Transparent TCP improvement over satellite links

Since satellite channel can be used as a part of an heterogeneous network, researchers attention is focused on the optimization of the use of that resource. Unfortunately, protocols studied for wired traditional network, and widely used for Internet services, performs very poorly on this transmission medium, in particular the TCP. In the last years a lot of works have been published about this topic, but up to now there is not a standardized solution able to solve all the problems created to heterogeneous networks by satellite links. In this paper we present a possible solution to the problem of TCP data transmission over satellite links that have as characteristics easy implementation and compatibility to existent standard and protocols. We implemented our solution and tested it on a emulated heterogeneous network scenario and on a real satellite link, and we demonstrate how, adding a very simple mechanism of selective repeat combined to an additional congestion control, the TCP performances over a satellite channel are improved.