IPSec and packet loss : Question

[Fraser Reid]

Hello , hopefully a simple Question :-)

Can someone tell me what happens when an IPSec packet is lost.

Does it get resent ?

are just the TCP packets inside the IPSec tunnel resent ?

Hopefully someone can help !

Background: VoIP.

We have Home office users.

Some have terrible voice quality some have perfect quality even though all use the same equipment and configurations (different username/passwords and IP Addreses of course)

[Richard Burts · Accepted solution]

Fraser

There is not anything in IPSec that would retransmit a lost packet. It is up to the originating protocol and the end stations that are communicating to determine if there was packet loss and if so whether to retransmit.

If I understand your comment correctly that you are dealing with Home Office users doing VOIP, then in addition to the things that you mention that is different (username/passwords, and addresses) you almost certainly are dealing with different Internet connectivity/different service providers. It would be interesting to do an extended ping with a large number of ping packets to a user who experiences problems and to one who does not. I suspect that you will see considerable difference in packet loss.

HTH

Rick

[Fraser Reid]

Thank you Rick, your answer was what I wanted to hear , the management have been trying to move the people off of the working ISP (tier 1) to a tier 3 provider (due to costs) but until now I have not been able to completely prove the fact that the "internet" is the problem.

Our connection here is also on the same ISP as the "working" home office users.

Once again thanks !

MfG

Fraser