Bufferbloat

Bufferbloat is the undesirable latency that comes from a router or other network equipment buffering too many data packets. Bufferbloat can also cause packet delay variation (also known as jitter), as well as reduce the overall network throughput. When a router or switch is configured to use excessively large buffers, even very high-speed networks can become practically unusable for many interactive applications like voice over IP (VoIP), audio streaming, online gaming, and even ordinary web browsing. Some communications equipment manufacturers designed unnecessarily large buffers into some of their network products. In such equipment, bufferbloat occurs when a network link becomes congested, causing packets to become queued for long periods in these oversized buffers. In a first-in first-out queuing system, overly large buffers result in longer queues and higher latency, and do not improve network throughput. It can also be induced by specific slow-speed connections hindering the on-time delivery of other packets. The bufferbloat phenomenon was described as early as 1985. It gained more widespread attention starting in 2009. According to some sources, the most frequent cause of high latency ("lag") in online video games is local home network bufferbloat. High latency can render modern online gaming impossible.

Bufferbloat is the undesirable latency that comes from a router or other network equipment buffering too many data packets. Bufferbloat can also cause packet delay variation (also known as jitter), as well as reduce the overall network throughput. When a router or switch is configured to use excessively large buffers, even very high-speed networks can become practically unusable for many interactive applications like voice over IP (VoIP), audio streaming, online gaming, and even ordinary web browsing. Some communications equipment manufacturers designed unnecessarily large buffers into some of their network products. In such equipment, bufferbloat occurs when a network link becomes congested, causing packets to become queued for long periods in these oversized buffers. In a first-in first-out queuing system, overly large buffers result in longer queues and higher latency, and do not improve network throughput. It can also be induced by specific slow-speed connections hindering the on-time delivery of other packets. The bufferbloat phenomenon was described as early as 1985. It gained more widespread attention starting in 2009. According to some sources, the most frequent cause of high latency ("lag") in online video games is local home network bufferbloat. High latency can render modern online gaming impossible. BufferBloat: What's Wrong with the Internet? A discussion with Vint Cerf, Van Jacobson, Nick Weaver, and Jim Gettys April, 2011, by Jim Gettys, introduction by Vint Cerf April, 2011, by Jim Gettys, introduction by Vint Cerf 21 minute demonstration and explanation of typical broadband bufferbloat May 2012, by Fred Baker (IETF chair) in Spanish, English slides available * [https://lwn.net/Articles/564978/ TSO sizing and the FQ scheduler (Jonathan Corbet, LWN.net) The Speed Test Lie: Why Your 300 Mbps Connection Still Feels Slow — field guide to bufferbloat, loaded latency, and TCP slow-start measurement

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