 Specific instance of the automatic repeat request (ARQ) protocol

 It can transmit N frames to the peer before requiring an ACK.

 It is a special case of the general sliding window protocol with the

 transmit window size of N
 receive window size of 1.

 Advantage: Unlike waiting for an acknowledgement for each packet,

the connection is still being utilized as packets are being sent.
 Disadvantage: This method results in sending frames multiple
times
 The Transmission Control Protocol uses a variant of Go-Back-N ARQ
to ensure reliable transmission of data over the Internet Protocol,
which does not provide guaranteed delivery of packets
 There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a
value for N:
 The sender must not transmit too fast. N should be
bounded by the receiver’s ability to process packets.
 N must be smaller than the number of sequence
numbers (if they are numbered from zero to N) to verify
transmission in cases of any packet (any data or ACK
packet) being dropped.
 Given the bounds presented in (1) and (2), choose N to
be the largest number possible.
 It is part of the automatic repeat-request (ARQ).
 This is a general case of the sliding window protocol with
both transmit and receive window sizes greater than 1.

 The size of the sending and receiving windows must be equal, and half
the maximum sequence number

 It may be used as a protocol for the delivery and acknowledgement of

message units, OR
 It may be used as a protocol for the delivery of subdivided message
sub-units.
 Selective Repeat is implemented in UDP transmission.
 Basis for Comparison Go-Back-N Selective Repeat

Retransmits all the frames that sent

Retransmits only those frames that are
Basic after the frame which suspects to be
suspected to lost or damaged.
damaged or lost.

If error rate is high, it wastes a lot of Comparatively less bandwidth is wasted

Bandwidth Utilization
bandwidth. in retransmitting.

More complex as it require to apply

Complexity Less complicated. extra logic and sorting and storage, at
sender and receiver.

Window size N-1 <= (N+1)/2

Sorting is neither required at sender Receiver must be able to sort as it has

Sorting
side nor at receiver side. to maintain the sequence of the frames.
 Receiver do not store the frames
Receiver stores the frames received
received after the damaged frame
Storing after the damaged frame in the buffer
until the damaged frame is
until the damaged frame is replaced.
retransmitted.

No searching of frame is required The sender must be able to search and

Searching
neither on sender side nor on receiver select only the requested frame.

NAK number refer to the next expected

ACK Numbers NAK number refer to the frame lost.
frame number.

It is less in practice because of its

Use It more often used.
complexity.