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UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Ali Azhar
Last Updated February 21, 2022 2:49 pm

The UDP (User datagram protocol) is a connectionless protocol that, like TCP, runs on top of IP networks. Unlike TCP/IP, UDP/IP provides very few error recovery services, offering instead a direct way to send and receive datagrams over an IP network. It’s used primarily for broadcasting messages over a network. UDP is most commonly used for time-sensitive applications such as Domain Name System (DNS) lookups, video playback, and online gaming. UDP is used for optimum speed for transferring data rather than trying to secure a reliable connection with the destination.

UDP works by transferring “datagrams”, a type of data packet, between the source and target computer in a network. Compared to other protocols, UDP is faster but less reliable. For example, in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), data is only transferred after a secure connection is achieved and the data is sent in order.

Features of the User Datagram Protocol

  • UDP is ideal for simple query-based communication.
  • UDP is transaction-oriented and not connection-oriented. It does not rely on securing a connection with the destination computer in the network. There is also no acknowledgment of receiving the data.  
  • UDP is ideal for applications where data flows in one direction such as multimedia streaming or VoIP.
  • UDP is stateless, making it ideal for use for applications that involve a large number of clients such as IPTV or streaming media.

What are the applications of the user datagram protocol?  

UDP can be used for a variety of applications on the internet. The most common type of application is straightforward communication for a small amount of data between two computers in a network. It can also be used for multicasting, in which a single source sends data to multiple recipients on a network. UDP can also be used for routing update protocols and real-time applications in which data needs to be delivered extremely quickly. For example, in online gaming, it is more acceptable to experience a low-quality video or sound for a few seconds than to experience a lag in the game. UDP is ideal for these types of applications where speed of data transfer is the priority.

Is the user datagram protocol reliable?

While UDP offers outstanding speed, it is not the most reliable communication protocol. It is vulnerable to malicious purposes such as Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. An attack can flood the server that used UDP, as UDP does not require permission from the destination computer to begin transferring data.

What is the User Datagram Protocol?

User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a communication protocol used throughout the internet. It is part of the Internet Protocol Suite, which is a set of communication protocols used on the internet. UDP is most commonly used for time-sensitive applications such as Domain Name System (DNS) lookups, video playback, and online gaming. UDP is used for optimum speed for transferring data. It does not spend any time trying to secure a reliable connection with the destination.

UDP works by transferring “datagrams”, a type of data packet, between the source and target computer in a network. Compared to other protocols, UDP is faster but less reliable. For example, in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), data is only transferred after a secure connection is achieved and the data is sent in order.

Features of the User Datagram Protocol

  • UDP is ideal for simple query-based communication.
  • UDP is transaction-oriented and not connection-oriented. It does not rely on securing a connection with the destination computer in the network. There is also no acknowledgment of receiving the data.  
  • UDP is ideal for applications where data flows in one direction such as multimedia streaming or VoIP.
  • UDP is stateless, making it ideal for use for applications that involve a large number of clients such as IPTV or streaming media.

What are the applications of the User Datagram Protocol?  

UDP can be used for a variety of applications on the internet. The most common type of application is straightforward communication for a small amount of data between two computers in a network. It can also be used for multicasting, in which a single source sends data to multiple recipients on a network. UDP can also be used for routing update protocols and real-time applications in which data needs to be delivered extremely quickly. For example, in online gaming, it is more acceptable to experience a low-quality video or sound for a few seconds than to experience a lag in the game. UDP is ideal for these types of applications where speed of data transfer is the priority.

Reliability of User Datagram Protocol

While UDP offers outstanding speed, it is not the most reliable communication protocol. It is vulnerable to malicious purposes such as Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. An attack can flood the server that used UDP, as UDP does not require permission from the destination computer to begin transferring data.