Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
2.3.2.2 ARP Packet Queue

Up: Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
Up: Requests For Comments
Up: RFC 1122
Up: 2. LINK LAYER
Up: 2.3 SPECIFIC ISSUES
Up: 2.3.2 Address Resolution Protocol -- ARP
Prev: 2.3.2.1 ARP Cache Validation
Next: 2.3.3 Ethernet and IEEE 802 Encapsulation

2.3.2.2 ARP Packet Queue

2.3.2.2 ARP Packet Queue

The link layer SHOULD save (rather than discard) at least one (the latest) packet of each set of packets destined to the same unresolved IP address, and transmit the saved packet when the address has been resolved.

DISCUSSION:

Failure to follow this recommendation causes the first packet of every exchange to be lost. Although higher- layer protocols can generally cope with packet loss by retransmission, packet loss does impact performance. For example, loss of a TCP open request causes the initial round-trip time estimate to be inflated. UDP- based applications such as the Domain Name System are more seriously affected.


Next: 2.3.3 Ethernet and IEEE 802 Encapsulation

Connected: An Internet Encyclopedia
2.3.2.2 ARP Packet Queue