TCP Data Transmission and Packet Management

Study Notes

IP packets have a size limitation, typically carrying at most 1500 bytes of payload.
To send larger files, data must be split into multiple packets.
Packets can be dropped during transmission due to physical or routing issues, causing data loss.
Received packets may not be in the same order as sent, leading to data reordering.
Multiple conversations between two computers require unique identification of each conversation.
Flow control is necessary to manage the pace of data transmission and prevent link congestion.
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a connection-oriented, reliable, and stream service protocol that solves the challenges of data transmission.
Before sending data, a TCP connection must be established between two computers.
Once connection is established, data can be sent as a continuous stream.
TCP automatically breaks up the stream into packets that fit inside IP packets.
TCP uses acknowledgements and sequence numbers to ensure reliable data transfer.
TCP keeps track of packet order and removes any duplicate packets.
IP packet includes source and destination IP addresses, IP protocol (TCP), source and destination ports to identify unique connections.
TCP header includes source and destination ports, checksum, sequence number, and acknowledgement number.
TCP provides an extra checksum for the TCP header and data.
Sequence number is used by the receiver to put data back in order.
Acknowledgement number is used by the sender to know which data the receiver has received.
The flow of setting up a connection and sending data is explained in the next video.