How do TCP and UDP differ in terms of data transmission?

TCP and UDP differ significantly in their approach to data transmission, which is captured accurately in the correct answer. TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol, is designed to provide a reliable, connection-oriented communication channel. This means that before any data is transmitted, a connection is established between the sender and receiver. TCP ensures that all data packets arrive in the correct order and retransmits any lost packets, thereby providing a guarantee of delivery and accuracy of data.

On the other hand, UDP, or User Datagram Protocol, is characterized as a connectionless protocol. It does not establish a connection before sending data, which allows for faster transmission speeds since there is no overhead of connection management or acknowledgment of received packets. However, this speed comes at the cost of reliability; data sent via UDP can arrive out of order or may not arrive at all, and there are no guarantees for delivery.

This distinction is crucial for many applications. For instance, applications requiring high-speed data transfer, like online gaming or video streaming, often use UDP because it can handle real-time data without the overhead associated with TCP. Conversely, applications that require reliable communication, such as file transfers or email, prefer TCP to ensure that all data is received correctly and in the right order.

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