Which network protocol ensures reliable delivery of data packets? Please choose the correct answer.

Question

Options

• AUser Datagram Protocol (UDP)
• BInternet Protocol (IP)
• CHypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
• DTransmission Control Protocol (TCP)

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  3% (1)
• C
  5% (2)
• D
  89% (34)

Explanation

TCP (D) guarantees reliable delivery through connection establishment (three-way handshake), error checking, acknowledgment of received packets, and retransmission of any lost data - making it the protocol of choice when data integrity matters (e.g., web pages, file transfers).

Why the others are wrong:

• UDP (A) is intentionally unreliable - it fires packets without confirmation, trading reliability for speed (used in streaming/gaming).
• IP (B) handles addressing and routing packets across networks, but makes no delivery guarantees; it's the foundation everything else rides on.
• HTTP (C) is an application-layer protocol for web communication; it relies on TCP underneath but is not itself a delivery-reliability mechanism.

Memory tip: Think "TCP = Trust Confirmed Packets" - it checks that every packet arrived safely before moving on.

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