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What are the key differences between TCP and UDP in terms of reliability and use cases?

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What are the key differences between TCP and UDP in terms of reliability and use cases?

Asked on Feb 17, 2026

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TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) are both transport layer protocols used in networking, but they differ significantly in terms of reliability and use cases. TCP is connection-oriented and provides reliable data transfer with error checking and retransmission capabilities, making it suitable for applications where data integrity is crucial. UDP, on the other hand, is connectionless and does not guarantee delivery, making it ideal for applications where speed is prioritized over reliability.

Example Concept: TCP ensures reliable communication by establishing a connection through a three-way handshake, performing error checking, and supporting retransmissions if packets are lost. It is used in applications like web browsing (HTTP/HTTPS) and email (SMTP/IMAP). UDP, lacking these features, is used in scenarios where low latency is critical, such as live streaming, online gaming, and DNS queries, where occasional packet loss is acceptable.

Additional Comment:

TCP's flow control and congestion control mechanisms help manage network traffic efficiently.
UDP's simplicity results in lower overhead, making it faster for applications that can tolerate some data loss.
Both protocols operate over IP and are integral to the TCP/IP model.
Choosing between TCP and UDP depends on the application's requirements for speed versus reliability.

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What are the key differences between TCP and UDP in terms of reliability and use cases?

Asked on Feb 17, 2026

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