A method for optimizing an initial transmission control protocol, TCP, session establishment between a source and a destination comprising: - receiving a synchronization packet from the source at a first intermediate device associated with the source, - in response to the received synchronization packet, generating a synthesized synchronization-acknowledgment packet including information of the destination at the first intermediate device, - sending the synthesized synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the first intermediate device to the source, wherein receipt of the synthesized synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the first intermediate device allows the source to begin transmitting application layer data to the destination without waiting for a synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the destination, - characterizing the synchronization packet received from the source for processing prior to receipt at the destination, - sending the characterized synchronization packet from the first intermediate device to the destination prior to receiving an acknowledgment packet from the source at the first intermediate device, - receiving, at the first intermediate device, the acknowledgment packet from the source, - receiving, at the first intermediate device, a data packet from the source before receiving a synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the destination, - based on receipt of the acknowledgment packet and the data packet from the source prior to receipt of the synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the destination, characterizing the received data packet for processing prior to receipt by the destination, and - sending the characterized data packet from the first intermediate device to the destination. - receiving a synchronization packet from the source at a first intermediate device associated with the source, - in response to the received synchronization packet, generating a synthesized synchronization-acknowledgment packet including information of the destination at the first intermediate device, - sending the synthesized synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the first intermediate device to the source, wherein receipt of the synthesized synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the first intermediate device allows the source to begin transmitting application layer data to the destination without waiting for a synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the destination, - characterizing the synchronization packet received from the source for processing prior to receipt at the destination, - sending the characterized synchronization packet from the first intermediate device to the destination prior to receiving an acknowledgment packet from the source at the first intermediate device, - receiving, at the first intermediate device, the acknowledgment packet from the source, - receiving, at the first intermediate device, a data packet from the source before receiving a synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the destination, - based on receipt of the acknowledgment packet and the data packet from the source prior to receipt of the synchronization-acknowledgment packet from the destination, characterizing the received data packet for processing prior to receipt by the destination, and - sending the characterized data packet from the first intermediate device to the destination.