How TCP works | What is TCP? | What is Transmission Control Protocol? | TCP Features Explained

TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol. It is one of the main protocols of the Internet Protocol Suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, which provides the foundation for communication on the internet. TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that ensures reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data packets between devices over an IP network.

Here are some key features of TCP:

Reliable Delivery: TCP guarantees that the data sent from one device is received correctly and in the same order by the receiving device. It accomplishes this through the use of acknowledgment packets and retransmission of lost or corrupted data.

Connection-oriented: Before data transfer can occur, a TCP connection is established between two devices, typically a client and a server. This connection provides a virtual circuit for reliable communication. Once the data transfer is complete, the connection is terminated.

Flow Control: TCP uses a sliding window mechanism for flow control. It regulates the amount of data a sender can transmit before receiving acknowledgment from the receiver. This ensures that the sender does not overwhelm the receiver with more data than it can handle.

Congestion Control: TCP has built-in congestion control mechanisms to prevent network congestion and ensure fair sharing of network resources. It dynamically adjusts the sending rate based on the network conditions to avoid overwhelming the network and causing packet loss.

Error Detection: TCP includes error-checking capabilities to detect and retransmit lost or corrupted packets. It uses checksums to verify the integrity of the data being transmitted.

Port Numbers: TCP uses port numbers to identify specific services or processes on a device. Port numbers help route incoming data packets to the correct application or service running on the receiving device.

TCP is widely used in various applications such as web browsing, email, file transfer, and many other protocols that require reliable and ordered delivery of data. It works in conjunction with the Internet Protocol (IP) to provide a robust and scalable communication infrastructure for the internet.