Scribd
Upload
3 views

Coding Concepts 2

test prep

Uploaded by

Rizwan Naeem
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
3 views

Coding Concepts 2

test prep

Uploaded by

Rizwan Naeem
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Web sockets and TCP sockets are both used for network communication, but they serve different

purposes and operate at different levels of


the network stack. Here's a comparison between the two:

### 1. **Protocol Layer**:


- **TCP Socket**: Operates at the **Transport Layer (Layer 4)** of the OSI model. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a low-level protocol
that establishes a connection between two endpoints, allowing data to be sent and received reliably.
- **WebSocket**: Operates at the **Application Layer (Layer 7)**. It is built on top of the TCP protocol and is used for full-duplex
communication between a client (usually a web browser) and a server over a single, long-lived connection.

### 2. **Use Case**:


- **TCP Socket**: Used for general-purpose, low-level data transmission. It's used in applications like SSH, FTP, and custom application
protocols.
- **WebSocket**: Primarily used for real-time web applications where the client and server need to exchange data continuously. Examples
include chat applications, real-time updates, live gaming, etc.

### 3. **Connection Establishment**:


- **TCP Socket**: Connection is established using a three-way handshake (SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK).
- **WebSocket**: Connection starts as an HTTP request (usually over port 80 or 443) and then "upgrades" to a WebSocket connection if both
the client and server agree.

### 4. **Communication**:
- **TCP Socket**: Provides a reliable, ordered, and error-checked stream of bytes. The data is sent in a continuous stream and is delivered in
the same order as it was sent.
- **WebSocket**: Also provides a reliable, ordered communication stream but in the form of messages rather than raw byte streams.
WebSocket supports both text and binary messages.

### 5. **Performance**:
- **TCP Socket**: Since it is lower-level, TCP sockets might offer better performance for specialized applications where developers have fine-
grained control over how data is transmitted.
- **WebSocket**: Designed for ease of use in web applications, it abstracts some complexities, which might introduce minor overhead but is
more than adequate for most web-based real-time applications.

### 6. **Ease of Use**:


- **TCP Socket**: Requires more detailed management of connection, data transmission, and error handling, making it more complex to
implement.
- **WebSocket**: Easier to use, especially in web applications, as it integrates seamlessly with JavaScript and web technologies.

### 7. **Statefulness**:
- **TCP Socket**: Stateful by nature, meaning the connection between the client and server is maintained throughout the communication
session.
- **WebSocket**: Also stateful, maintaining an open connection for continuous communication until explicitly closed by either the client or
server.

### 8. **Security**:
- **TCP Socket**: Security features (like TLS/SSL) need to be manually implemented if required.
- **WebSocket**: Can be used over secure HTTPS (WSS: WebSocket Secure), which provides encryption and security out of the box, similar to
how HTTPS works.

### Summary:
- **TCP sockets** are fundamental building blocks for network communication, providing reliable, low-level, stream-oriented data transfer.
- **WebSockets** are a higher-level protocol designed for web applications, offering full-duplex communication suitable for real-time interaction
with web servers.

Each has its place, depending on the needs of the application being developed.

You might also like