What is the primary operational distinction between Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP)?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. TCP is connection-oriented with guaranteed delivery, while UDP is connectionless and best-effort

  1. Step 1: Compare transport layer protocols.
  2. Step 2: TCP uses a 3-way handshake, sequence numbers, and acknowledgments to ensure reliable, ordered byte streams. UDP transmits datagrams without establishing prior connections or verifying receipt, prioritizing low latency.
Answer
TCP is connection-oriented with guaranteed delivery, while UDP is connectionless and best-effort.
Why not the others: Statement 1 is inverted; both protocols carry arbitrary binary payloads; both operate at Layer 4 (Transport layer).

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