The Internet transmits data to and from computers and networks via packets. The term "packet loss" describes the event in which a data packet fails to reach its destination. Organizations that are experiencing high latency can lower the maximum transmission unit -- the size, in bytes, of the largest packet that can be sent over the network. Most computers use an MTU of 1500 bytes -- the maximum packet Ethernet networks can process -- but fragmentation can occur if the network hardware can't maintain the configured packet size.
Click "Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt." Enter "ping [address] -f -l 1500" (minus the quotes) into CMD.
Replace "[address]" with the URL of a website, such as "www.google.com." Press "Enter" to execute the command.
Re-enter the above command into CMD if the message "Packet needs to be fragmented but DF set" appears in the terminal. Replace "1500" with "1490."
Repeat the above step, reducing the buffer size -- the number to the right of "-l" -- by a value of 10 until the message is replaced with details of the ping response.
Enter the following command into the prompt to change the MTU: netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Local Area Connection" mtu=[value] store=persistent
Replace "[value]" with the buffer size associated with a packet loss of 0 percent. Press "Enter" to reduce packet loss in Windows.
- Information in this article applies to Windows 7. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.