an intermediate network element / device intercepts tcp packets / segments from a client and alters them before forwarding them to a server . this facilitates an increase in effective receive window size value over that which is contained in the segments . one aspect alters a tcp segment by replacing the receive window value with a value determined according to a formula and then forwards the segment on to the server . another aspect alters a scaling factor in a syn segment and forwards the altered syn segment on to the server . the server stores the scaling factor to a memory connected thereto and multiplies the scale factor by receive window size values in subsequently received tcp segments . the server uses the product to determine how many segment - bytes to send to the client . the predetermined scaling factor and predetermined formula may both be stored on a memory at the intermediate element for processing thereby .