Communication protocols you should know Protocols are the rules that let devices, apps, and services talk to each other. A clear protocol stack makes networks predictable, helpful for troubleshooting and design. Two main transport options exist: TCP and UDP. TCP provides reliability, ordering, and error checking. It resends lost data and ensures packets arrive in the right order. UDP is faster and lighter but does not guarantee delivery.
Common protocols you will encounter HTTP/HTTPS: web traffic. HTTP runs on TCP; HTTPS adds TLS encryption. DNS: translates domain names to addresses. SMTP/IMAP/POP3: email transfer protocols. FTP/SFTP: file transfer; SFTP runs over SSH. MQTT: lightweight publish-subscribe protocol for IoT, usually over TCP with a broker. CoAP: constrained devices, often over UDP. WebSocket: real-time channels over TCP for live apps. TLS/SSL: encryption for many protocols (HTTPS, mail, etc.). Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi: local links; Bluetooth for close devices, Wi‑Fi for larger networks. IPv4 and IPv6: address schemes; most networks run dual-stack with translation. How to choose a protocol Choosing the right protocol is about balance. If you need reliability and order, TCP-based protocols are safer. For low overhead and speed, UDP-based or lightweight options can work, but you must handle loss at the application layer. Security matters: prefer encrypted variants such as TLS-enabled connections and avoid sending sensitive data in the clear.
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