The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one of the main protocols of the Internet Protocol Suite. TCP is part of the popular "TCP/IP" combination used by the Internet. The Internet Protocol, or IP, makes sure data on the internet gets to the right place. Then TCP makes sure the data is put in the right order, and none of it is missing. TCP also helps to control traffic on the internet so it does not get overloaded. These protocols, which are kind of like languages that computers use, are designed so that any computer, and any program (such as a Web browser or e-mail client), can use them.
Importance of TCP
TCP makes it easier for computer programs to communicate with each other, typically over a computer network. When a program wants to send a lot of data, TCP is in charge of dividing the data, sending it through the network, and putting it back together correctly on a different computer. In the process, IP chooses which wires and "intersections" get used to send all the data pieces in the fastest way. It does this using packets.
If there are a lot of people using the network, it can get overloaded. Also sometimes weather, power outages, and other problems can make communication hard. Routers on the Internet use something called load balancing to try to fix some of these problems. But still, information can be delivered out of order, get lost, or even duplicated. TCP is designed to notice all of these problems and try to fix them. This can take a while, which is why the Internet sometimes seems slow. Once the TCP receiver has finally reassembled a perfect copy of the data originally transmitted, it passes that data to the computer program that asked for it. In this way, the program does not have to know about the network, and TCP does not have to know about the program's data.
- RFC 675 - Specification of Internet Transmission Control Program, December 1974 Version
- RFC 793 - TCP v4
- RFC 1122 - includes some error corrections for TCP
- RFC 1323 - TCP-Extensions
- RFC 1379 - Extending TCP for Transactions—Concepts
- RFC 1948 - Defending Against Sequence Number Attacks
- RFC 2018 - TCP Selective Acknowledgment Options
- RFC 2581 - TCP Congestion Control
- RFC 2988 - Computing TCP's Retransmission Timer
- RFC 4614 - A Roadmap for TCP Specification Documents
See also
In Spanish: Protocolo de control de transmisión para niños
FAQs
TCP organizes data so that it can be transmitted between a server and a client. It guarantees the integrity of the data being communicated over a network. Before it transmits data, TCP establishes a connection between a source and its destination, which it ensures remains live until communication begins.
What is TCP for kids? ›
Targeted Care Packages (TCP) provide support to children and young people to help them sustain their current placements and support them in the establishment of new placements.
What is TCP/IP in simple words? ›
TCP/IP is a data link protocol used on the internet to let computers and other devices send and receive data. TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and makes it possible for devices connected to the internet to communicate with one another across networks.
What is TCP IP for dummies? ›
TCP/IP allows computers on the same network to identify and communicate with each other. TCP/IP is a two-layer protocol, with the transport layer (TCP) responsible for reliable end-to-end communication and the Internet layer (IP) accountable for routing packets from the host to the host.
What is the main purpose of TCP? ›
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is the default data communication method between different devices over a network. It establishes and maintains a connection between the sender and the receiver during the transferring process. With its mechanisms, TCP ensures that all packet data arrive unaltered.
What are the three main functions of TCP? ›
TCP provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of a stream of octets (bytes) between applications running on hosts communicating via an IP network.
What is TCP best used for? ›
What are TCP and UDP used for? TCP is best used for direct communication in which a reliable connection is needed, such as web browsing, email, text messaging, and file transfers. UDP is best used for live and real-time data transmission when speed is more important than reliability.
What does TCP help with? ›
How does TCP antiseptic work? TCP contains halogenated phenols, which helps fight infection and provide relief for various ailments. It can be used for internal infections, such as cold, flu and sore throats, and external problems like boils, acne, cuts, and grazes.
Why do people use TCP? ›
Uses. The instructions on the TCP bottle state that TCP can be used for sore throats, mouth ulcers, cuts, grazes, bites and stings, boils, spots and pimples. It can also be used as a mouthwash when diluted, and can also be used as a general disinfectant.
What is the transmission control protocol? ›
- The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a transport protocol that is used on top of IP to ensure reliable transmission of packets.
- TCP includes mechanisms to solve many of the problems that arise from packet-based messaging, such as lost packets, out of order packets, duplicate packets, and corrupted packets.
Here's a step-by-step explanation of how the TCP communication would occur:
- Connection Establishment: — Your web browser (the client) initiates a connection request to the web server. ...
- Data Segmentation: ...
- Reliable Delivery: ...
- Flow Control: ...
- Connection Termination: ...
- Sender Preparation: ...
- Message Packaging: ...
- Packet Transmission:
TCP/IP allows communication between a number of computers (called hosts) connected on a network. Each network can be connected to another network to communicate with hosts on that network.
What is simple TCP IP? ›
Description. Simple TCP/ IP services are used for testing the functionality of TCP/IP services. These services are not required to perform essential network operations but the vulnerabilities in them could be exploited by hackers to perform Denial of Service (DOS) or bandwidth-hogging attacks.
What is TCP and IP mainly used for? ›
TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and is a suite of communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet. TCP/IP is also used as a communications protocol in a private computer network -- an intranet or extranet.
What are the basics of TCP connection? ›
TCP connections are established via an exchange known as the three-way handshake. If A is the client and B is the LISTENing server, then the handshake proceeds as follows: A sends B a packet with the SYN bit set (a SYN packet) B responds with a SYN packet of its own; the ACK bit is now also set.
What are the four features of TCP? ›
The main TCP features are connection management, reliability, flow control and congestion control. Connection management includes connection initialization (a 3-way handshake) and its termination. The source and destination TCP ports are used for creating multiple virtual connections.
What are two advantages of TCP? ›
Advantages of TCP
- It sets up and maintains a connection between sender and receiver.
- It operates independently of the operating system.
- It supports many routing protocols.
- It checks for errors, guaranteeing data arrives at its destination unaltered.
- It confirms data arrival after delivery, or attempts to retransfer.
TCP/IP was developed in the 1970s and adopted as the protocol standard for ARPANET (the predecessor to the Internet) in 1983. (commonly known as TCP/IP)? It is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks.
Why is TCP so good? ›
How does TCP antiseptic work? TCP contains halogenated phenols, which helps fight infection and provide relief for various ailments. It can be used for internal infections, such as cold, flu and sore throats, and external problems like boils, acne, cuts, and grazes.
In Spanish: Protocolo de control de transmisión para niños
