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Differences Between UDP and TCP

Differences Between UDP and TCP

When data is sent across the internet—whether it’s an email, a video, or a website—it’s broken down into smaller chunks called packets. These packets are delivered using communication protocols. Two of the most important protocols are TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol). Understanding these two protocols is crucial for anyone starting out in computer networking, as they control how data is transferred between computers.

What is UDP?

UDP( User Datagram Protocol )  is a connectionless protocol that sends data packets without establishing a connection with the recipient. It does not check whether the data arrived safely or in the correct order. Because of this, it is very fast and is often used in applications where speed is more important than reliability, such as live video streaming, online gaming, and voice-over IP (VoIP).

What is TCP/IP ?

TCP ( Transmission Control Protocol ) is a connection-oriented protocol. Before sending data, it establishes a connection between the sender and the receiver. It ensures that data packets are delivered accurately and in the correct order. TCP is reliable and guarantees delivery, which is why it is used in web browsing, email, file transfers, and other applications where accuracy is essential. TCP works together with IP, which handles addressing and routing the data.

Differences Between UDP and TCP

Some of the important differences are as follows:

Feature TCP UDP
Connection Type Connection-oriented Connectionless
Reliability Reliable, ensures delivery and order Unreliable, no guarantee of delivery or order
Speed Slower due to error checking and acknowledgments Faster because there is no overhead of connection setup or error checking
Use Cases Web browsing, email, file transfers Live streaming, gaming, VoIP
Data Integrity Performs error checking and correction Performs basic error checking but no correction
Header Size Larger (20 bytes) Smaller (8 bytes)
Acknowledgments Uses acknowledgments to confirm data receipt No acknowledgments used

 

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