The TCP Optimizer is a free, easy-to-use Windows program that provides an intuitive interface for tuning and optimizing your Internet connection.
More details about the TCP Optimizer app:
Interface
The main interface of the TCP Optimizer app provides various options.
Backup current settings: This option is used to save the current network settings to a file.
Restore backed-up settings: This option is used to retrieve the network settings from a file and apply it.
Import: This option is used to retrieve the network settings from a network config file and show it in the app.
Export: This option is used to save the network settings in a network config file. Four types of Network Config settings can be saved.
- Current Settings: The network settings which is currently applied to the system.
- Default Settings: The network settings that Windows OS applies by itself.
- Optimal Settings: The network settings which is preferred by this app.
- Custom Settings: The network settings which is preferred by the user.
Copy current settings:
- Copy to clipboard: This option copies the current settings to the clipboard
- Copy to text: This option saves the current settings to a text file.
Reset TCP/IP: This option reset the TCP/IP setting to Windows OS Default.
Reset Winsock: This option resets the Windows Sockets setting to Windows OS Default.
General Settings
Connection speed: This option helps the user to select the speed of the internet connection provided by the ISP. This is useful in identifying the optimal network settings.
Network Adapter selection: Here user can select the Network Adapter of which the setting will be
Don’t modify Network Adapters:
- Enabled: Network Adapter related settings will not be modified.
- Disabled: Network Adapter related settings will be modified.
Modify All Network Adapters:
- Enabled: The setting of all Network adapters installed on the system will be modified.
- Disabled: The setting of only the selected Network adapter will be modified.
MTU: This option lets the user set the value of MTU for the currently selected Network Adapter.
Choose Settings:
- Windows Default: Selecting this option shows the Default network settings of the Windows OS.
- Current: Selecting this option shows the current network settings.
- Optimal: Selecting this option shows the Optimal network settings which are recommended by this app.
- Custom: Selecting this option shows the Custom network settings and lets the user set custom settings of each of the network parameters.
Backup Current settings
It is always a good idea to backup the current network settings in a backup file that can be used later to restore the network settings.
- Select File> Backup current settings
- Enter the name of the backup file in the text box named “File Name”.
- Click the Save button.
Set the Windows OS Network settings to the optimal value
TCP Optimizer can be used to set the network setting to an optimal value.
Requirements: The user must have Administrative level right.
To set the network setting to the optimal value, do the following:
- Run the TCP Optimizer app.
- Set the Connection Speed to match the Internet speed provided by the ISP.
- Select the option “Optimal” next to “Choose settings”.
- Click on Apply button.
- Tick next to the checkbox named “Backup“.
- Click on the “Apply” button.
Find IPv4 packets MTU for the Network
TCP Optimizer app can be used to find the optimal MTU of IPv4 packets for the Internet. This app does not change the MTU of the IPv6 packets.
To Find the Optimal value of IPv4 MTU packets for the Internet connection provided by an ISP, do the following.
- Run the TCP Optimizer app.
- Select the Network Adapter which is used to connect to the Internet. Make sure the current MTU for the Network adapter is 1500.
- Under the “MTU/Latency” tab, select a URL that will be used for finding the MTU.
- Click on the “Largest MTU” button.
- If everything goes well, the optimal MTU will be shown.
If the Network Adapter connects to the Internet using multiple ISPs, then you must find the MTU for each of the ISPs and use the MTU value which is the lowest.
Set the MTU for a Network Adapter
Setting a proper MTU value for the Network adapter helps avoid segmentation of the TCP/IP packets.
TCP Optimizer app modifies the MTU of IPv4 packets. It does not modify the value of MTu for the IPv6 packets.
To modify the MTU of a Network Adapter, do the following.
- Run TCP Optimizer with Administrative Rights.
- Select the option “Custom” next to “Choose settings”.
- Select the Network Adapter for which the MTU value will be modified.
- Enter the Custom value of MTU in the textbox named “MTU“.
- Click on the “Apply changes” button.
- When the windows pop up as shown in the image below, tick next to “Backup”.
- Click on the “OK” button.
Recommended Custom Network setting
TCP Optimizer provides optimal settings which are helpful for most users. These optimal settings are not perfect and users should do their own custom settings if they have a good understanding of what they are doing.
In addition to optimal setting, it is recommended :
- Congestion Control Provider: ctcp
- ECN capability: enabled
Advanced tab Settings:
- Qos NonBestEffortLimit: 10
- Network Throttling index: default 10
- Click the “Apply changes” button.
R. Segment Coalescing(RSC)
Receive Segment Coalescing (RSC) is a stateless offload technology that helps reduce CPU utilization for network processing on the receive side by offloading tasks from the CPU to an RSC-capable network adapter.
Enabling RSC will increase the throughput in a high bandwidth environment.
Disabling RSC will help the gaming app in achieving uninterrupted traffic.
Large Send Offload(LSO)
Large Send Offload(LSO) feature in the Network Interface Card helps in offloading the task of segmentation of TCP/IP packets when the transmit packet size is larger than the MTU of the network.
This setting enables or disables the support of the LSO feature by the Windows OS.
TCP Optimizer disables the Windows OS LSO feature because it expects buggy implementation of the LSO feature. Users have the option to manually enable it.
