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packet loss
Some packets never arrive. TCP hides it by waiting. A timeout that is shorter than retransmission makes a slow network look “down.”
What is packet loss?
Loss means a packet was dropped. TCP retransmits, which shows up as latency, not as an error. UDP surfaces the gap. Wireless and congested links lose more. Retrying at the application on top of TCP retries can multiply traffic.
Why does packet loss matter when vibe coding?
Models set a 100ms timeout and retry three times. On a lossy network they create a storm and still fail. Name a timeout that allows one retransmission.
How do you do packet loss?
Timeouts longer than a realistic round trip plus a retransmit, unless you have a reason. Limit application retries. For real-time UDP, conceal loss instead of stalling.
How do you ask a model for packet loss?
Assume packet loss on (path). Do not set a timeout so short that one retransmission looks like failure. Limit retries. Do not stack application retries on TCP retries without a budget.
What goes wrong with packet loss?
Treating every timeout as “the service is down” and tripping a circuit breaker on a lossy wifi. Separate connect failures from slow networks if you can.