TCP/IP Protocol Suite

TCP/IP Protocol Suite Visually

Learn the TCP/IP protocol suite with interactive visualizations showing packet analysis, connection establishment, and data transmission.

TCP/IP Suite Protocol Layers Data Transmission Packet Routing Reliable Communication Internet Services Visual Learning

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

Reliable, connection-oriented protocol

  • Connection-oriented
  • Reliable data delivery
  • Error detection & correction
  • Flow control
  • Congestion control

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Fast, connectionless protocol

  • Connectionless
  • No reliability guarantee
  • Low overhead
  • Fast transmission
  • Simple protocol

TCP Three-Way Handshake

Client
192.168.1.100
Server
192.168.1.200
1
SYN (Synchronize)

Client → Server: "I want to establish a connection. My sequence number is X."

TCP Flags: SYN=1, ACK=0
2
SYN-ACK (Synchronize-Acknowledge)

Server → Client: "I acknowledge your request. My sequence number is Y, and I acknowledge X+1."

TCP Flags: SYN=1, ACK=1
3
ACK (Acknowledge)

Client → Server: "I acknowledge your response. Connection established!"

TCP Flags: SYN=0, ACK=1

TCP Packet Analysis

TCP Header Structure

Source Port 80
Destination Port 443
Sequence Number 1000
Acknowledgment Number 2000
Window Size 65535
Flags ACK
iRo 0x1a2b

TCP vs UDP Comparison

Feature TCP UDP
Connection Type Connection-oriented Connectionless
Reliability Reliable Unreliable
Speed Slower Faster
Header Size 20 bytes 8 bytes
Error Checking Yes Basic
Flow Control Yes No
Use Cases Web browsing, Email, File transfer Gaming, Streaming, DNS