TCP vs UDP: When to Use Each Protocol
TCP vs UDP comparison: reliability, speed, use cases. When to use TCP (web, email, file transfer) vs UDP (gaming, streaming, DNS).
TCP
- Connection-oriented (3-way handshake)
- Reliable delivery (retransmission)
- Ordered delivery
- Use for: HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, FTP, SMTP, databases
UDP
- Connectionless (fire and forget)
- No guaranteed delivery
- No ordering
- Use for: DNS, gaming, video streaming, VoIP, IoT
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