Abstract: A data communication node capable of operating under, for example, TCP protocol in two or three of the following modes: a normal mode in which it does not affect communications; an early acknowledgement mode in which it transmits early acknowledgement messages for datagrams that have not yet reached the node; and a fast TCP mode in which it delays the communication of acknowledgement messages to the transmitter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and network node for controlling packet flow in a buffer means (13; 14) of a network node of a data network, wherein a nominal capacity is assigned to each data flow, and an additional or free capacity is shifted from a first flow portion to a second flow portion when a new data packet of said second flow portion has been received and said nominal capacity has been exceeded. The nominal capacity may be an upper buffer memory limit used for controlling queuing of data packets in a buffer memory (13) of said buffer means, wherein the memory space of the buffer memory (13) is shared between a plurality of channels allocated to respective packet data connections. Then, the free capacity corresponds to a memory space shifted from a first channel to a second channel, when a new data packet of the second channel has been received and not enough memory space is available for the second channel.

Abstract: A SIMA Traffic Shaper (STS) and method is disclosed for use between the customer equipment and the SIMA access node to shape the transmitted traffic so that the cells will receive as good priority as possible in the access node. The STS includes an input device for receiving cells from a traffic source, a buffering device, coupled to the input, for holding the cells until instructed to send the cells; and a calculation unit, operatively coupled to the buffer processor, for calculating a send time for sending cells held by the buffering device. The buffering device further includes a buffer and a transmission unit, wherein the buffer holds the cells and the transmission unit sends the cell forward according to the send time received from the calculation unit. A monitoring unit is included for monitoring the input device and the buffering device to obtain loading information regarding the network.

Abstract: A cell format, an accounting device and a method for providing accounting information to a network for determining payment information between operators in the network. The cell format includes a data field including at least a portion of a data signal, a header field attached to the data field, the header field providing control information for processing the cell including a priority level field and an accounting field, wherein the accounting field indicates an entity that is to receive payment for the processing of the cell. The accounting bit is set to a first value to indicate that an entity on the ingress side of the network is to receive payment. The accounting bit is set to a first value to indicate that an entity on the egress side of the network is to receive payment. The entity is an Internet Service Operator. The first value includes a value of one.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adjustment of TCP sliding window with information about network conditions is disclosed. The present invention obtains information from the network below TCP about the condition of the network and traffic and uses this information to control the transmission of the TCP source without any modifications to the existing TCP sources. The invention includes the steps of receiving feedback information in an acknowledgment packet, receiving a packet having an advertised window field set to an original advertised window size for a sliding window, and modifying the advertised window field to chose the size of the sliding window in response to feedback information received in the acknowledgment packet. The original advertised window size indicates the original size of a sliding window for determining a number of bytes that can be sent before an acknowledgment packet is received. The feedback information further includes a window advertisement.