Enhancing TCP Performance over Hybrid Wireless Terrestrial-Satellite Networks

This paper addresses the study of TCP performance over a heterogeneous network, where the access to IP based services is provided through the integration of terrestrial and satellite wireless technologies. This architecture is particularly suited for example for emergency communications, but presents some drawbacks in case TCP is used as transport protocol. The analysis of a solution for transport layer performance enhancement adopting TCP splitting agents at the edges of satellite link is discussed, using either a standard TCP or TCP Noordwijk for the inner connection between satellite terminal (ST) and satellite gateway (satGW). TCP-Noordwijk is a new transport protocol designed specifically for the satellite environment. This approach will be compared with a standard end-to-end TCP connection solution. Network Simulator NS-2 has supported the whole analysis and showed results which greatly demonstrate the advantages coming from the use of the split architecture and in particular adopting the TCP-Noordwijk transport protocol as inner connection.