Networking 101: Understanding TCP, the Protocol

"TCP is end-to-end. There is no concept of broadcast, or anything like it. To speak TCP with another computer, you must be connected, like a telephone call, so each end is prepared to talk. "Stream delivery" is also another phrase you'll hear. This simply means that TCP works with data streams, and out of order packets are o.k. In fact, TCP is even o.k. with lost or corrupted packets; it will eventually get them again."

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