Use of satellite trunks in a packet switched public data network (PSPDN) and their impacts on performance

Test results from a 128 kb/s national satellite trunk installed in the packet-switched public data network (PSPDN) DATEX-P of the Federal Republic of Germany are presented. Measurements were taken for call setup delay, data packet transfer delay, data throughput, and call clearing delay. They were carried out with different influencing parameters, e.g. window sizes, packet lengths, and number of nodes involved in a connection. All measurements were taken under normal busy hour load conditions of the DATEX-P network. The results show that the propagation delay of the satellite link has a significant impact on delays and throughput capacity. Recommendations for minimizing these delays are given