RFC 2988 · PROPOSED STANDARD · 2000
MON · 27 JUL 2026
Computing TCP's Retransmission Timer
Overview
RFC 2988, “Computing TCP's Retransmission Timer”, is a Proposed Standard document published in November 2000 by V. Paxson, M. Allman. It has been obsoleted by RFC 6298 — refer to the newer document for the authoritative version. The canonical text is published by the RFC Editor.
Abstract
This document defines the standard algorithm that Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) senders are required to use to compute and manage their retransmission timer. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
What “Proposed Standard” means
An entry-level standards-track specification: stable, peer-reviewed and a solid basis for implementation, though it may still evolve before becoming an Internet Standard.
Read this RFC
The canonical text of RFC 2988 is hosted at rfc-editor.org. Available in TXT,HTML.
Relationships to other RFCs
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