Ack Suppression is basically a short term that is used for acknowledgment. This acknowledgment is basically a verification signal data that your wireless client transmits to the router access point to affirm that the data is correct. In simpler words, the device that you have connected to the router sends an acknowledgment to the router on receiving any data that the device has received correct data. This minimalizes the risk of any data loss or errors within the data you are receiving over a communication channel.
Once your router receives the acknowledgment from the device that the data is received correctly, your router then proceeds to send more data. This whole process takes place within a fraction of seconds and you will hardly notice it. But on the other hand, this process regulates the data flow, and the next set of data is only sent when the router receives an acknowledgment from the device.
Optimize Ack Suppression
Most new routers allow you to have control over the ack suppression so that you can customize it according to your preference and needs. Optimizing Ack Suppression is not generally recommended for people who don’t have much knowledge on the subject, but if you have the ample knowledge of networking and things, you can play around a bit to have a customized experience. There are three ways that you can optimize Ack suppression, that are:
1. No Ack enabled
This is a setting where your devices will not be sending any acknowledgments and your router will continue the data stream without any disruptions or wait. It will enhance the speed of your data transfer most of the time. However, be mindful that there is no acknowledgment being passed on to your router so you cannot expect the accuracy of data you are getting.
Henceforth, no ack is only recommended if your router and network are working in an optimal condition and there are no issues with the signal strength.
2. Default Ack enabled
Well, in this settings mode the router chooses the interval of ack that is being sent by your device. The router sets the interval to the best setting that meets the network speed and signal strength so the data is transmitted and received accurately. So, it is recommended to keep it on the default settings and your router will automatically choose what suits your network conditions best.
3. Custom Ack optimization
This is a feature that you will only find on some of the advanced routers with updated firmware. It allows you to choose the interval and frequency for any ack that is being sent from the device. You can optimize a custom ack interval if you are certain that it will benefit your purpose.
Ack suppression may reduce speed slightly, but it ensures that you get the data transmitted accurately. So, if you are looking to have it optimized according to your preference, know that no ack means better speed and performance, while default ack means you have to compromise on the speed a bit but achieve optimal accuracy. Anything between these two will provide you the ratio of both speed and accuracy according to your choice.