RTP: Audio and Video for the Internet

Chapter 10. Congestion Control

• The Need for Congestion Control

• Congestion Control on the Internet

• Implications for Multimedia

• Congestion Control for Multimedia

Until now we have assumed that it is possible to send a media stream at its natural rate, and that attempts to exceed the natural rate result in packet loss that we must conceal and correct. In the real world, however, our multimedia stream most likely shares the network with other traffic. We must consider the effects we are having on that traffic, and how to be good network citizens.

The Need for Congestion Control

Before we discuss the congestion control mechanisms employed on the Internet, and the implications they have for multimedia traffic, it is important to understand what congestion ...