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TCP vs UDP

WHAT IS IT?

  • In the OSI model, TCP and UDP are "Transport Layer" Protocols.

  • It handles data communications between terminals in an IP network (the Internet).

  • There are two types of Internet Protocol (IP) traffic. 

  • TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

  • UDP (User Datagram Protocol.) 

TCP

UDP

VS

  • Connection-oriented  

Connection Set-up

  • Connection less.

Three-way handshake

No setting up of connection 

  • TCP is reliable.

  • TCP provides delivery guarantee.

  • When sender does not get delivery ackknolegdement, 

Data1

ACK

Reliable

  • UDP is unreliable.

  • Does not provide any delivery guarantee.

Data1

No ACK

  • TCP also guarantees the order of message.

1234

5678

5678

1234

Ordering

  • Does not provide any ordering or sequencing guarantee.

5678

1234

5678

1234

  • Heavyweight. 

  • TCP is slow.

  • 20 byte header size.

Speed

  • Lightweight.

  • UDP is fast protocol.

  • 8-byte header size.

  • Contols congestion and flow control.

Header size

  • No congestion and flow control.

  • Popular transmission protocol

  • HTTP, HTTPs, Telnet, FTP, etc all are based over TCP.

Application

  • Used in DHCP, DNS and some other application.

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