Quantitative analysis of restricted reliability protocols for constant rate traffic

Restricted reliability, or limited reliability, transport layer protocols reduce but do not eliminate the packet loss probability seen by higher layers. Forward error correction (FEC) is employed to control the packet loss rate, but automatic repeat request (ARQ) is not used, either because no reverse channel exists or because it does not support the required quality of service. This paper analyzes the effect of FEC on packet loss probability and protocol delay and jitter. We demonstrate the tradeoff between parameters, showing how increased network traffic can be traded against reduced delay and jitter. The theoretical results are confirmed by simulation.