What is a Transmission Control Protocol TCP? Detail Explained

What is a Transmission Control Protocol TCP?

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a set of rules that govern how data is exchanged over the Internet. It is the most commonly used protocol on the internet and is responsible for ensuring that data is delivered accurately and efficiently.

TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, which means that it requires a connection to be established between two devices before data can be exchanged. Once a connection is established, data can be sent in both directions.

What are the Functions of Transmission Control Protocol?

What is a Transmission Control Protocol TCP Detail

The Transmission Control Protocol has three main functions:

Establishing a connection: When two devices want to communicate with each other, they need to establish a connection. This is done by exchanging a series of messages called the Three-Way Handshake.

Transferring data: Once a connection is established, data can be transferred between the two devices. TCP uses a mechanism called sliding windows to ensure that data is delivered accurately.

Terminating a connection: When two devices are finished communicating, they need to terminate the connection. This is done by exchanging a series of messages called the Four-Way Handshake.

What are the Advantages of Transmission Control Protocol?

Here are some of the main benefits of using TCP:

  • Reliability: TCP is a reliable protocol, which means that data is delivered accurately and in the correct order.
  • Error checking: TCP includes a mechanism for error checking, which helps to ensure that data is not corrupted during transmission.
  • Flow control: TCP uses a mechanism called flow control to prevent data from being lost or corrupted.
  • Congestion control: TCP uses a mechanism called congestion control to help reduce the amount of data that is lost during transmission.

What are the Disadvantages of Transmission Control Protocol?

There are some disadvantages of using TCP, including:

  • Overhead: Because TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, it requires a significant amount of overhead. This can result in slower data transfer rates.
  • Security: Because TCP is a reliable protocol, it is often used for sensitive data such as financial transactions. However, this also makes it a target for hackers and other security threats.
  • Incompatibility: TCP is not compatible with all types of devices and networks. For example, it cannot be used with certain types of wireless devices.

What is the TCP Header?

The TCP Header is a set of rules that govern how data is exchanged over the internet. It is the most commonly used protocol on the internet and is responsible for ensuring that data is delivered accurately and efficiently.

The TCP header consists of 10 fields, each of which has a specific purpose:

  1. Source port: The source port is used to identify the sending device.
  2. Destination port: The destination port is used to identify the receiving device.
  3. Sequence number: The sequence number is used to keep track of the order in which data is being exchanged.
  4. Acknowledgment number: The acknowledgment number is used to confirm that data has been received.
  5. Data offset: The data offset is used to indicate the location of the data in the TCP header.
  6. Flags: The flags are used to control various aspects of the connection, such as whether or not data is being exchanged.
  7. Window size: The window size is used to control the amount of data that can be exchanged at one time.
  8. Checksum: The checksum is used to verify the accuracy of the data being exchanged.
  9. Urgent pointer: The urgent pointer is used to indicate which part of the data is considered to be urgent.
  10. Options: The options are used to control various aspects of the connection, such as the size of the data.

What is the Transmission Control Protocol Three-Way Handshake?

TCP 3 way handshake

The Transmission Control Protocol Three-Way Handshake is a series of messages exchanged between two devices in order to establish a connection. It is used to ensure that both devices are able to communicate with each other and that data is exchanged accurately.

The three-way handshake consists of three messages:

  1. The first message is sent from the sending device to the receiving device. It contains the sequence number of the first data byte that will be sent.
  2. The second message is sent from the receiving device to the sending device. It contains the sequence number of the first data byte that the receiving device is expecting to receive.
  3. The third message is sent from the sending device to the receiving device. It contains the sequence number of the first data byte that will be sent, as well as a confirmation that the connection has been established.

How many transmission control protocol TCP control flags are there?

There are six TCP control flags:

  • SYN: Used to establish a connection.
  • ACK: Used to acknowledge receipt of data.
  • FIN: Used to terminate a connection.
  • RST: Used to reset a connection.
  • URG: Used to indicate that data is urgent.
  • PSH: Used to push data to the receiving device.

Which factor determines TCP window size?

The TCP window size is determined by the amount of data that can be sent without requiring an acknowledgment. The larger the window size, the more data can be sent without acknowledgment. However, this also increases the risk of data being lost or corrupted if there is a problem with the connection.

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