Packet Size Issues - minimum packet size?

• case 1: contention period << frame length

  • good throughput (as cost of collision is minimal)

• case 2: contention period ~= frame length

  • equivalent to CSMA

• case 3: contention period > frame length

  • sender may be able to transmit entire packet
  • but another sender, before seeing it, may transmit a frame and get a collision

    • sender will not detect the collision!
    • higher level protocol then necessary to detect collision

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