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Transport Layer
Layer 4 - End-to-end communication and reliability
6
Topics Covered
TCP/UDP
Core Protocols
Reliable
Data Delivery
Layer 4
OSI Model
Medium
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
Reliable, connection-oriented transport protocol
Key Topics:
- • TCP Header Structure
- • Connection Management (3-way handshake)
- • Flow Control
- • +2 more topics
Used in: Web browsing, email, file transfer
Easy
UDP (User Datagram Protocol)
Simple, connectionless transport protocol
Key Topics:
- • UDP Header Structure
- • Connectionless Communication
- • UDP vs TCP Comparison
- • +1 more topics
Used in: DNS, DHCP, video streaming, gaming
Hard
Congestion Control
Managing network congestion and traffic flow
Key Topics:
- • TCP Congestion Control Algorithms
- • Slow Start and Congestion Avoidance
- • Fast Retransmit and Fast Recovery
- • +2 more topics
Used in: Internet traffic management, QoS
Medium
Flow Control
Managing data flow between sender and receiver
Key Topics:
- • Sliding Window Protocol
- • Stop-and-Wait ARQ
- • Go-Back-N ARQ
- • +2 more topics
Used in: Reliable data transmission
Medium
Reliability Mechanisms
Ensuring reliable data delivery over unreliable networks
Key Topics:
- • Error Detection and Correction
- • Acknowledgments and Timeouts
- • Retransmission Strategies
- • +2 more topics
Used in: Data integrity assurance
Hard
Socket Programming
Programming interfaces for network communication
Key Topics:
- • TCP Sockets
- • UDP Sockets
- • Client-Server Architecture
- • +2 more topics
Used in: Network application development
Transport Layer Overview
Key Functions
- End-to-End Communication: Provides communication between application processes
- Reliability: Ensures data is delivered accurately and in order
- Flow Control: Manages the rate of data transmission
- Multiplexing: Allows multiple applications to use the network simultaneously
Protocol Comparison
| Feature | TCP | UDP |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Connection-oriented | Connectionless |
| Reliability | Reliable | Unreliable |
| Speed | Slower | Faster |
| Header Size | 20+ bytes | 8 bytes |