TCP vs. UDP: What’s the Difference?

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In the world of Internet protocol traffic, consumers can choose between a TCP or UDP setup for their business or personal use. When it comes to TCP vs UDP features and functions, each brings its own set of advantages and challenges.

A detailed look at how the Lifesize service processes data transfers to make the most of your bandwidth and your meeting experience.

With that said, UDP is known for being faster and more up-to-date, yet many systems still rely on TCP to download batches of information. Users will need to take a look at their specific IP needs to make an informed decision about which protocol is best for them.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is connection-oriented, meaning once a connection has been established, data can be transmitted in two directions. TCP has built-in systems to check for errors and to guarantee data will be delivered in the order it was sent, making it the perfect protocol for transferring information like still images, data files, and web pages.

But while TCP is instinctively reliable, its feedback mechanisms also result in a larger overhead, translating to greater use of the available bandwidth on your network.

User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a simpler, connectionless Internet protocol wherein error-checking and recovery services are not required. With UDP, there is no overhead for opening a connection, maintaining a connection, or terminating a connection; data is continuously sent to the recipient, whether or not they receive it.

Although UDP isn’t ideal for sending an email, viewing a webpage, or downloading a file, it is largely preferred for real-time communications like broadcast or multitask network transmission.