[comp.protocols.tcp-ip] Packet reordering

dheeraj@cs.umd.edu (Dheeraj Sanghi) (09/13/90)

Recently, we have seen massive reordering of packets in the internet.
Previously, when we noticed reordering, it was always 2 packets
who have been sent together, reach in the opposite order. But now we are
seeing as much as 10 packets sent at the rate of 1 packet per clock
tick (10 ms) reaching exactly in the opposite order. We have not yet
figured how to reproduce it at will, but we have seen it quite often.
Here is some data from our observations.


	PKT#	Sendtime	Recvtime	Delay

	3	160		370		210
	4	170		360		190
	5	180		360		180
	6	190		350		160
	7	200		350		150
	8	210		340		130
	9	220		340		120
	10	230		330		100
	11	240		320		80
	12	250		320		70

	13	260		400		140

(All times in ms.)

We are using DTP, an in-house protocol with the same functionality
as TCP. We are using IP, so it shouldn't really matter what transport
layer protocol we use. The route being taken is (from the traceroute
program):

	rhodes.cs.umd.edu	128.8.128.1
	mrb-gw.umd.edu		128.8.109.1
	bogon-gw.umd.edu	128.8.253.7
				128.167.102.2
				128.167.104.1
	sura1.sura.net		128.167.1.1

We are using IP_LSRR option to send packet to sura1.sura.net
and back. Both sender and receiver programs are on
huginn.cs.umd.edu (128.8.128.35). The acknowledgements are
sent within machine.

We have also tried sending packets upto various intermediate gateways
and have seen reordering from all gateways except rhodes and mrb-gw.
(The first two gateways.)

Any ideas as to what is causing the whole block of packets to
reorder and reach the destination in exactly the opposite order.


Dheeraj Sanghi (dheeraj@cs.umd.edu)

Ashok Agrawala (agrawala@cs.umd.edu)

--
Dheeraj Sanghi			(h):301-794-6247	(o):301-405-2723
Internet: dheeraj@cs.umd.edu	UUCP: uunet!mimsy!dheeraj
	When you find you are on the side of the majority,
	it is time to reform.		- Mark Twain