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Vista to the rescue

Many of the techniques described in this article relate to Windows XP. Several can also be used with other operating systems. A number of improvements have been made in Vista, in which Microsoft has completely revamped the TCP/IP stack. In contrast to XP and its predecessors, certain parameters can be changed without having to restart the computer.

In order to deal with VoIP dropouts the RWIN value can be reduced manually, so that data piles up as little as possible. In Windows XP, this means having to put up with downloads from distant servers taking significantly longer until the RWIN value is changed back and the system rebooted. By contrast, Vista allows the RWIN value to be reduced before making a VoIP telephone call and then increased again afterwards without having to reboot the computer. In addition, Vista features automatic configuration of stack settings, which adjusts window size to the available bandwidth.

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