This paper examines explicit rate congestion control for data networks. The available bit rate (ABR) service category of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks serves as an example explicit rate system. However, the results of this paper are applicable to other systems as well. After a plant model is established, a control strategy based on approximate inverse concepts is introduced. The control process includes a linear digital filter (with a DC or drift tap) that uses normalized least mean square (NLMS) adaptation. The convergence, stability and fairness properties of this control scheme are discussed. This work differentiates itself from the other contributions in the area of rate-based congestion control in its balanced approach of retaining enough complexity as to afford attractive, analytically-proven performance properties, but not so much complexity as to make implementation prohibitively expensive.