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Difference between MSS and MTU in Computer Networking
Transmission Control Protocol comes under the fourth Layer of the Open System Interconnection model. The main purpose of TCP is to track the packets and these fields add extra information on the TCP header. The connection must be implemented before transferring the packets. Some of the errors that may arise while transferring packets are the packets may be lost, packets may replicate, and damaged. The Internet Protocol (IP) packet will follow a format called TCP segment which is composed of two parts namely the Header and data. In this article, the two fields of the TCP header namely MSS and MTU are discussed.
What is MSS in Computer Networking?
Maximum Segment Number (MSS) is present inside the “Option Field” of the TCP header. It is also referred to as the data field as the original data reside inside this field. As it carries out the traffic data the segment could be between 0 and 32 bits.
The data which are sent in the network are defined in bytes and are of maximum size. But the MSS should be smaller to avoid IP fragmentation where the big data is broken into smaller pieces to pass through the network interface. The Default value of MSS is 536 and to calculate the value of value,
MSS = MTU –IP header or IP segment.
Example of MSS
If the Maximum Transmission Unit has a payload of 2000B and both TCP and IP headers are 10B each, then the payload of 2000B is received by the network layer, which is divided into 1980B Maximum Datagram Data Size and 10B IP header. The payload of 1980B is received by the transport layer, which is divided into 1970B Maximum Segment Size and 10B TCP header. Hence, the Maximum Segment Size will be 1970B i.e., 1970B data can be received in a single TCP packet.
What is MTU in Computer Networking?
Maximum Transmission Unit also comes under the “Option Field” of the TCP header. The default value of MTU is 1500. It gives how much throughput or data can pass through a device interface. In a network, MTU defines the largest size of the packet that can be transmitted as a single entity. Consider a device with some interface, so using MTU we can calculate how much data this interface can handle. At the data link layer, the MTU regulates the maximum length of a data frame and can be changed to enhance network performance. By adjusting the MTU, we may modify the size of data packets sent over the network, increasing the efficiency of forwarding by ensuring that the best MTU is available on various networks.
Characteristics of Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU)
It is based on network technology and may be set up on networking equipment like routers and switches.
Depending on the network technology being utilized, it is normally provided in bytes and can change.
By lowering fragmentation and overhead, it can be modified to improve network performance
Difference between MSS and MTU in Computer Networking
Basic Parameters |
MSS |
MTU |
|---|---|---|
Definition |
The segments which are sent in the computer network are defined in bytes and are of maximum size. |
In Computer Networking, MTU defines the largest size of the packet that can be transmitted as a single entity. |
Determination |
It is determined by the source and destination during the setup of a TCP connection. |
It can be determined by the network topology and configured by devices like routers and switches. |
Purpose |
It is used to calculate the size of the data packets in TCP transmission. |
It is used to calculate the maximum size of the data packet to be transferred for any particular network. |
Formula |
MSS = Maximum Datagram Data Size - TCP Header Length |
MTU = Maximum frame size - Data link layer overhead |
Measurement tool |
It does not have any specific tool but applications like Wireshark can be used. |
Path MTU discovery is the tool to calculate MTU. |
Measurement unit |
It is measured in Bytes. |
It is also measured in Bytes. |
Default Value |
The Default Ethernet value of MSS is 536. |
The Default Ethernet value of MTU is 1500. |
Conclusion
Both these fields come under the option field of the TCP header. In the case of MSS, the sender reduces the packet size according to the MSS received otherwise it will lead to an error of broken segments. When the packet size is more than the MTU, it will undergo a fragmentation process
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