Computer Networks, unit: The Transport Layer. Core concepts, terminology, and worked-example cues a college student meets for this unit, building on prior units without repeating them. Front: a term, concept, or short problem cue. Back: the definition, explanation, or answer.
38 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- What is the Transport layer responsible for?
Show answer
End-to-end, reliable (or best-effort) delivery of data between applications- What is TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)?
Show answer
A connection-oriented, reliable transport protocol that guarantees ordered delivery- What is UDP (User Datagram Protocol)?
Show answer
A connectionless transport protocol offering fast, best-effort delivery without guarantees- What is a key tradeoff between TCP and UDP?
Show answer
TCP guarantees reliability and order at the cost of speed; UDP is faster but offers no such guarantees- What application scenario commonly uses UDP instead of TCP?
Show answer
Real-time applications like video streaming or online gaming, where speed matters more than perfect reliability- What is a three-way handshake?
Show answer
The TCP connection establishment process using SYN, SYN-ACK, and ACK messages- What does SYN stand for in the TCP handshake?
Show answer
Synchronize, the initial request to establish a connection- What is a port number?
Show answer
A numeric identifier used to direct traffic to a specific application or service on a device- What is a well-known port, such as port 80?
Show answer
A standardized port number reserved for a common service (port 80 is typically HTTP)- What port is typically used for HTTPS?
Show answer
Port 443- What is flow control at the Transport layer?
Show answer
Preventing a fast sender from overwhelming a slower receiver- What is congestion control?
Show answer
Adjusting data transmission rates to avoid overwhelming the network itself- What is a sliding window, in TCP flow control?
Show answer
A mechanism allowing multiple packets to be sent before requiring acknowledgment, improving efficiency- What is an acknowledgment (ACK) in TCP?
Show answer
A signal confirming that data has been successfully received- What is segmentation, at the Transport layer?
Show answer
Breaking data from an application into smaller segments for transmission
FlashKeepers