Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

TCP handles breaking the data into packets and recombining the packets on the receiving end by providing a connection-oriented, reliable, and guaranteed delivery service to another node on the network. When data packets are received at their destination, TCP calculates a checksum for each packet to verify the data is not corrupt. If the data in the packet has been corrupted during transmission, TCP discards the packet and requests that the packet be resent.

User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

UDP provides similar services to TCP. However, UDP does not acknowledge data receipt and supports request/reply transactions with no added reliability or guarantee of delivery. UDP is used when acknowledgment and reliability are not required, such as during a “discovery broadcast.”

IP Address

Every host (workstation or node) on an IP network requires a unique IP address for each network interface. This address is a software address that is used to identify both the network and specific hosts located on that network. Each IP address can be divided into two separate parts: the network portion and the host portion. It is possible for a host to query a server for a dynamic IP address each time the device boots-up (for example, using DHCP and BootP).

Note

When assigning IP addresses, always consult the IP

 

address administrator. Setting the wrong address

 

can disable other equipment operating on the

 

network or interfere with communications.

 

 

ENWW

TCP/IP Overview 237