It is essential to grasp several key protocol concepts.
1. TCP Native (RFC 793)
- Definition: The standard Transmission Control Protocol, defined in RFC 793, providing a connection-oriented, reliable, byte-stream-based transport layer.
2. ISO on TCP (RFC 1006)
- Definition: ISO transport protocol layered over TCP, detailed in RFC 1006, aligning with the ISO-OSI model’s transport layer (Layer 4).
3. UDP (RFC 768)
- Definition: User Datagram Protocol, connectionless and unreliable. Sends datagrams without guaranteed delivery or ordering
RFC 793 vs. RFC 1006 vs. RFC 768
| Protocol | Defined By the specification document | Connection Type | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCP (Native) | RFC (Request for Comments) 793 | Connection-oriented | Reliable, stream-based; no frame markers—requires careful LEN use in TRCV |
| ISO on TCP | RFC 1006 | Connection-oriented | Adds frame boundaries and acknowledgments—better for structured comms |
| UDP | RFC 768 | Connectionless | Fast and stateless, no acknowledgments—used for simple or broadcast messaging |