Packeten

Packeten is a term used in computer networking to describe a hypothetical or conceptual family of packet-based transport protocols designed to improve efficiency and reliability in variable networks. It is not a single standard but a collection of related ideas discussed in academic and industry literature.

Key objectives include low-latency delivery, robust performance over lossy links, and flexible security and quality-of-service options. Packeten emphasizes modularity, allowing different implementations to plug in alternative congestion control schemes and reliability models. It envisions mechanisms for selective retransmission, optional in-order delivery, and multiplexing of multiple data streams over the same connection.

Architecture and design concepts associated with Packeten envision layers that can be combined in different ways. A transport layer would manage reliability and sequencing, while a multiplexing layer supports multiple logical streams. A security extension provides encryption and message authentication, and a routing abstraction allows traffic to be steered without tight coupling to a particular network path. This modular approach aims to separate concerns such as reliability, flow control, and security from the underlying network, enabling experimentation with different combinations.

Status and reception: Packeten has been explored in theoretical studies, simulations, and some experimental deployments within research networks. Critics argue that without formal standardization, interoperability remains challenging and performance claims are difficult to verify. Proponents note potential benefits in flexibility and adaptability, but deployment costs and complexity are cited as barriers relative to established protocols like TCP, QUIC, and SCTP.

It is related to other transport protocols such as TCP, SCTP, QUIC, and RTP-based systems.