TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) are both transport-layer protocols used in communication between different devices on a network. The main differences between TCP and UDP are:
1. Connection-oriented vs Connectionless: TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, which means that a connection is established between the two devices before data transfer can begin. UDP, on the other hand, is a connectionless protocol, which means that data can be sent without any prior overhead of setting up a connection.
1. Reliability: TCP is a reliable protocol, as it ensures that all data is received by the destination device in the same order in which it was sent, without any loss or duplication of packets. UDP, on the other hand, does not guarantee reliability, and some packets may be lost or received out of order.
1. Speed: UDP is faster than TCP as it does not have the overhead of establishing and maintaining a connection. However, this also means that UDP is less reliable than TCP.
1. Packet size: TCP packets are larger than UDP packets, as TCP has additional headers like sequence numbers, acknowledgments, etc. This leads to higher overheads in TCP, which can affect performance.
1. Applications: TCP is typically used for applications that require reliable and ordered delivery of data, such as web browsing, email, and file transfer. UDP is better suited for applications that require fast and efficient delivery of data, such as streaming, online gaming, and VoIP.
