What is MTU?
MaxMTU Explained: Data on the Internet is sent in chunks called packets. The Internet standard packet size is 576 bytes (including 40 bytes for address information). This packet size is known as the Maximum Transmission Unit, or MTU. The 536 bytes of data remaining after the address information is subtracted are known as the Maximum Segment Size (MSS). The problem is that the default setting for Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking is an MTU of 1,500 bytes. This setting is ok for Internet connections made through a LAN. But since most consumers use a dial-up connection (via modem) it tends to slow down the download time while it resends the packets to accommodate the mismatched packet size. MTU is usually set in conjunction with MSS, the Maximum Segment Size, and RWIN, the TCP Receive WINdow. MSS is the largest segment of TCP data that the Winsock is prepared to receive on that connection. MSS must be smaller than MTU by at least 40 bytes, the size of the header and trailer information.
