LIFT: a Local IPSec-aware Freezing Protocol to improve TCP Performance in Satellite Networks

Abstract

In this paper a protocol, local to the satellite link, is defined in order to boost TCP performance in mobile integrated wired-satellite Internet. It has been conceived to help to overcome the well known retransmissions competition problem that arises when a satellite reliable link layer protocol is used to face satellite link errors. This protocol, called Local IPSec-aware Freezing proTocol (LIFT), has been designed to allow the satellite gateway, even in the presence of communications secured by IPSec, to freeze the TCP sender when it perceives a possible delay due to satellite channel conditions. The effectiveness of LIFT has been evaluated, using the ns-2 tool, in terms of Web page download mean time for a satellite mobile host. Simulation results have shown that the adoption of LIFT protocol provides substantial improvements in TCP performance.