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Contention

When a packet has occupied a channel no other packet can use it.

If packet becomes blocked, the occupied channel becomes idle even if other packets can make productive use of it.

Packet 1 routed through channel A and channel C.

Packet 2 wishes to go through channel B.

Assume packet 1 blocked. Therefore channel C idle, even though packet 2 could make productive use of it.

Furthermore packet 2 can then block further packets resulting in tree saturation.

Dally claims this effect limits throughput of IN to fraction (20%-50%) of network's capabilities.



Paul H J Kelly Fri Apr 24 19:49:58 BST 1998