For
networking
Network, networking and networked may refer to:
Science and technology
* Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects
* Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks
Mathematics
...
, the
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet.
...
IP Payload Compression Protocol, or IPComp, is a low level compression protocol for
IP datagram
A datagram is a basic transfer unit associated with a packet-switched network. Datagrams are typically structured in header and payload sections. Datagrams provide a connectionless communication service across a packet-switched network. The del ...
s defined in RFC 3173.
The intent is to reduce the size of data transmitted over congested or slow network connections, thereby increasing the speed of such networks without losing data. According to the RFC requirements, compression must be done before
fragmenting or
encrypting
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can de ...
the packet. It further states that each datagram must be compressed independently so it can be decompressed even if received out of order. This is important because it allows IPComp to work with both
TCP and
UDP network communications.
References
Internet Protocol
{{internet-stub