I need to know if (hoping that it exists) what is the most amount of data that you could send over a UDP session WITHOUT that data being borken up into smaller packets. I am hoping that this is at LEAST 256-512 bytes. Thx XtaC

256-512 should be usually safe, UNLESS your machine is set to have a really low UDP MTU. It''s unfortunately configurable on some protocol stacks.

If we''re talking windows boxes, ~1500 is the upper limit that might safely travel through a home NAT (1536 being ethernet MTU). Bigger packets will be broken up on the IP level, and some NATs are not too happy about reassembling them. Some routers drop them outright, even.

So, as long as you stay below that, you are AOK.

- Robert

Thx groby... [adds cookie in signature]

LAN: <= 1472 bytes of user data will be fine.
Internet: <=548 bytes of user data will be fine.

Chances are you can get by with larger packets on the Internet, but 576 is guaranteed to not be fragmented by IP. subtract the headers (20+8) leaves you with 548. Keep in mind the IP header can be longer than 20 bytes, but probably won''t be unless you are twiddling with it explicitly.