title: Maximum number of bytes that can be sent on a TCP connection
body: <p>I initially assumed that since tcp has a sequence number field of 32 bits and each byte sent on a tcp connection is labeled with a unique number, maximum number of bytes that can be sent on a tcp connection is about 2^32-1 or 2^32-2 (which?).</p>
  
  <p>but now I feel that since TCP is a sliding window protocol, the wraparound of sequence numbers during the connection should not have an affect on the maximum number of bytes that can be sent over a tcp connection as long as the when wraparound occurs the old packet is no longer in the network (it is sent after 2*MSL).</p>
  
  <p>What is the correct answer?</p>