TCP Optimizer v.2 - Beta

Post by **Philip** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 10:56 pm

I'd like to announce a public beta testing for the TCP Optimizer version 2. Note that this is a temporary link to a beta release, and you should use it only at your own risk, after having a current backup of your Registry, and only if you are confident you know what you're doing.

With that disclaimer out of the way, there are some bug fixes and a number of new tweaks added since version 1, and we've tried to work out all known bugs in the program. It now includes a preview of all registry changes after hitting "Apply changes" and before editing the Registry as well. Here is a link to the current version (link has been updated to the Final Version 2 of the program):

http://www.speedguide.net/files/TCPOptimizer.exe

We're also adding documentation with this release, that can be accessed here: http://www.speedguide.net/tcpoptimizer.php Please note the list of changes and additions in the documentation as well.

What we're looking for is for users to go over the different options in the program and look for any odd problems. We're particularly interested in how it runs in Novell Netware environment (there was a minor Registry permissions issue with version 1, that I hope we've fixed with this release). Also, we're looking for any permissions problems with writing to the Registry on servers, workstations, with different Windows versions and non-trivial networks.

We'd appreciate all feedback, comments, and suggestions. Questions are welcome as well. We'd like to hear about any problems you might experience with it. Please post in this thread, or email me.

Please stay on topic in this thread.

Thanks,

Philip

Edit (04.11.2005): Fixes/changes in Beta 7:
- fixed PPPoE MTU selection in General Settings tab
- fixed Export of custom settings not to inclute MTUs for all NICs
- added more connection speed settings to the slider bar
- added text and tooltip to indicate current selected speed setting to the slider.
- rounded down the optimal RWIN algorithm recommendations for BDP values over 250000 (a bit more conservative RWIN recommendations on the high end).
- fixed Windows 9x NIC issue

Edit (04.14.2005): Fixes/changes in Beta 8:
- Fixed Tos/QoS keys (they were not added, just changed)
- extremely large MTU no longer locks the program.
- RWIN and a couple of other settings limits checked properly.
- Fixed initial RWIN value when entering "Custom settings" mode
- Updated logo to facilitate different colors.
- Fixed a remaining Windows 9x bug (not always seeing some current settings).

Edit (04.15.2005) Fixes/changes in RC1 (Release Candidate 1)
- added a check in the preferences menu to enable editing in the Registry tab.
- changed the default RWIN in Custom settings mode

Post by **Philip** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:57 pm

Don't everyone speak at once, lol. Any thoughts at all ? Anyone care ?

thepieman · Post by **thepieman** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 4:38 pm

Everytime I try to download it , it gets to 393K and stops. I downloaded it fine at home I don't know why it refuses to download here at my store.

Pie

Post by **Philip** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 5:08 pm

sounds like packet loss or something similar... I can always email it to you if you want. Anyone else having issues downloading it ?

Illini25 · Post by **Illini25** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 6:30 pm

Philip wrote:Don't everyone speak at once, lol. Any thoughts at all ? Anyone care ?

Of course we care!!

I downloaded it and made a few changes that I didn't have. My speeds are right at their caps!

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 7:07 pm

Ph, Does it automatically detect your connection speed when you first start it? The slider was on 3000 when I opened it. That is my speed.

thepieman · Post by **thepieman** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 7:24 pm

Philip wrote:sounds like packet loss or something similar... I can always email it to you if you want. Anyone else having issues downloading it ?

That would be great! Thanks!

pieman00001 at yahoo dot com

Pie

morbidpete · Post by **morbidpete** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 8:34 pm

no issues here...applied it...havnt restarted yet

JawZ · Post by **JawZ** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 8:59 pm

Ok, how bout once and for all you explain why you like the big rwin values.

I used it...but I also put in my own rwin value based on the formula.

Post by **Philip** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 10:22 pm

Illini25 wrote:Of course we care!!

I downloaded it and made a few changes that I didn't have. My speeds are right at their caps!

Thanks for caring and the feedback

It seemed like I was talking, er. typing to myself here for a while.

Cabledude wrote:Ph, Does it automatically detect your connection speed when you first start it? The slider was on 3000 when I opened it. That is my speed.

No, it just defaults at 3000 kbps, picked it as an average broadband conneciton. Sorry

thepieman wrote:That would be great! Thanks!
pieman00001 at yahoo dot com
Pie

emailed

Post by **Philip** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 10:31 pm

UOD wrote:Ok, how bout once and for all you explain why you like the big rwin values.

I used it...but I also put in my own rwin value based on the formula.

It uses the BDP to recommend RWIN values. For maximum latency, it uses 500ms by default, which is editable from the preferences menu. For the bandwidth it uses the number in the slider bar... And the rest is explained below.

According to the RFCs, RWIN values over 65535 can only be even multiples of the unscaled RWIN number...

Here is the reasoning and steps to get an optimal RWIN correctly:

1. You want a fairly large unscaled RWIN that is multiple of MSS, it ends up being about 1460 x 44 = 64240 (for MTU=1500). That is the largest value under 65535 that is multiple of MSS. You want a large unscaled RWIN value, so that even non-RFC1323 devices can interpret a sizeable RWIN. 65535, or the unscaled RWIN limit is significant, because in the original TCP headers there are only 16 bits for the RWIN value, with a maximum of 2^16, or 65535 (if you count from 0).

2. To get larger RWIN values, TCP 1323 Options introduces a multiplier for that "unscaled RWIN" from 1. above. It is only a single number, and the operation is bit shift... In other words it multiplies the unscaled RWIN by powers of two.

To be compatible with the RFC, to have the correct and only possible values in the TCP headers, you have to use these operations. All other RWIN values are internal to Windows, or are achieved by greatly reducing the unscaled RWIN value. To optimize both the unscaled and Tcp1323 RWIN values, the above logic should be used...

I hope this makes sense. It's not only about liking, rather being compatible with the RFCs, and using an optimal number as well. The only two numbers in TCP/IP packet headers are the unscaled RWIN value (with a maximum of 65535) and the multiplier described above.

P.S. If you must, to get smaller recommended RWIN values, you can try reducing the maximum latency in the preferences to 300ms or so.

MadDoctor · Post by **MadDoctor** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 11:21 pm

I downloaded it and put it on three of my machines. Comparing my down/up speeds, they seem to be a little closer to my caps and more stable. I like that. Additionally I like seeing what changes are done. Nice revision Philip. It might be a beta to you but it’s a final to me.

JawZ · Post by **JawZ** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 12:47 am

I have a very fast (low latency) connection with high bandwidth. 5Mbit down and 768kbit up.

My average ping times are in the 60's. So when I do the computation it comes up with a value of 37960. I'm really lucky in that Comcast has a pertty well oiled infrastructure here in NJ. It almost seems that as long as I keep a RWIN value below 64240....I hit my caps and then some. If I goto a really large RWIN....it's wasted and I really strat to slow down....to speeds of a 3Mbit connection. It's that noticeable.

I'd pay you for a custom (advanced) tweaking tool. Something that might incorporate the use of a RAM drive and other little things. More of a collection of tools it you will. I think your core audience is ready.

One more thing....when I calculate my RWIN based on the BDP formula...I ping the sites I visit, because really, that is what matters to me, the performance to the sites I goto. I could care less about that college in Hawaii lol.

I've always used your stuff almost exclusively but for me....take me to the next level. I know you have some stuff up there in that big brain of yours...I say unleash the beast.

Like this is one of my favorite RECENT areticles of yours:

http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=1404

I know you could incoprporate these tweaks into the Optimizer (advanced).

mccoffee · Post by **mccoffee** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:39 am

Philip wrote:Thanks for caring and the feedback It seemed like I was talking, er. typing to myself here for a while.

No, it just defaults at 3000 kbps, picked it as an average broadband conneciton. Sorry

emailed

i belive it assumes your on a 3mb because the average for the states is most people are on 3mbs

Cypher · Post by **Cypher** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 6:06 pm

I just saw this.

I backedup my registry and I'm trying it out. I like the new features in this version allot.
I set my rwin to 108960 for a 6Mbs down line with 150ms lat. So far it seems like it's doing it's thing here too. :2cool:
I like it allot. Great work so far Philip.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:07 pm

When I open it up is it supposed to pick up my current settings? It's not and my network adapter is not showing up.

Cypher · Post by **Cypher** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:10 pm

I'm not sure what happened but my connection kept dropping. When I restored my registry all was fine agian. I wish I knew what caused it so I could help you out here.

Post by **Philip** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 8:18 pm

Cypher_138 wrote:I'm not sure what happened but my connection kept dropping. When I restored my registry all was fine agian. I wish I knew what caused it so I could help you out here.

Can you try again and verify this ? It does not make much sense for it to have this effect, that's why I'm asking.

Izzo · Post by **Izzo** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 8:30 pm

Post by **Philip** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:01 pm

Cabledude wrote:When I open it up is it supposed to pick up my current settings? It's not and my network adapter is not showing up.

What Network Adapter exactly are you using ? Does the TCP Optimizer v.1 recognize it ? What Operating System are you running ?

You can always choose "Modify all network adapters", but I'd still like to know and correct any possible bugs.

Also, what do you mean by it "not picking up your current settings" ? Some of the settings are not in the Windows Registry by default, that does not mean the program is not picking them up, they simply have to be added to change the values from the Windows defaults.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:11 pm

Philip wrote:What Network Adapter exactly are you using?

Kingston EtherRx PCI Fast Ethernet adapter

Philip wrote:Does the TCP Optimizer v.1 recognize it?

Pretty sure it did

Philip wrote:What Operating System are you running ?

Windows 98 SE

Philip wrote: Also, what do you mean by it "not picking up your current settings" ?

I probably have this confused with the TCP/IP analyzer.

Cypher · Post by **Cypher** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 2:09 am

Philip wrote:Can you try again and verify this ? It does not make much sense for it to have this effect, that's why I'm asking.

I just figured it out. It's not the program but rather my connection. It's going up and down today which is rare. The funny thing is I use VoIP and that still works.

Sorry for the false alarm. I'll rerun it and post back results once my ISP is steady.

Cypher · Post by **Cypher** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 11:13 am

Cypher_138 wrote:I just figured it out. It's not the program but rather my connection. It's going up and down today which is rare. The funny thing is I use VoIP and that still works.
Sorry for the false alarm. I'll rerun it and post back results once my ISP is steady.

*edit*

I'm right at my caps with this. :2cool: What sort of info would be usefull to you in beta testing this?

Post by **Philip** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 11:28 am

I'd like to know your OS, does it recognize your NICs, any odd problems with the settings, crashes, error messages, wrong calculations (for RWIN/BDP), basically anything out of the ordinary. The actual numbers are pretty close to the previous version, so we don't expect drastic performance changes (although any info on performance variations is appreciated too).

We did change some of the permissions when writing to the Registry, to hopefully fix a Novell Netware issue, so I really want to hear from someone in Netware environment... Other than that, it would be interesting to test how it works with non-standard admin accounts (in the admin group), things like that.

But I can use any and all feedback, it's important to test how it behaves in different environments with different hardware.

Post by **Philip** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:56 pm

Cabledude wrote:When I open it up is it supposed to pick up my current settings? It's not and my network adapter is not showing up.

I sent you a PM about checking for the NIC with version 1 of the Optimizer...

I can also send you some info on how to check in the Registry for that NIC not recognized by the program, so we can pinpoint the issue, if you have some time and are willing to help. Just let me know, it involves some browsing of different hives in the Registry, possible exporting of some keys.

ScottE · Post by **ScottE** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 4:55 pm

It would be nice to have a 4000 option in there on the slider as that is what adelphia's caps are currently at.

That and you should look into a way to integrate Firefox tweaks into it aswell.

Andrzej · Post by **Andrzej** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:08 am

CONGRATULATIONS
IMO rest of my post is very boring so only for interested in

PS same misreading of NIC(s) can be from used cfg prg(s)
e.g. ISP access managers (firmware) etc

first look on SG TCP Optimizer (Windows 2000)
w2k; SP4; IE5.5 but extremely conditions e.g. 'Screen Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels' etc
a few small bugs were noted :

1. fonts size OK

2. Bullets & they settings descriptions : '*Current' '*Optimal' '* Custom'
are not seen (not correctly displayed so hidden under line)
mentioned above in both tabs 'General Settings' & Advanced 'General Settings'
due to 'Screen Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels'

3. Appropriate current registry settings (but only available from the prg)
can backuped by customer in several ways from pool down menu :
File>Backup current settings (1st)
File>Export>Current settings (2nd)
3a} both above are OK
3b} but are not correct backuped from last option (3rd)
File>Export>Custom settings (none additional settings - only current)
[SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NdisWan\Parameters\Protocols\0]
ProtocolMTU>>>>>set value 1500
[SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{'ID'}]
MTU>>>>>set value 1500
TcpWindowSize>>>>reset value means -1
3c} still rest export (default & optimal) are not checked

4. 'Registry' tab
4a} Still cannot copy (export) from it
4b} included "reg editor" in 'Registry' tab
is TOO sharp instrument for not advanced customer
means can be dangerous for inattentive one
b|c the prg can backuped only same & only selective settings.
4c} So if reg. editor is included to the prg
all registry settings - edit available from 'Registry' tab
should be backuped (as option for all mentioned)
& method should be included as one button option in 'Registry' tab
e.g. export | import all settings seen (can edited) from 'Registry' tab

5. Still suggested by bullet option 'Optimal settings'
values seams to be 'extremely' or 'huge'

6. New 'BDP' calculator
6a} but tab: 'BDP' word 'Bandwidth': letter 'B' has not room (not seen |)
from left side mentioned - on 'Screen Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels'
6b} cannot copy (export) results
6c} term 'the maximum anticipated latency' (MAL) meaning is not explained
but instead of mentioned MAL another similar (but different) terms are used :
(latency ; ping ; RTT)
6d} compare to RWINCalcBeta2.1.25 prg by BigAmp
can be explained also values of : 'scale factor' ; 'scale window' 'RWIN'
6e} both tabs 'BDP' & 'Latency' can be unite (in math way)
but also with tabs both : 'General Settings' & 'Largest MTU' respectively
e.g. compare with latest EditMTU (ver 2.57) |link|

7. Visual effect - also compare to above prg
7a} speed options from tab 'General Settings' in pool down menu is more clear
7b} also values in mentioned are not useful in PL (my country)
(should be also : 115,2; 128; 1024 kbps)
7c} also can be unite (in math way) with 'Bandwidth' value from tab 'BDP'
7d} in appropriate windows customer can compare both : old & new settings
7e} but also choose recommended settings from pre-definite ISP

Cypher · Post by **Cypher** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 11:07 am

- OS: XP Pro SP2 with all current updates.

- NIC: P4C800 E Deluxe integrated, (Intel Intel CSA 82547EI Gigabit Ethernet Controller) Using latest 9.2 drivers from Intel.

- Connection: Comcast tier2, (6000/768).

-Firefox latest 1.03 browser

- Settings used in TCP Opt. V.2 Beta 6:
RWIN=146484
MTU Disc=Y
Black hole=N
Selective ACKS=Y
Max dup acks=2
TTL=64
Scaling=checked
Host resolution= 5,6,7,8
TOS=92
LAN req. buffer=16384

--------------------------------
OOL/AOL FTP test average 750KB/s
Page loads are instant
Running Azureus set at 66% of caps with BEA java on a private tracker. Down and uploads have both increaded and are more steady.

This seems like a winner Philip. Great work

Post by **Philip** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 2:11 pm

UOD wrote:I have a very fast (low latency) connection with high bandwidth. 5Mbit down and 768kbit up.

My average ping times are in the 60's. So when I do the computation it comes up with a value of 37960. I'm really lucky in that Comcast has a pertty well oiled infrastructure here in NJ. It almost seems that as long as I keep a RWIN value below 64240....I hit my caps and then some. If I goto a really large RWIN....it's wasted and I really strat to slow down....to speeds of a 3Mbit connection. It's that noticeable.

I'd pay you for a custom (advanced) tweaking tool. Something that might incorporate the use of a RAM drive and other little things. More of a collection of tools it you will. I think your core audience is ready.

One more thing....when I calculate my RWIN based on the BDP formula...I ping the sites I visit, because really, that is what matters to me, the performance to the sites I goto. I could care less about that college in Hawaii lol.

I've always used your stuff almost exclusively but for me....take me to the next level. I know you have some stuff up there in that big brain of yours...I say unleash the beast.

Like this is one of my favorite RECENT areticles of yours:

http://www.speedguide.net/read_articles.php?id=1404

I know you could incoprporate these tweaks into the Optimizer (advanced).

Thanks for the good words and the suggestions UOD. the latency that the Optimizer uses can be edited from the preferences, so it would recommend smaller RWIN values... Or you can always use custom values

As far as more advanced tweaks - It's sometimes hard to accomodate a large audience with diverse knowledge and tastes. For now, I'm focusing on ironing out any incompatibilities or problems with the program as it is, and it is aimed to tweak TCP/IP, not Windows. Maybe in another version, or another tool we can incorporate something more elaborate that includes Windows tweaks.

Post by **Philip** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 2:12 pm

Cypher_138 wrote:- OS: XP Pro SP2 with all current updates.

- NIC: P4C800 E Deluxe integrated, (Intel Intel CSA 82547EI Gigabit Ethernet Controller) Using latest 9.2 drivers from Intel.

- Connection: Comcast tier2, (6000/768).

-Firefox latest 1.03 browser

- Settings used in TCP Opt. V.2 Beta 6:
RWIN=146484
MTU Disc=Y
Black hole=N
Selective ACKS=Y
Max dup acks=2
TTL=64
Scaling=checked
Host resolution= 5,6,7,8
TOS=92
LAN req. buffer=16384

--------------------------------
OOL/AOL FTP test average 750KB/s
Page loads are instant
Running Azureus set at 66% of caps with BEA java on a private tracker. Down and uploads have both increaded and are more steady.

This seems like a winner Philip. Great work

Thanks Cypher_138... I see you got to editing the ToS value as well

Post by **Philip** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 2:17 pm

[quote="ScottE"]It would be nice to have a 4000 option in there on the slider as that is what adelphia's caps are currently at. ]

Maybe there will be more selections in that slider bar in the final version. As far as Firefox... Some of the tweaks for it are questionable, and they're not in the Windows Registry. I don't want to incorporate something without knowing all the details and potential future problems with it.

mccoffee · Post by **mccoffee** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 3:49 pm

Philip wrote:Maybe there will be more selections in that slider bar in the final version. As far as Firefox... Some of the tweaks for it are questionable, and they're not in the Windows Registry. I don't want to incorporate something without knowing all the details and potential future problems with it.

traslated we need Ken to do more work around here

Post by **Philip** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 3:57 pm

Andrzej, first of all thanks for writing all this and testing.

Andrzej wrote: File>Export>Custom settings (none additional settings - only current)
[SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NdisWan\Parameters\Protocols\0]
ProtocolMTU>>>>>set value 1500
[SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{'ID'}]
MTU>>>>>set value 1500
TcpWindowSize>>>>reset value means -1
3c} still rest export (default & optimal) are not checked

will work on that, thanks.

Andrzej wrote: 5. Still suggested by bullet option 'Optimal settings'
values seams to be 'extremely' or 'huge'

The values are based on BDP calculation, and the TCP RFCs... You can always reduce the maximum anticipated latency from the preferences if you wish.

Andrzej wrote: 6. New 'BDP' calculator
6a} but tab: 'BDP' word 'Bandwidth': letter 'B' has not room (not seen |)
from left side mentioned - on 'Screen Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels'
6b} cannot copy (export) results
6c} term 'the maximum anticipated latency' (MAL) meaning is not explained
but instead of mentioned MAL another similar (but different) terms are used :
(latency ]

About the BDP calculator - it is not intended only for RWIN values, so you might want to enter any latency, not just "maximum anticipated latency" as with RWIN calculations. There is only a single number as a result, so there is no need for export, scale factors (we're talking RWIN again), etc.

Andrzej wrote: 7a} speed options from tab 'General Settings' in pool down menu is more clear
7b} also values in mentioned are not useful in PL (my country)
(should be also : 115,2]

There will be more speed settings in the final version for the slider bar. The ISP does not matter, just the speed. I can't possibly add all ISPs and recommendations for them, the recommendations simply depend on connection speed, max latency, etc. The options that are already present in the program. It is also an approximation, so between 1000 and 1024, (or between 1500, 1536, & 1544), recommendation will be the same (or very similar).

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll look into fixing that custom settings export, and possibly implementing a couple of others.

Post by **Philip** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 4:34 pm

Updated the program to Beta 7. Here is a list of changes from beta 6:

- fixed PPPoE MTU selection in General Settings tab
- fixed Export of custom settings not to inclute MTUs for all NICs
- added more connection speed settings to the slider bar
- added text and tooltip to indicate current selected speed setting to the slider.
- rounded down the optimal RWIN algorithm recommendations for BDP values over 250000 (a bit more conservative RWIN recommendations on the high end).
- fixed Windows 9x NIC issue

The link in the first post has been updated as well, please post any problems, issues, comments, feedback, questions, etc.

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 7:39 pm

It pics up my nic now.

Still does not pick up current settings. Is it supposed to? I know version 1 did.

Post by **Philip** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:30 pm

Cabledude wrote:It pics up my nic now.

Still does not pick up current settings. Is it supposed to? I know version 1 did.

Yeah, forgot to mention that in the list of fixes... I'll look into the "current settings" - are you saying it does not see any of the Registry values when the "Current settings" radio button is selected ?

Post by **Philip** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:31 pm

Updated the documentation, added a more confusing, er. extensive explanation of the QoS/ToS/Diffserv advanced settings (for the really adventurous, like Cypher_138

)

http://www.speedguide.net/tcpoptimizer.php

CableDude · Post by **CableDude** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:42 pm

Philip wrote:I'll look into the "current settings" - are you saying it does not see any of the Registry values when the "Current settings" radio button is selected ?

I included a pic.

Post by **Philip** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:02 pm

Cabledude wrote: I included a pic.

Thanks

Can I have one in Optimizer v1 for comparison please ?

(since some of the values might not be in the Regsitry at all). TIA

Cypher · Post by **Cypher** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:06 am

Philip wrote:Updated the documentation, added a more confusing, er. extensive explanation of the QoS/ToS/Diffserv advanced settings (for the really adventurous, like Cypher_138 ]http://www.speedguide.net/tcpoptimizer.php[/url]

Awesome.

I just grabbed it and I'll post back results tomorrow when I test it out.

SG Broadband Community

TCP Optimizer v.2 - Beta

TCP Optimizer v.2 - Beta

RE : still the best prg is SG TCP Optimizer