Quality of Service on the Internet: Fact, Fiction, or Compromise?
Geoff Huston · 2003
The Internet has historically offered a single level of service, that of best effort, where all data packets are treated with equity in the network. However, we are finding that the Internet itself does not offer a single level of service quality, and some areas of the network exhibit high levels of congestion and consequently poor quality, while other areas display consistent levels of high quality service. Customers are now voicing a requirement to define a consistent service quality they wish to be provided, and network service providers are seeking ways in which to implement such a requirement. This effort is happening within the umbrella called Quality of Service (QoS). Of course, this is now a phrase which has become overly used, often in vague, nondefinitive references. QoS discussions currently embrace