Transport Layer - O-LavenderAshburn/Knowledgebase_NetworkAndConnectivity GitHub Wiki
Transport Layer Protocols
These protocols are responsible for transportation of data over a network, delivering data reliably and or effectively. Common transport protocols are
- TCP - Transport Control Protocol
- UDP - User Datagram Protocol
- QUIC
- TFTP - Trivial File Transfer Protocol
Use Cases
Different transfer protocols have their own pros and cons and usually used based on their appropriate use case as some are more reliable but have more overhead and some less reliable but faster.
| Protocol | Pros | Cons | Common Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) | - Reliable, ordered data delivery - Error checking and correction - Congestion and flow control - Widely supported | - Slower due to overhead - Handshake and state tracking required | - Web browsing (HTTP/HTTPS) - Email (SMTP, IMAP, POP3) - File transfers (FTP over TCP) |
| UDP (User Datagram Protocol) | - Fast, low-latency - Minimal overhead - Good for broadcast/multicast | - No delivery guarantees - No ordering or retransmission | - Live video/audio streaming - Online gaming - VoIP (e.g., Zoom, Skype) |
| QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) | - Secure (built-in TLS) - Faster connection setup than TCP+TLS - Multiplexed streams without head-of-line blocking | - Less mature than TCP - Not as widely supported by legacy systems | - Modern web traffic (used by HTTP/3) - Mobile-first apps and services - Google services like YouTube, Gmail |
| TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) | - Very lightweight and simple - Easy to implement in embedded systems | - No authentication or encryption - Unreliable (built on UDP) - Limited command set | - Booting devices (PXE boot) - Firmware uploads in embedded systems - Network config transfers (routers/switches) |