Automatic repeat request

Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ), also known as Automatic Repeat Query, is an error-control method for data transmission that uses acknowledgements (messages sent by the receiver indicating that it has correctly received a data frame or packet) and timeouts (specified periods of time allowed to elapse before an acknowledgment is to be received) to achieve reliable data transmission over an unreliable service. If the sender does not receive an acknowledgment before the timeout, it usually re-transmits the frame/packet until the sender receives an acknowledgment or exceeds a predefined number of re-transmissions.

The types of ARQ protocols include

• Stop-and-wait ARQ
• Go-Back-N ARQ
• Selective Repeat ARQ

These protocols reside in the Data Link or Transport Layers of the OSI model.

Applications

The ITU-T G.hn standard, which provides a way to create a high-speed (up to 1 Gbit/s) local area network using existing residential wiring (power lines, telephone lines, and coaxial cables), uses Selective Repeat ARQ to ensure reliable transmission over noisy media.

References

• Peterson and Davie, Computer Networks: A Systems Approach, Third Edition, 2003
• RFC 3366 - Advice to link designers on link Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ)
•  This article incorporates public domain material from the General Services Administration document "Federal Standard 1037C" (in support of MIL-STD-188).

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