Java Socket Programming

In the OSI model, TCP fits into the transport layer and IP fits into the network layer. TCP thus sits above IP, which means that the IP header is added onto the higher-level information (such as transport, session, presentation and application). The main functions of TCP are to provide a robust and reliable transport protocol. It is characterised as a reliable, connection-oriented, acknowledged and datastream-oriented server. IP, itself, does not support the connection of two nodes, whereas TCP does. With TCP, a connection is initially established and is then maintained for the length of the transmission.