What is the key difference between TCP and UDP in terms of reliability and data delivery?

Key Difference between TCP and UDP in terms of Reliability and Data Delivery

When comparing TCP and UDP in terms of reliability and data delivery, the key difference lies in their approaches to these aspects.

Focus Keyword: TCP vs UDP Comparison

• TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, ensuring reliable and ordered data delivery. It provides error-checking, acknowledgment of data received, and retransmission of lost packets, making it highly reliable for transmitting important data over networks.
• UDP (User Datagram Protocol): UDP, on the other hand, is a connectionless protocol that does not guarantee reliable data delivery. It does not provide error-checking, acknowledgment of data receipt, or retransmission of lost packets. While UDP is faster and more lightweight than TCP, it is less reliable for critical data transmission as it may result in lost or out-of-order packets.

Therefore, the key difference between TCP and UDP in terms of reliability and data delivery is that TCP prioritizes reliability with its connection-oriented approach, while UDP emphasizes speed and efficiency with its connectionless design, sacrificing reliability.