Method and apparatus for calculating packet loss for a communication circuit

摘要

A method and apparatus for accurately calculating packet loss along a communication channel using data in a pair of measuring packets is disclosed. The invention calculates packet loss between a first and second node over a communication circuit. A first known quantity of packets is communicated from the first node to the second node at a first known time. A first actual count of packets received by the second node from the first known quantity of packets is then determined. A second known quantity of packets is then communicated from the first node to the second node at a second known time. A second actual count of packets received by the second node from the second known quantity of packets is then determined. The difference between the first known quantity of packets communicated at the first known time and the second known quantity of packets communicated at the second known time is calculated to obtain a value for "packets sent". The difference between the first actual count of packets received and the second actual count of packets received is calculated to obtain a value for "packets received". The difference between the packets sent and the packets received provides a value for "packet loss" between the first known time and second known time.