Gain a clear understanding of how TCP operates

If you're like a lot of IT pros, you may have a somewhat fuzzy idea of how TCP works. This sample chapter explains the fundamentals so that the details of TCP operation make sense.

The TCP/IP Guide, released last month by No Starch Press, is billed as being both "encyclopedic" and "comprehensible"--no small feat, given the scope and complexity of the topic. In this chapter, author Charles M. Kozierok describes some of the key concepts of TCP operation, including:

• TCP data handling and streams, segments, and sequences
• The TCP sliding window system, used for acknowledgment, reliability, and data flow control
• TCP's use of ports and how it identifies connections
• The most important applications that use TCP and what ports they use for server applications

Title: The TCP/IP Guide
ISBN: 1-59327-047-X
Published: September 2005; No Starch Press
Author: Charles M. Kozierok
Chapter: Chapter 46, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) Fundamentals and General Operation

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