What is the difference between TCP and UDP?

The distinction between TCP and UDP primarily revolves around reliability and connection characteristics. TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol, is known for its reliability features. It establishes a connection-oriented session between the sender and receiver, ensuring that data packets are delivered in the correct order and that lost packets are retransmitted. This makes it suitable for applications where data integrity and order are critical, such as file transfers and web browsing.

In contrast, UDP, or User Datagram Protocol, operates as a connectionless protocol. It does not establish a connection prior to data transmission and does not ensure that packets are delivered reliably or in order. While this may lead to potential data loss during transmission, it allows for faster delivery of packets, making UDP a preferred choice for applications that can tolerate some data loss, such as streaming and online gaming.

Understanding this fundamental difference helps in determining the appropriate protocol to use based on the requirements of the application being implemented. The focus on reliability in TCP versus the speed and efficiency of UDP is crucial in networking scenarios.