-ID: <9104012255.AA28563@ftp.com>
Date: 1 Apr 91 22:55:11 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: jbvb@ftp.com
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 14


    ...but could we experience out of order packets or duplicate packets?

Taking an unsophisticated view, one wouldn't expect out of order or duplicate
packets unless IP routers and long-haul paths were involved.  However,
consider what happens if a packet is lost due to hardware error on your
local cable (this WILL happen - believe me):  You have to have some sort of
mechanism for detecting that it was lost and retransmitting it.  If the
product of the probability of packet loss times the number of packets
outstanding (unacknowleged) at any given time gets high enough, your receiver
will see both out of order and duplication.  Better to use TCP, IMHO.

James B. VanBokkelen		26 Princess St., Wakefield, MA  01880
FTP Software Inc.		voice: (617) 246-0900  fax: (617) 246-0901