Overview
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a connection-oriented protocol. It establishes a session before sending data and ensures that all data arrives correctly and in the right order.
Key Features
- Three-way Handshake: Establishes a connection (SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK).
- Reliability: Uses acknowledgements and retransmissions for lost packets.
- Flow Control: Ensures the sender doesn't overwhelm the receiver.
- Congestion Control: Prevents the network from becoming overloaded.
Use Cases
Web browsing (HTTP), Email (SMTP), File Transfer (FTP), and any application where data integrity is critical.