Patent ID: 7978626

Claim:
A method at an access node, wherein the access node is communicatively coupled to a client node by a network, wherein the access node maintains a threshold value, and wherein the threshold value represents a network condition, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of subpackets from the client node; transmitting a plurality of negative subpacket acknowledgment messages to the client node, wherein each negative subpacket acknowledgment message in the plurality of negative subpacket acknowledgment messages negatively acknowledges a subpacket of the received plurality of subpackets; after transmitting the plurality of negative subpacket acknowledgements, transmitting a positive subpacket acknowledgement message to the client node, wherein the positive subpacket acknowledgement message positively acknowledges a final subpacket of the received plurality of subpackets; assembling the received plurality of subpackets into a packet; comparing a value representing a measured network condition to the threshold value; and determining, based on the comparison, whether to pass the packet to a higher-layer protocol for further processing without transmitting a packet acknowledgement message to the client node, wherein the packet acknowledgement message acknowledges receipt of the packet, and wherein the higher-layer protocol is selected from the group consisting of a data-link layer and a network layer.