Hardware TCP accelerator

A TCP/IP packet decoder fetches, from a packet received via a satellite communication system, IP version information, which is provided to version comparators. When a version comparator indicates a match, protocol information is provided to a TCP comparator. If the TCP comparator determines that the packet is a TCP data packet, a flag is raised causing generation of a TCP acknowledgment for transmission to a source device. In another embodiment, a layer 3 switch or router includes a TCP hardware filter to determine whether the received packet is a TCP data packet, thereby causing the TCP data packet to be mirrored for transmission to a modem. In a third embodiment, a TCP hardware filter, provides an indication to a layer 2 switch when a TCP data packet is received causing the TCP data packet to be mirrored for transmission to a modem, which generates and transmits a TCP acknowledgment.