Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one of the main protocols of the Internet protocol suite. It is designed to establish and maintain a network conversation between applications running on hosts communicating via an IP network. TCP provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of a stream of octets (bytes) between applications running on hosts communicating via an IP network. It is used extensively by many internet applications, including the World Wide Web (WWW), email, File Transfer Protocol, Secure Shell, peer-to-peer file sharing, and streaming media. TCP is a reliable byte stream delivery service which guarantees that all bytes received will be identical and in the same order as those sent. TCP is important because it establishes the rules and standard procedures for the way information is communicated over the internet. Some of the key features of TCP include:
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Reliability: TCP guarantees the integrity of data sent over the network, regardless of the amount. It ensures that all bytes received will be identical and in the same order as those sent.
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Ordered delivery: TCP provides ordered delivery of a stream of octets (bytes) between applications running on hosts communicating via an IP network.
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Error checking: TCP provides error-checked delivery of a stream of octets (bytes) between applications running on hosts communicating via an IP network.
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Connection-oriented: TCP is connection-oriented, meaning that it establishes and maintains a connection between sender and receiver. It operates independently of the operating system and supports many routing protocols.
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Flexible and scalable: TCP is flexible and highly scalable, meaning new protocols can be introduced to it, and it will accommodate.
TCP works by using a “three-way handshake” — a three-step process that forms a connection between a device and a server. The completion of the three-step process establishes the non-stop connection, starts the transfer of data packets across the internet, delivers them intact, and acknowledges delivery.
