• Tag Archives TCP

  • TCP vs. UDP: What’s the Difference Between Them?

    When it comes to network protocols, TCP and UDP are two of the most commonly used protocols. This is because both protocols are used to transmit data over the internet, but they have some significant differences. In today’s article, we’ll explore TCP vs. UDP differences, including their strengths and weaknesses.

    DNS using UDP and TCP

    TCP: Transmission Control Protocol

    TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that provides reliable data transmission. It establishes a virtual connection between the sender and receiver before transmitting data. As a result, TCP ensures that data is delivered in the correct order and without errors. This is achieved by assigning sequence numbers to each packet of data and acknowledging the receipt of each packet.

    Strengths of TCP:

    • Reliable: TCP guarantees that all packets will be delivered without any errors.
    • Ordered: It ensures that packets are delivered in the same order they were sent.
    • Connection-oriented: TCP establishes a connection between the sender and receiver before transmitting data.

    Weaknesses of TCP:

    • Slow: TCP is slower than UDP due to its connection-oriented nature.
    • Overhead: TCP has a higher overhead than UDP, which means it uses more network resources.

    UDP: User Datagram Protocol

    UDP is a connectionless protocol that provides unreliable data transmission. It does not establish a connection before transmitting data and does not guarantee that all packets will be delivered. UDP is often used for real-time applications such as video and audio streaming, where speed is more important than reliability.

    Strengths of UDP:

    • Fast: UDP is faster than TCP due to its connectionless nature.
    • Low overhead: It has a lower overhead than TCP, which means it uses fewer network resources.

    Weaknesses of UDP:

    • Unreliable: UDP does not guarantee that all packets will be delivered or that they will be delivered in the correct order.
    • No congestion control: UDP has no congestion control mechanisms, which means it can contribute to network congestion.

    TCP vs. UDP: Which Should You Use?

    Choosing between TCP vs. UDP depends on the specific application and its requirements. If reliability is important, TCP is the best choice. On the other hand, if speed is more crucial than reliability, UDP is the way to go. Applications such as video and audio streaming, online gaming, and VoIP typically use UDP. On the other hand, applications such as web browsing, email, and file transfers usually use TCP.

    Conclusion

    Comparing TCP vs. UDP shows that these two protocols serve completely different purposes. TCP is reliable but slow, while UDP is fast but unreliable. When choosing between the two, it’s important to consider the application’s requirements and select the best protocol.


    Posted on by Shane Comment
    📂This entry was posted in Protocols 📎and tagged

  • Key DNS terms explained in detail

    Today we will explore the essential DNS terms that you need to know. DNS is an abbreviation of Domain Name System. Its function is to link domain names with their corresponding IP addresses. The Internet functions as it does today because of this decentralized naming system. But what are the other vital DNS terms? Let’s now focus on them.

    DNS record

    First, we will stop at the DNS records. They contain DNS-related information and instructions. A single domain typically has multiple DNS records, each revealing domain-related settings. For example, one may provide information about the IP address (A record or AAAA record). At the same time, another may point to a domain-related service, such as an email server (MX record). In addition, every DNS zone contains a zone file that contains the entire collection of DNS records.

    DNS zone

    The DNS zone is the administrative component of the DNS namespace. A different DNS administrator manages each DNS zone. As a result, the DNS system is regarded as decentralized. A domain name and a DNS zone are frequently confused as the same thing. However, this is incorrect. For example, a single DNS zone could be contained within a single domain. Other cases, on the other hand, are more common. When a domain has multiple DNS zones, it is evident that they are not all equal.

    DNS server

    DNS servers are classified into two types. The first type of DNS server is authoritative, which stores all DNS data (DNS records) and provides information to the following type of DNS server. Recursive DNS servers are the second type (DNS resolvers). Their primary function is to receive the DNS query and look for an answer. DNS resolution is a comprehensive process, and their role is critical.

    Network Protocol

    A protocol is a set of instructions for formatting and processing data in networking. Computers have a common language known as network protocols. Even if the software and hardware used by the computers in a network may be very dissimilar, the usage of protocols allows them to communicate with one another.

    Similar to how two humans from different parts of the world may not speak each other’s original languages but can nevertheless communicate through a common third language, standardized protocols are like a common language that computers can utilize. For example, a computer can communicate with another computer if both of them employ the Internet Protocol (IP).

    In addition, there are different types of protocols:

    • TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)
    • UDP (User Datagram Protocol)
    • FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
    • IP (Internet Protocol)
    • ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)
    • HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
    • SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
    • etc.

    TCP vs. UDP: What’s the Difference Between Them?

    Dynamic DNS

    Your IP address is automatically updated using Dynamic DNS (DDNS) whenever it changes. The Internet Service Provider (ISP) most frequently changes your IP address to a different one. It’s easy to understand why. They have broad networks, and this step makes management easier for them. Dynamic DNS implementation is a wonderful option if you have CCTV security cameras.

    DNS propagation

    The last teminology from our DNS terms list is DNS propagation. Changes to your domain, like changing the nameservers or A record values, typically take an hour or two to accomplish. However, depending on several factors, this can occasionally take up to 72 hours (TTL settings)

    DNS propagation is the process that allows these DNS updates to spread across the internet.

    Because ISPs (Internet Service Providers) all over the world need to update their caches with the DNS changes you’ve made, the timing of this procedure will vary. Each ISP determines the rate at which these updates are made. This means that propagation cannot be “sped up”.

    Conclusion

    The Domain Name System is frequently the most challenging aspect of learning how to configure websites and servers. You can diagnose issues with access configuration for your websites and gain a deeper understanding of what happens in the background by learning how DNS works.


    Posted on by Shane Comment
    📂This entry was posted in DNS Protocols 📎and tagged