Which protocol is known as a connection-oriented protocol that establishes a reliable connection before data transfer?

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is recognized as a connection-oriented protocol primarily because it establishes a reliable connection between communicating devices before any data transfer occurs. This is achieved through a process known as the TCP handshake, which involves three steps: SYN, SYN-ACK, and ACK. During this handshake, a secure connection is established, ensuring that both the sender and receiver agree on parameters such as sequence numbers, which are essential for tracking data packets during transmission.

TCP also incorporates mechanisms for error checking and flow control, ensuring that lost packets can be retransmitted and that data is delivered in the correct order. This ensures a reliable data transfer, which is critical for applications that require accurate and complete data communication, such as file transfers or web browsing.

In contrast, user datagram protocol (UDP) is a connectionless protocol that does not guarantee delivery or order, making it unsuitable for scenarios where reliability is essential. The Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is used primarily for diagnostic and error-reporting purposes rather than data transfer. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), although it operates over TCP and benefits from its reliability, is primarily an application layer protocol, not a connection-oriented protocol itself. Therefore, TCP is the definitive answer when referring to a protocol