Re: LYNX-DEV lost packets - and alta vista

[David Woolley]

[ Incidentally, altavista don't have a webmaster address! ]
> 
> 970701 David Woolley wrote:
> > However, I've noticed that, in circumstances where packet loss is probable,
> > Lynx will often hang after sending the HTTP request.

Further on the Linux aspect...Linux is doing something which looks
questionable, but it isn't sufficient to explain the problem.  It's
negotiating assymetric MTU and MRU values, then using only the MTU to
define the MSS that it sends in the TCP options (which is the receive
maximum segment size).  However, as it negotiated a default, i.e. 1500
MRU with the ISP's terminal server, that terminal server, at the latest
step in the route, ought to be generating an ICMP to report an overlong
frame, which should cause the sender to converge on a better MSS.

The problem seems to be that the kernel network interface support assumes
a symmetrical case and only stores one value, whereas PPP allows an
assymetric case.

Anyway, this particular case is not a Lynx problem.
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