On packet lengths and overhead for random linear coding over the erasure channel

Abstract: We assess the practicality of random network coding by illuminating the issue of overhead and considering it in conjunction with increasingly long packets sent over the erasure channel. We show that the transmission of increasingly long packets, consisting of either of an increasing number of symbols per packet or an increasing symbol alphabet size, results in a data rate approaching zero over the erasure channel. This result is due to an erasure probability that increases with packet length. Numerical results for a particular modulation scheme demonstrate a data rate of approximately zero for a large, but finite-length packet. Our results suggest a reduction in the performance gains offered by random network coding.