TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol. It is a transport layer protocol that provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of a stream of octets (bytes) between applications running on hosts communicating over an IP network. TCP is one of the two main protocols in the Internet protocol suite, along with the Internet Protocol (IP).
TCP works by breaking down data into smaller packets, sending them over the network, and then reassembling them at the destination. TCP also provides flow control to ensure that the sender does not overwhelm the receiver, and congestion control to prevent the network from becoming overloaded.
TCP is used by many popular applications, including web browsers, email clients, and file transfer programs. It is also used by many enterprise applications, such as ERP systems and CRM systems.
Here are some of the key features of TCP:
Reliable delivery: TCP guarantees that all data packets are delivered to the destination in the correct order. If a packet is lost or corrupted, TCP will retransmit it.
Ordered delivery: TCP delivers data packets to the destination in the same order that they were sent. This is important for applications that need to receive data in a specific order, such as web browsers and streaming media players.
Error-checked delivery: TCP checks for errors in data packets and retransmits any packets that contain errors. This helps to ensure that data is delivered to the destination accurately.
TCP is a complex protocol, but it is essential for the reliable delivery of data over the Internet. It is used by billions of people every day to access websites, send emails, and transfer files.