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TCP/IP

I'm building client server application over TCP. The order of the arrival of the messages from the client to the server is important. Does TCP assure me that all the messages (packets) that I will send from the client to server will arrived at the same order they had been send?

Thank you.

jjeff1

No, packets can arrive out of order. They are reordered, but I am not sure at what layer.

stevenlewis

packets can also be dropped, requiring a resend

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BrettNem

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Otta

> No, packets can arrive out of order.

Yes, IP-packets can arrive out of order.

> They are reordered, but I am not sure at what layer.

I am sure that it is the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) running _OVER_ the IP (Internet Protocol) --
read it as "Tea See Pea over Eye Pea" -- which
re-requests "missing" packets, and orders the IP-packets

Member_2_231077

You are right, it's TCP (layer 4) that re-orders the packets and requests re-transmission of any missing packets (it knows that a packet is missed because of sequence numbers in the session).

If on the other hand you were to use UDP then you would have to build the reliability into your application. TCP is less efficient but it's reliable.

ErikKruijswijk

As long as you are using tcp, and not udp, al your packets will arrive..
tcp wiats for an aknowledgement, before he sends the next packet..
Udp, does not, thats why it faster, but less relyable
gr

Erik Kruijswijk

fathallafa

The answer is simply YES. Providing that your application is using TCP protocol. In that case you don't have to be woried about the mesages order. Your distination host will receive it in the same order your source host is sending with error recovery and this is one of the TCP fruits if we compare it with UDP.
I Hope that this will satisfy your needs.
Regards,
Fathalla

Otta

> TCP waits for an acknowledgement before sending the next packet..

Not always true -- a "windowing" technique is often used.
TCP will send, say, five packets, and then wait to receive
the acknowledgment of the _FIRST_ packet before sending
the _SIXTH_ packet.
Obviously, this increases "throughput" of the connection.

adrianwatkins

If you use TCP in your application all of the stuff mentioned above will be carried out for you by NIC/NIC Driver/ Opperating system and WINSOCK.

You will therefore gain a error corrected, in order data pipe between your client and server without needing to get involved in the underlying layers.

A word of warning though, if you mishandle using tcp you can cause issues with the underlyiong layers. I have seen some socket dlls do pretty weird things on the network if for example you put some data in the send buffer and then cxlose the socket before waiting for the send buffer to empty.

Asta Cu

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