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There are many protocols that determine and dictate how a system will work and help others in their work. The internet is like a system too, which is often used for the exchange of data and information. There are many protocols and rules that establish the working of the internet and TCP or Transmission Control Protocol happens to be one of them. It was designed by DARPA scientists Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn back in the 1970s and is still relevant today. Read on to know more about TCP and its uses.
TCP – What is it?
TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol, an important network protocol with its own set of rules and protocols for connecting two host systems for data exchange. TCP aims to send the data reliably and in a uniform manner. It makes sure that the data packets are received in the same order as they are sent from the sender side.
Working of TCP
The Transmission Control protocol is connection-oriented and it is maintained until message exchange has been finished at both ends. There are various steps that describe how TCP works.
- First, it is determined how the device or network can break application data into packets that can be delivered by the network.
- The packets are then sent and the receiver device accepts packets from the network layer.
- TCP manages the rate of data flow and keeps it uniform.
- TCP handles retransmission of dropped or garbled packets as it ensures error-free data transmission.
- After all the packets are transmitted and there is no missing data packet, TCP acknowledges the complete arrival of the data.
Differences Between TCP and HTTP
Both TCP and HTTP work as a pair to allow the exchange of data and messages over the internet. They are quite different, which allows them to act differently without interfering in each other’s work.
TCP | HTTP |
TCP does not need a port to work. | HTTP uses port 80 to send data to the server. |
TCP ensures proper delivery of data. It is also responsible for linking data to its appropriate application. | HTTP searches for and finds the desired document on the internet. |
TCP manages the data stream. | HTTP describes the data in the stream. |
TCP has a 3-way communication protocol. | HTTP has a 1-way communication protocol |
Conclusion
Now, you should be able to understand how TCP works and helps maintain the uniformity and safety of the data being transmitted using the internet. If you are interested in working with data networks and related fields, you should have an understanding of how the different protocols dictate the working of the internet and other networks. There are many other protocols and you can learn about them online. Since TCP is a nonproprietary protocol, others can build on it in an attempt to improve it. Furthermore, its high flexibility and scalability allow new protocols to be added to it, and it will be able to accommodate them.
