There are many networking protocols in use today, but two of the most common are TCP and IP. TCP is a transmission control protocol used to ensure packets are delivered in the right order and IP is an internet protocol that handles addressing and routing. While both protocols are essential for networking, they serve different functions. In this article, we’ll take a look at the difference between TCP and IP and how they work together to create a functioning network.
What is TCP?
TCP is a protocol that provides reliable, ordered delivery of data over an IP network. TCP uses sequence numbers to ensure that data is delivered in the correct order and uses acknowledgments to ensure that data is received. TCP also provides flow control to prevent data from being sent too fast for the receiving host to process. TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, which means that a connection must be established between two hosts before data can be exchanged. TCP is a reliable protocol, which means that data will be delivered even if errors occur. TCP is a stream-oriented protocol, which means that data is treated as a stream of bytes. TCP is a best-effort delivery protocol, which means that delivery is not guaranteed.
TCP is a point-to-point protocol, which means that each host can communicate with only one other host at a time. TCP is not a broadcast or multicast protocol, which means that it cannot be used to send data to multiple hosts simultaneously. TCP does not provide any security features, so it should not be used for sensitive information. TCP is a congestion-controlled protocol, which means that it tries to avoid sending more data than the network can handle.
What is IP?
IP or Internet Protocol is the method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet. Each computer (known as a host) on the Internet has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet. When you send or receive data (for example, an email message or a webpage), the message gets divided into small pieces called packets. Each packet contains both the sender’s IP address and the receiver’s IP address. The packets are then sent through the network from your computer to the destination computer. When the packets arrive at the destination computer, they are reassembled into the original message.
IP is responsible for ensuring that each packet of data arrives safely and in order – that is, in the same order in which it was sent. IP is also responsible for routing each packet to the correct destination. IP addresses are often referred to as host addresses. They are made up of four sets of numbers, separated by periods (also known as decimal points). For example, an IP address might look like this: 216.27.61.137. IP addresses can be either static or dynamic.
Difference between TCP and IP
TCP and IP are two of the most important protocols in the TCP/IP suite. TCP is a transport layer protocol that provides reliable communication between two hosts. IP is an internet layer protocol that allows packets to be routed across the network. TCP uses a three-way handshake to establish a connection between two hosts. IP uses a four-way handshake to route packets between devices. TCP is responsible for ensuring that data is delivered in the correct order and without errors. IP is responsible for routing packets across the network. TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, while IP is a connectionless protocol. TCP uses sequence numbers to keep track of data, while IP uses datagram IDs to identify packets. TCP can be used without IP, but IP cannot be used without TCP.
Conclusion
TCP and IP are two important protocols that work together to move data around the internet. Understanding the difference between the two will help you troubleshoot connectivity issues and understand how your computer communicates with websites and other computers on the network.
