The transmission control protocol (TCP) is one foundational part of the internet protocol suite. The internet protocol suite in simple terms is the suite that allows for transferring of the data that you wish to send or receive. We will dive deeper into the internet protocol suite, including the second foundational part at a later date.
A brief history on TCP
Fifty one years ago, TCP was born. TCP was introduced to compliment the second protocol in the internet protocol suite, commonly known as the internet protocol (or IP for short). There were many versions of the internet protocol suite, this seperation was the fourth version of the suite.
What does the TCP do?
The TCP is a protocol that defines the rules in which data can transfer over a network. The aforementioned rules attempt to create a transfer that is both reliable and accurate. There is a process that this protocol follows. The process is one that breaks the data up, assigns the data an order value to which the transferred data can be put back together.
How does the TCP actually work?
The protocol receives a request for data to be transferred. Once the request is received, the aforementioned data is broken up into segments. These segments are broken up in such a way that keeps them in order, so when the transfer is complete, the receiving portion of the network can rebuild the data package.
The way this is done, the process supports reliability and accuracy.
Conclusion
This is the first part of the series in which we dive into the inner workings of the internet. I am focusing on the basics of the internet as of now. As you may be able to tell, my knowledge is very limited as I am also learning. Feel free to leave a comment with suggestions, feedback or to correct me – I am always happy to learn how I am wrong, we all start by making mistakes.
I am using Muddled Wires as a place to solidify my learning.
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