A communications system includes a sender device configured to send data packets in accordance with a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to a receiver device. An intermediate device is coupled between the sender device and the receiver device and includes a wireless transceiver configured to provide a communications link between the sender device and the receiver device and wherein said communications link is susceptible to at least one of transmission delays and transmission errors. A controller is coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to serve as a TCP proxy between the sender device and the receiver device by sending successive simulated TCP acknowledgements of delivery to the sender device starting at a delay time shorter than a TCP retransmission timeout period and increasing for each successive simulated TCP acknowledgement.
